Blood pounds in my ears as I sit up faster than necessary. I feel the wound in my side throbbing, but I don’t care. The only thing that matters is my Violet. As my gaze sweeps around the room, I notice the tiny sleeping body next to me, and the even tinier hand in mine. Sleeping. Beside me. She’s sleeping, and she’s safe.
Thank fuck. I stare down at her sleeping form, her beautiful face painted in peace, her soft blond hair half covering her face, hiding her angelic features. She’s so fucking perfect, too perfect even. My cock hardens as I stare at her. Shit, the last thing I need to be doing right now is screwing her.
I sigh, leaning back against the headboard, moving my eyes to anything else in the room to distract myself. This was the last fucking place I wanted to bring her. I shake my head, thinking of the way Roman treated her last night. I can’t imagine what he said to her when I was in and out of consciousness. He’s an asshole, an epic one. His anger and hate for me radiates over into everything in his life.
He’s just never faced the anger, found someone to push him over the edge. Someday, he’ll fall in love and find someone to make all that pain go away. I know it. He’s still worthy of something good in life.
I release Violet’s hand and scoot toward the edge of the bed, hissing through my teeth as pain radiates throughout my body. I’m at the very edge of the bed when the bedroom door bursts open, slamming against the wall behind it.
Roman’s eyes are filled to the brim with fury. Does he eat fucking fire for breakfast or something? Why the hell is he so angry all the time?
You, I remind myself. I am the reason he is angry all the time.
“One fucking time. One fucking time I help you and you pull me into this shit storm of your life.” He clenches his fists at his sides, standing just inside the bedroom. My own anger starts to take root hearing how loud and uncaring he is to Violet, who is still sleeping.
“Can you be quiet? She’s still sleeping.”
Roman’s eyes move to Violet’s sleeping form behind me, a snarl pulling at his lips, his voice still loud and ringing throughout the room.
“You think saving her made up for what you did?”
I roll my eyes, attempting to get out of the bed. This is the last thing I want to be discussing with him right now. When I don’t say anything else, that seems to egg him on more.
He huffs out a laugh, looking as if he’s ready to slug me in the face, “Saving her didn’t fucking bring our sister back. It didn’t make me forget what a piece of shit you were for leaving me behind while you went and did some illegal shit. Not that it matters anyway.” He smiles. “I’ve got my own illegal business going on, all without you. I’ve made a name for myself all on my own.”
I sigh, the sting of pain in my side subsiding when I finally land both feet on the floor. I remind myself that I need to go slow. I need this bastard of a wound to heal so I can protect Violet and get us out of here.
“Good, I’m happy for you. As soon as I’m healed up, I’ll be out of your hair, and you can go back to hating me.”
Roman doesn’t like my response and crowds me, his chest pushing against mine. He wants to fight me, he wants to show me every single ounce of anger inside of him, but he won’t, because that’d be showing me emotion. If I know anything about my brother, it’s that he doesn’t want anyone to know what’s going on inside of his fucked-up head.
“Looks like you are well enough to stand, so why don’t you take your bitch and leave now?”
Forgetting the bullet wound that’s throbbing in my side, I shove Roman backward and out of the room until we are in the hallway. Pain shoots through me with every move I make but instead of trying to tolerate it, trying to push it down, I let it fuel me. Fuel the anger vibrating deep inside of me.
“Listen very carefully, Roman, because I’m only going to say this once to you.” I step into his space, snarling, “You can