Page 2 of Ruin
Quicker to love.
“I asked him not to tell you, Sebastian,” I say quietly, and both brothers turn to look at me.
It’s the first time I’ve spoken since Sebastian burst through the doors half an hour ago, his face a maelstrom of emotions while he’d run his eyes over me. Only then had the anger ebbed away, morphing into something else that I’m not sure how to process. A mixture of sadness and anger… tinged with something that, if I didn’t know better, I would say was longing.
“Why?” Sebastian asks.
His expression would be almost impossible to read for a stranger. His presence is kind of hard to ignore at the best of times, but the anger that radiates from behind his cool, calm mask of indifference is obvious to those who know him well. I was once one of those people, but I haven’t been able to call him a friend in a long time.
I force myself to meet his gaze, lifting my chin. “I was embarrassed.”
He raises an eyebrow. “But you were comfortable enough with Daniel knowing that Joseph was beating you daily?” His words land like a fist, and I can’t help but flinch as I look away.
The anger from earlier surfaces from beneath that mask of control he’s perfected over the years at the mention of his former friend. The man who I have called husband for eight years now. Seven years and eleven months since he started leaving bruises in strategic places. Unseen by others, but used to keep me under control.
His control.
“Seb, ease up,” Daniel says quietly, shaking his head.
Sebastian’s expression softens a fraction. “Sorry,” he says gruffly. “I just don’t understand why you were embarrassed about me knowing. We would have gotten you out of there long ago Lily, if we’d known.”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t your problem to take care of anymore, remember?”
I know it’s a low blow, but he can’t sit there and act like he didn’t walk away from me all those years ago.
He baulks, raising an eyebrow before leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, and my gaze falls to his tanned, powerful forearms. He’s rolled the sleeves of his business shirt up to his elbows, and it just adds to the overall sex appeal of this man.
“I’m not sure why you thought you were ever a problem. But you were always ours to take care of. And that’s what we’re going to do now. You can’t stay here. Joseph knows your connection to us, and he knows about this place. Unless you’ve changed your mind and wish to press charges?” Sebastian says, studying my face properly for the first time since he sat down.
My brain stopped processing words the moment he claimed me as theirs, but my heart begins hammering in my chest at the very idea of pressing charges.
I know how this goes. Men like Joseph never face the consequences of their actions, and I don’t want to face him again, knowing he’ll just keep coming after me. As far as he’s concerned, I’m his to do with as he wishes. And after escaping his clutches three months ago, I know that if he ever gets his hands on me again, there will be nothing left of me by the end.
When I shake my head, Sebastian nods. “That’s what I thought. How does a change of scenery sound, then?”
I tilt my head, considering his words. “Where do you have in mind?”
Please let it be far, far away from Sydney.
“We have clubs in every capital city with round-the-clock security where you’ll be safe. Would you like to go to one of those? It’s a little out of the ordinary for a non-employee to reside there, as you’ve seen here, but we can make an exceptionfor you. Perhaps Melbourne? Or Adelaide? Or there’s one of our hotels? We can take you anywhere you want.”
“Which one do you live in?” I ask, assuming he lives in one of them, like Daniel lives here.
It saddens me I no longer know the answer to that question. He’d left Sydney eight and half years ago. Right after Joseph proposed.
Right after things between us took a turn we could never come back from.
He considers me for a moment before answering. “Brisbane.”
“Then I’ll come to Brisbane,” I reply with no hesitation.
It’s the surest I’ve been of anything in years. While I hate the idea of relying on the brothers for anything, I know I’ll be safe if I’m with Sebastian, despite our complicated history.
He’s quiet for a few beats, and I notice the muscle in his jaw flutter again as those piercing blue eyes run over me.
“Alright then,” he finally says, crossing his arms.
I mimic his stance as I straighten in my seat. “Just like that?”
