Page 31 of Love Fire

She tries to walk away from our conversation. To hell she will. I grab her wrist and forcefully turn her towards me. Her frown turns into a scowl.

“Let go of me,” she says. She tries to shake off my hand to no avail. “I said let go!”

“If there’s nothing going on, then why were you two in the garden, hm? Did you think I didn’t see you fucking tiptoeing back there?”

She rolls her eyes. “We were just talking, Brent. That’s literally it.”

“Did you guys have a relationship while he was in rehab?”

“No.”

“I’m sure something went down while you went there.”

“Nothing happened!”

“Just tell me the fucking truth!”

I let her go. The skin around her wrist turns red. She holds it tightly as she backs away from me. Her hair’s unruly from all the shaking.

“I keep telling you, there’s nothing between me and your cousin. End of story. Get it in your thick fucking skull.”

“Then tell me why you’re meeting him in secret? Why couldn’t you meet in the living room?”

Erin doesn’t respond. Her stare hardens and she bites her luscious lips. She’s thinking about what to say. My own chest tightens, waiting for her to admit she’s at least in love with him.

Instead, she changes the subject.“You have brute strength, Brent. You’re going to leave bruises on me.”

Smoke comes out of my nostrils. My dragon itches to come out and just roar at her. I storm off before I give myself the chance. I need a damn drink.

I head towards the basement. Leaving her behind. It’s impossible to talk sense into her. I fucking give up.

Suddenly, Erin chases after me.

“Wait, Brent, stop. I’m sorry! Let’s talk upstairs, please!”

“No,” I say and keep walking.

“Please, Brent. I won’t shout anymore. Let’s just talk about it!”

Before I reach the basement entrance, she grabs onto my bicep and squeezes it. I want to shiver her off but her last comment makes me reconsider. I still head towards the basement for my fucking drink. Why is she suddenly begging at me?

She tries to pull me away with her weak strength. With my build, I don’t move an inch forward or backward. I extend my arm out to make distance between us.w

“What’s your problem? Why do you want me to go upstairs so badly now?”

Then, a third voice joins the conversation. It comes from the basement. A man’s voice.

“Erin?” it says.

I whip my head around and head off running downstairs. Erin runs behind me as she begs and cries.

28

ERIN

Oh, this is not good, not good at all. I’ve never seen Brent move so quickly. He practically jumped the entire flight of stairs down to the basement. I need to get to him and calm him down or else Nate will be in danger.

I race down the stairs as fast as I can and round the corner to find Brent and Nate staring at each other. I hurry past Brent and stand in between them. If Brent is going to attack my brother, he’ll have to go through me.

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