Page 54 of Beat of Love
Held no sway over him.
Or his emotions.
That his forefather had loved — and lost — that woman was a sad tale.
Something a bard of ancient times would’ve lamented about.
It did not control his feelings.
And it most certainly did not control his actions.
He shoved the image into the pouch, and dropped the pouch into the tin, snapping shut the lid. “Just fucking forget about it.AndBrandy-Lyn,” he scolded himself.
13
Horseshoe luck
Brandy-Lyn stared down the hallway long after Rafferty entered his room, still processing the mass of scars on his upper body. Front and back. She knew he’d been hurt. Just not the extent of the trauma. She had merely glimpsed his front, noticing several livid scars and the angel wing tattoo.
But his back …
She had not been expectingthat.
Scars and ink.
My God, the latticework of welts crisscrossing the black ink covering most of his skin spoke of sadistic violence.
The cruelty he had been subjected to sickened her.
Blinking away the buildup of tears, she dropped the boot she still clutched to the floor and rubbed the heel of her hand over her heart. She wanted to gather him in her arms and soothe all the hurt he suffered and promise to protect him from further harm.
The very last thing he’d want is your pity, Brandy.
And remember,nofalling for the prodigal.
He is still your ex’sbrother. Thetwinbrother.
Yet strange how she no longer saw the resemblance.
Their similarities had been replaced by their differences.
Rafferty was harder, leaner. Darker. Far darker, considering the rumors of him killing the man who had led to the death of his wife.
His experiences were etched into his soul.
And his skin.
Yet he retained a softer side, his gentleness evident when handling animals.Woundedanimals, she corrected. Because he understood their pain.Even the compassion he showed toward Amelia, and his desire to check on her wellbeing, bore testament to the depth of his empathy.
He fascinated her.
Brandy shook her head.Just stop.Not going there.
She slipped on the flat leather pumps she brought to wear indoors, removed the birthday gift from the pocket of her raincoat, and made her way to the living room.
“Ah, you’ve arrived,” Branna said as she entered the room.
“I have.”
