Page 38 of To Have and to Hold

When I pulled back a fraction, it was like time froze. The urge to kiss her, save her, to throw her over my shoulder and make her feel good, loved, safe, was almost too much to fight. But then Connor interrupted, swooping past me to kiss her cheek, too. Ionly understood why when I straightened up and caught the eye of Violet’s husband. He was fuming. He hid it well, but those black eyes were pits, the slightest tension at the corners showing me everything I needed to.

Thin fucking ice.

Violet flushed, blinked and looked down. Fuck. This was impossible.

“We have much to discuss,” Rafael bit at us, his tone a vicious, icy slap.

I nodded, more to shake the images from my mind. Of his head on a spike. Of slamming my cock into Violet's laid out body beneath it. Of turning into a beast and ravaging through this entire party, keeping her king-konged in my arms until we were a thousand miles away. A path of destruction in our wake.

“There’s time,” I said. “It’s your birthday, after all. Let’s not talk business.”

“Yes,” Rafe responded. “Your brother’s body isn’t even cold yet.”

Connor bristled, but I just nodded again, acquiescing to this man like he wanted me to.

“Tonight, we focus on the good thing. Another circle around the sun,” Rafe said, throwing his hands out, putting a barrier between Violet and me. It stung. And for a moment, my eyes locked with hers. All I saw was longing behind her dark blues. It was a bloody gut punch to the dick.

“Happy birthday,” Connor offered, tipping his drinks up in a cheers gesture.

Rafe nodded, then turned his focus on me. When I said nothing, he smirked, an evil, devilish thing. “Come to my office tomorrow evening. We will discuss… everything then. Initiating you into the church.”

I inclined my head, welcoming any opportunity to be in the same house as Vi. “I’d like a moment along with mysister,” I said then, feeling brave after getting through a few lines of conversation without strangling the fucker. “We’re both mourning. If you have a private space we can attend…”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Rafe replied, eyes narrowing, tone darkening again. It was a constant fucking battle with this man. Exhausting. No wonder Father pawned him off on his children. He wanted the power, not the grief.

My nostrils flared, and I tried to make my irritation look rational. “My father will not be impressed, Rafe, if you don’t let me spend some time with my family in light of what has happened.”

Rafe laughed. “Your father cares little for his oldest daughter.” Rafe grabbed her by the waist and yanked her into him. She yelped. “If he did, he would not have left her with me. He knows my churches… predilections.”

“Of course,” I nodded. “It’s not for her. It’s for me.”

“Talk to your uncle, then.” Rafe’s tone was flat. Hard. Warning.

Nostrils flared, jaw tense, Connor’s hand subtle on the back of my arm to restrain me in case I exploded, I responded. “I’ll be seeing the rest of my family tomorrow, anyway. We can mourn together then.”

Rafe nodded, though the tension didn’t break, and we continued talking for a short while longer before he ended the conversation and dragged Violet away. For a moment, as she spun around, her arm swung back, and I grasped her hand. It was a brush of fingertips, but it set me on fire. I needed to see her tonight.

Good job, I had an alternative plan. I pulled out my phone and found Christian’s number.

Iowedthemanbig time, because he’d succeeded. He was masterful, even from across the country. I checked the cameras on my phone one last time from the bathroom, making sure they showed a repeat of a few seconds, frozen at an innocuous point that no one would notice unless they were studying the screen. It gave me the opportunity I needed. The hallway outside of Violet’s would look deserted, no matter what happened.

I’d already said my goodbyes, the party in its last hour, anyway. So I slipped up the staircase and made my way to Violet’s room, sneaking in to wait for her. He was still dragging her around, putting her on display when she was in obvious pain somewhere. She was the butt of jokes, a punching bag for him to make small talk about. Humiliating. Degrading. I expected everyone in that ballroom knew what he was doing to her. Some may have participated. I resolved not to ask her.

Connor scowled at me when it became clear I had an alternative plan, but he remained silent as he headed toward the front of the house. He needed to be fresh to deal with my dad in the morning, he said. I thought there might be something else there, but it was none of my business. Those two had never been close. It was bred into us to treat our siblings as rivals. Not friends. Family. His beef with my dad didn’t concern me.

Only my sister was my business.

So I tucked myself into her closet and waited. Waited. When I heard her door open and her footsteps sound, I sent Christian a thumbs up emoji to switch over her feed to one of her lying in her bed, asleep. It would give us time. I hoped. Fuck, I owedthat man. But he always said he was happy to do it. We had each other’s backs, no matter what.

I waited until I was sure there was no one else coming back for her, until she’d had a moment to decompress, before pushing open the door.

Chapter 21

Theo

“Theo?”Hervoicedriftedfrom her bed, surprise lightening her features. A war of emotions and thoughts struck me. She looked so young, so innocent. I wanted to save her. Fuck her. Protect her. I tried to shake the more nefarious ideas away, but they didn’t shift. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to see you.” I smiled, and without preamble, shoved a chair under the door to block it.

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