Page 20 of Dead to Rights
“Only stayed because he wanted to find out how he died,” Keegan interrupted. “Now, he knows. You waited for me, but I’m here now, and I’m going to be okay.”
“I don’t know.” Everything his twin said made sense, but he’d lived in the village for so long, he didn’t know how to exist any other way.
It also wasn’t a decision to be made lightly. He’d have to leave everything behind, including the people he loved, and once he crossed, there would be no coming back.
“I know it’s a lot, but if you stay here, Karleigh will never leave you two alone. And if you’re staying for me…don’t. We’ll see each other again.” Keegan swayed sideways, bumping their shoulders together as they walked. “Think about it.”
They walked in silence for a while, the village lanterns flickering over the path ahead of them. At the edge of town, the distinct glow of the river at the bottom of the hill drew his attention, its waters whispering to him in both invitation and warning.
Would crossing really mean freedom? Or just a different kind of exile?
“Maybe,” he allowed.
“Or you could break things off with Finn.”
“No,” he shot back, his voice sharper than he intended. “I mean, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“I’m just saying, seems like a lot of effort for a guy.”
“He’s my mate.” Of all people, Keegan should understand what that meant.
“Yeah, but there’s no rule saying you have to choose him just because fate threw you together.”
“Keegan,” he said, his voice dipping low with warning.
“It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”
“This is different.”
Keegan glanced sideways at him. “How?”
“Because I love him!” he snapped. The past week had only confirmed what he’d already known for months. “I want to fight for him.” It took about two seconds and a shit-eating grin from his brother to realize he’d walked right into that one. “Damn you, Kee.”
Keegan’s laughter echoed down the road as he threw an arm around his neck and dragged him into an aggressive embrace. “That’s what big brothers are for.”
Born a whole four minutes before him, Keegan never missed an opportunity to lord that over him.
“You do know I spent centuries here before you arrived. Technically, that makes me older.”
“Nah, doesn’t count. You’ll always be my baby brother.”
“Asshole.” Laughing, he shoved him playfully and ducked out of his reach. “That’s not—”
His words ended in a strangled gasp when long fingers curled around his throat. Before his brain could comprehend what was happening, he felt himself lifted from the ground, and the world around him dissolved into a blur shapes and shadows.
One minute, he had been laughing with Keegan on the street. The next, he was fifty yards away, being pinned against the side of the apothecary, the air forced from his lungs with the weight of the impact.
“Finn is mine!” Karleigh snarled, her face so close to his he could feel her breath against his lips. “You don’t love him. You don’t even deserve him.”
His toes scuffed across the ground, scrabbling for purchase as he clawed at the hand around his throat. He might as well have been trying to bend iron for all the good it did.
“You’re just confusing him,” she continued, her long fingernails digging into his skin. “Stay away from him!”
Noah didn’t know what the hell came over him. He knew better than to provoke a wild animal, but as anger andpossessiveness swelled inside him, he couldn’t hold back the words.
“Fuck. You.”
Venom sparked from her eyes, and a mask of undiluted rage settled over her face, making her nearly unrecognizable. Her canines elongated, the tips gleaming with saliva, and she snarled again before lowering her head to his neck.
