Page 17 of Rebel
“No,” Jace growled, grabbing his shirt by the collar. “You’ve been my best friend for years, Bolt. You’re supposed to have my back, but instead you’re sneaking around behind it.”
“I wasn’t sneaking around behind your back, Jace,” Bolt cut in, his voice sharp now, rougher than he intended. “I never wanted it this way, but I’m not going to stand here and be ashamed either. Rebel isn’t a kid, and neither am I. We are two consenting adults who care about each other.” Bolt more thancared about Rebel—he had fallen in love with her, but there was no way that he’d tell her brother that before he gave her those words.
Jace shoved him hard against the cabin’s wall. “She’s my blood. My sister. And you broke the bro code. You promised to keep her safe, not fuck her, Bolt.”
“She’s also the woman that I’m falling for,” Bolt said, voice steady, eyes locked on Jace’s. “And if that makes me your enemy, then so be it.”
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Jace’s breath came harsh and fast, his knuckles starting to bruise from the punch, and his chest rising and falling like he was ready to go again. But there was something that made him pause. Something that had him backing down a bit.
Bolt didn’t look away from Jace. “I’ll protect her, man. With my life, if I have to. Same as I’ve done for you all these years. You need to hate me for crossing a line? Fine. But don’t you dare question what she means to me.” The silence that followed was brutal, heavier than any fight they’d ever been through. Finally, Jace stepped back, dragging a hand over his face, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe a damn word.
“This isn’t over,” he muttered, turning toward the cabin. “Not by a long shot.”
Bolt let him go, his jaw throbbing, his heart pounding. No, it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. But at least it was out in the open now.
Rebel
Rebel padded into the kitchen, rubbing the damp ends of her hair with a towel. She stopped dead when she saw Bolt leaning against the counter, a beer bottle pressed against his jaw. Her stomach dropped at the sight of the angry red swelling that was spreading across his cheekbone.
“What the hell happened?” she demanded.
He didn’t look at her right away. He just kept staring at the counter like the weight of the world was nailed there. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. “Jace knows.”
Her heart felt as though it had dropped to her stomach. “Jace knows what?” she asked, already knowing what he was about to say. “You told him, didn’t you?”
Bolt shook his head, his expression unreadable. “Didn’t have to. He’s been watching us over the past few days, and tonight he called me out.”
Rebel felt her throat tighten. “And?”
“And he swung, and Jace never misses.” Bolt pulled the bottle away from his jaw, showing her the bruise as proof. “Hemade it pretty clear what he thinks about the two of us being together.”
She pressed her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the panic clawing up her throat. “Dammit, Bolt. He wasn’t supposed to find out like this. He’ll never forgive me.”
He moved toward her, steady and unshakable, catching her wrists before she could turn away. His touch burned and grounded her all at the same time, and that just infuriated her to no end. “No. He’ll never forgive me. You? Well, you’re his sister—his blood. He’ll come around.”
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but anger flared hot enough to choke them back. She didn’t want there to be a feud between her brother and the man she loved. “You don’t know that. Jace has spent his whole adult life trying to keep me safe. And now he’s going to think I’m the one tearing everything apart.”
Bolt tugged her against his chest, and she hated how much she needed his touch. She hated how steady he was while she felt like she was unraveling at the seams. “I told him the truth. I told him how I feel. I’m not walking this back, Rebel. I’m not hiding anymore. I’ll take the punches; I’ll take the fallout. But I won’t let him make you think this is something you should be ashamed of. We belong together.”
Her fists curled in his shirt, frustration and fear battling inside her. She shoved him as though trying to push him away, but he wouldn’t allow it. “You’re so damn stubborn,” she shouted.
His mouth curved, grim but certain. “So are you, honey.”
The front door slammed, and they both turned to find Jace standing in the entryway. He was pacing, stewing, and maybe ready to come back swinging. The sight of him twisted her stomach into knots, and she had no idea how to fix any of this.
Rebel let her forehead rest against Bolt’s chest, her voice breaking as the truth bled out of her. “This is going to tear us all apart, and we can’t let that happen.”
Bolt’s arms came around her, holding her like the world could burn down and he’d still keep her safe. His voice was low and certain. “Not a chance in hell, baby. I’d rather go down fighting for this than spend another second pretending it doesn’t matter.”
His words should’ve comforted her. But all she could hear was the echo of Jace’s rage, the memory of every lie she’d ever told her brother to survive. And for the first time in years, Rebel stormed into the family room, chest tight, fists clenched. Jace stood in front of her, his arms folded over his chest, jaw set, and bruises still faint on his face. Bolt made some excuse about having to go outside to check the perimeter, leaving her to deal with her brother alone. She hated the anger that bubbled up inside of her, but she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“You think you can just waltz in here and turn everything upside down?” she snapped, pacing in front of him. “You have no idea what it’s like to carry everything on your back,” she spat.
Jace’s eyes narrowed into the blue steel she knew so well, cutting into her like a blade. “Rebel, I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to keep you safe. To do that, I needed to lie to you and keep you in the dark. I know that you want me to apologize to you for that, but I did what I had to do, and I’d do it all again, just the same.”
“And I’ve spent my whole damn life protecting you and taking care of you,” she shot back, her voice shaking. “Every damn day since Mom died, I’ve fought to make sure you had everything that you needed.” She knew that she was treading on dangerous ground, but there was no stopping the truth from coming out now. She had come too far, and if Jake judged her for what she did to keep a roof over his head, then so be it.
He leaned forward, invading her personal space, and for just a second, she could see the boy that she had raised—so unsure of himself, and shy. “I know you’ve done a lot for me—but I’m sure that you’ve kept secrets too, Rebel.”
