Page 95 of Tamed

I’d hurt her and I wasn’t supposed to. But it was for the best — I had to keep telling myself that. She would heal, she’d find someone better, more worthy than I was. Someone who could give her all the love she deserved. Someone whose heart was still beating and whose soul wasn’t black all the way through.

Someone who wasn’t me.

I don’t know how long I sat there, but suddenly the door burst open and fucking Ten strode through it, trailing his usual icy fury, his blue eyes blazing.

“If you try to punch me again,” I said flatly, on my fifth scotch. “I’ll throw this glass at your head. I gave you two hits but no more.”

Ten ignored me. “You fucking asshole. First you decide that Isabel’s yours and you burn down our friendship for her. The next, you let her go because you won’t give her what she needs. Exactly what kind of prick are you?”

Every muscle in my body went tight. “You saw her?”

“She stormed into my office, told me I was a terrible father, but also that she won’t allow our friendship to be ruined. Oh, and then she said you made her happy, but you also let her go.”

Fuck.

I took another sip of my scotch, trying to ignore the helpless fury that was gathering inside me. A fury that had nowhere to go but inward, since the only one I could blame for this situation was myself.

“You are a terrible father,” I said. “And as for our friendship, I’m not sure it can be salvaged. And yes, I let her go. I can’t give her what she wants.”

“Why the fuck not?” Ten demanded, as if he hadn’t punched me the day before for daring to lay a finger on her. “She’s perfect. She’s the most loveable person in the entire world.”

“I know, she is,” I said roughly. “Which is exactly why I can’t do it. She doesn’t need me in her life. I’m a violent, murdering—”

“For fuck’s sake,” Ten interrupted. “Just because your father did what he did, doesn’t mean you will.”

I threw back the rest of my scotch. “There’s a reason he left me behind, Ten.”

Ten stared at me, his blue gaze seeing far too much. Seeing back to the traumatized fifteen-year-old I’d once been, full of grief and fear and rage. Abandoned, lost. He knew the doubts inside me better than anyone, better even than myself.

“Did you ever think,” Ten said, “that the reason your father didn’t kill you too was because he loved you? Because he couldn’t bear to take your life?”

The whisky was burning a hole inside me, burning through all my inhibitions and the guards I kept on myself. “How does that make it any better?” I demanded. “And what does that say about what he did to my mother and sister?”

“You’ll never know, Caleb” Ten said. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You’ll never know why. Which means the reason doesn’t matter. It never has. His decision was a bad one, but it doesn’t mean you have to make the same choice. Jesus Christ, you’ve protected and cared for Isabel for years and you’ve never hurt her. Not fucking once.”

Something twisted inside me, but I ignored it, pushing myself out of my chair instead and heading to the liquor cabinet again. “So, what? I’m a hero now?”

“Caleb,” Ten growled. “She loves you. She told me that you make her happy. Sitting here brooding like a billionaire in a romance novel doesn’t help her and that doesn’t help me.”

“I thought you’d be happy about that,” I growled back.

“Yes, well, I’m not. She deserves better than you, I agree, but she’s decided you’re the one she wants, and while I don’t approve, sheisa grown woman and knows her own mind.” He drew himself up. “I’ve held her at a distance for years, trying do the same thing, trying to protect her. But it only hurt her and hurt her badly. She thinks I blame her for Juliana’s death, for God’s sake. I have to make it up to her. She deserves to be happy and I’m not going to be sitting on the sidelines or getting in her way again. I want her to have what she wants. So, grow the fuck up and make her happy.”

“Go away, Ten,” I reached for the scotch bottle. “I’ve made my decision.”

But he didn’t. Instead, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and he pulled me around to face him.

“You’re my brother,” he said. “It’s not only her who deserves to be happy. You do too.”

Shock gripped me. “Ten—”

“I never approved of you being with Old Nick or taking his empire, but I understand why you did. And you’ve been nothing but a good friend all these years. I won’t say I approve of you and Isabel being together either, but if it makes you both happy then I’ll deal with it.” He stared hard at me. “Does she?”

I could hear my heartbeat beating like a fucking drum. Those words were the most I’d heard from Ten about our friendship in years. “Does she what?”

“Does she make you happy?”

Well, does she?

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