Page 48 of Haunted By the Storm
"I grew a whole inch this year!" she informs him proudly even though he already knows. "And I lost a tooth last month."
"Very impressive," he says with exaggerated seriousness. "Hey, I heard Sera and Ruby are downstairs watching a movie. Why don't you go join them for a bit while I talk to your mom? Eda's down there too."
Emily looks to me for permission, which I grant with a nod. "Be good," I tell her as she rushes to put on her shoes. "Listen to Eda and don't wander off."
"I won't," she promises, giving Blaze a quick hug before dashing out the door and down the stairs.
Once she's gone, Blaze's casual demeanor shifts; tension evident in the set of his shoulders. "We need to talk, Cam."
"That sounds ominous," I say, leading him to the kitchen table. "What's going on?"
He takes a seat, his expression more serious than I'm used to seeing from my typically carefree brother. "Storm's got feelings for you," he says without preamble.
I blink, taken aback by his directness. "I... I know. We've talked about it."
"And you've got feelings for him too," he continues, not a question but a statement.
"Yes," I admit, seeing no point in denying it. "Is that a problem?"
He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture so familiar it makes my chest ache with sudden homesickness for simpler times. "I don't know, Cam. That's what I'm trying to figure out."
"Explain," I prompt, feeling defensive but trying to keep an open mind. Blaze and I have always been close, despite the age difference. If he's concerned, I owe it to him to listen.
"Look, I like Storm. I respect the hell out of him, actually. He's solid, loyal, and good at what he does."
"But?" I prompt when he hesitates.
"But what he does," Blaze says carefully, "is hurt people. Badly. Sometimes kill them. That's his role in the club as an enforcer. He’s the guy they send when someone needs to be scared, or worse."
"I know what he is, Blaze," I say quietly. "He hasn't hidden that from me."
"Do you, though?" he presses. "Do you really understand what it means to be with someone like Storm? The danger, the violence, the lifestyle?"
"I'm getting a pretty good idea," I say, thinking of Eric at the grocery store, Cantlay's men at the Halloween party, the constant undercurrent of threat that's followed us for weeks now. "I'm not naive."
"Never said you were," he sighs. "But Storm... he's not just any brother, Cam. He's got a reputation, a history. They call him Storm for a reason."
"Because of his temper," I say, recalling what Storm told me. "When he loses it, it's like a storm breaking."
Blaze nods grimly. "I've seen it happen. Once. A guy disrespected one of the old ladies, made some lewd comment. Storm lost it; put him in the hospital. He almost killed him with his bare hands. It took three brothers to pull him off."
A chill runs through me at the image he's painting, but I push back against my own unease. "That was protecting someone he cares about," I point out. "Just like he's protecting Emily and me now."
"True," Blaze acknowledges. "And that's the thing, when Storm cares about someone, there's nothing he won't do to keep them safe. But that kind of protection comes with a price, Cam: a life in the shadows, always looking over your shoulder, never knowing when some enemy from his past or the club's might decide to use you to get to him."
"Is that what this is about?" I ask, suddenly understanding his concern. "You're worried that being with Storm puts Emily and me in more danger, not less?"
"Partly," he admits. "But it's more than that. I brought you to the club for protection, and I'll always be grateful to Storm and the brothers for stepping up. But this, you and him, it wasn't part of the plan. And I need to know that you're thinking this through, not just falling for the guy who showed up when you needed someone."
His words hit uncomfortably close to home. Haven't I asked myself the same questions? Wondered if my feelings for Storm are real, or just a trauma response, gratitude morphed into attraction?
"I appreciate your concern," I say carefully. "But I'm a grown woman, Blaze. I've been making decisions for myself and Emily for a long time now. I don't need you to protect me from my own choices."
"I know that," he says, frustration evident in his voice. "But dammit, Cam, you're my sister. After what happened with thatbastard Eric, I swore I'd never let anyone hurt you again. And now you're falling for a guy who lives in a world of violence and danger, and I'm supposed to just be okay with that?"
"No," I say, softening at his obvious concern. "You're supposed to trust me. Trust that I know what I'm doing, that I've thought this through. That I wouldn't let Emily get attached to someone if I didn't believe he was good for her."
Blaze studies me for a long moment, weighing my words. "You really care about him, don't you?"
