She was the last to know. She casually crossed her arm over her chest. Her green eyes sought and found their matching pair. She read the fear in them with some satisfaction.
She’d let them sweat and deal with them later. She needed time to digest this new information.
“Fuck you all.”
With that statement, she sat up straight, swung her legs over the edge of the bed and limped out of the room without another word.
“I’m going to kill you, bring you back to life, kill you again, and then repeat the process until I’m satisfied.”
Shanna lunged for Danick’s throat, itching to get her hands around it so much, she could already feel the meaty flesh in her hands. She was ready to squeeze until he turned a nice shade of purple.
She was willing to take the sling off and face the wrath of an angry shoulder to achieve those results. They were well deserved results.
“You deceitful, manipulative son of a—”
Hey, he was the one stupid enough to follow her down to the den after a revelation like that. She had left the room to calm down some before confronting them. She wasn’t responsible for her actions when cornered.
Especially after the revelation that D was actually alive and everyone and their mother had known.
Sadly, she had only managed to limp to the den on her mission to escape her brothers before exactly this happened.
Used to years of trying to tame the wild beast they claimed was his twin, Rhyder easily reached out and grabbed a handful of her shirt. That stopped her in her tracks and kept her somewhat grounded. He was even nice enough to make sure to avoid her sore ribs.
“Down girl. Play nice.”
Shanna turned her head, snarling, her pearly whites showing as a growl sounded low in her throat. “I’m not a dog. I don’t respond to commands. And you’re next on my list. If I were you, I’d watch it.”
Rhyder instinctively took two large steps back, letting go of her shirt. “Then again…”
Danick shot him a nasty look, swearing when his back hit the brick wall of the fireplace. “Chicken shit.”
“Self-preservation,” Rhyder corrected, looking longingly at the sliding glass doors that led to the back patio like he was contemplating his chances of actually making it to freedom. With one look from Shanna, he dropped into the white leather recliner with a sigh. “Some of us actually have it. Not that it’ll do me any good.”
Danick swallowed hard as their five foot one sister advanced on him, murder very clearly written in her eyes. He was a foot taller than her, but he knew when to throw in the towel.
It was no secret that she was quite capable of kicking his or any other male in the house’s ass without breaking a sweat. Injured or not.
Danick held his hands up in front of him, palms out in surrender. “Let me explain?”
Rhyder breathed a little easier now that it seemed like he was going to pacify her instead of piss her off more. He loved his twin with all of his heart, but she was a bitch when pissed.
And, while he was relieved she was choosing to take out the majority of her hurt and anger out on Danick, Rhyder also knew that the anger could be thrown in his direction at the drop of a hat. Or, more accurately, with the swing of a changing mood.
Shanna continued to advance on Danick, picking up the fireplace poker. “It’s a little late for that.”
“I love you?”
Did he seriously just say that as a question?
“Was that a statement or a question?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Both?”
“Bite me, Danick.”
“That was a little harsh and uncalled for, Shanna. I’m wounded.”
She stopped about a foot from him, cocking her head even further to the side. She leaned on the poker. “You’ll get over it. What is uncalled for in this whole situation is my being lied to for all these years.”
Okay, she had a valid point there. When Danick and the others had insisted they keep D being alive from her, Rhyder had never agreed with them on that front. He was all for need to know and protecting her, but there had to be a line drawn somewhere.
And they had all crossed it with this whopper of a secret.
“About that…”
Oh, no.
They both knew that tone.
Don’t do it, Dan. Please, for the love of God, shut up now.
Rhyder watched helplessly as Shanna crossed her good arm over her chest, the poker still in her hand.
“Go on,” she said evenly, “but I would think long and hard about the next words out of your mouth. Your answer determines your fate.”
“You see, I really didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
She stared at him like he’d suddenly sprouted a second head, her jaw hanging open in surprise. “Really? That’s what you want to go with?”
Danick shook his head. “No, but sadly it’s true.”
“Give the man a break,” Rhyder interjected, hoping to end this right here on a good note. “You know what type of work he’s in. It put him in somewhat of a, uh…delicate position.”
“Yeah. I realize that, Rhyder. That shouldn’t apply to his baby sister’s life in this capacity, though.”
She turned her attention back to Danick, awaiting his reply.
Damn. She was right.
Danick sighed in resignation. “Look, Shan. Either way you look at it, I was screwed from the moment this awkward situation fell into my lap no matter which way I played it. I was damned if I did, fucked if I didn’t. A catch twenty-two at its best.”
Rhyder rolled his eyes. Open mouth; insert foot as far as it will go. Close mouth and choke on it. He freaking knew that was not going to sooth their seething sister.
She sighed and tossed the poker down. Rhyder could tell she was too emotionally drained to be upset with Danick anymore.
“Your job just saved your sorry ass.”
Danick smiled at her. “I really do love you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She backed up a step and waved her hand, dismissing the statement. “So you’ve told me. How many times do I have to tell you that I’m your blood? He’s just the asshole you’ve had the misfortune of being friends with since birth.”
Rhyder and Shanna both swore to God their older brother had freaking death wish.
Danick opened his mouth and Rhyder slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead when, “Until it sinks in?” popped out.
Shanna lunged for him again.
Rhyder swore, jumping up. He grabbed her around the waist this time. She yelped like a wounded dog. Rhyder loosened his grip a little, mumbling, “Sorry.” He swore again when she caught him in the face with her elbow. “Damn it, woman. Let it be. He obviously has a death wish.”
“Let me go!” she yelled. “I’m more than willing to grant his wish.” She struggled against him, cursing him with some very impressive language.
“Let her go, Corelsand. It’s me she really has the problem with. Let her deal with me.”
All three of them froze at the sound of the calm voice. They all turned around to stare at the figure standing just inside the entryway to the den.
Danick groaned, muttering choice words under his breath.
Rhyder’s arm slipped from around Shanna’s waist, his face paling a bit.
Shanna just stood there, staring open mouthed at the ghost they’d just been discussing.
D moved cautiously towards her, reaching out his hands to grab her shoulders.
Rhyder knew what was coming next and watched helplessly—he did feel for the bastard, even though he felt the move was justified on his sister’s end.
Shanna moved on pure instinct and kneed him square in the balls.
His dark face turned white, with a hint of green, a squeak emitting from his throat. His eyes went wide as he cupped that particular part of his body and fell onto the floor, curled up in the fetal position.
Crap.
Shanna looked down at D, guilt already gna
wing at her stomach like a dog with a bone. Deciding he deserved it for everything he had put her through, she stepped over D’s body, heading towards the hallway. She heard her chicken shit brothers escape out the sliding glass doors on the other end of the den.
When she got to the front porch, the guys gathered out there better hope to God they just let her walk past without opening their mouths. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with their immature bullshit.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, turning her around to face one angry male.
She looked up at Denton Tiern, realizing he now effectively had her backed up against the wall. His jaw was clenched so tight, she thought it was going to break. A muscle jumped along his jaw and she swore she saw lightening flash in his baby blues.
She did the only thing she could do. She attempted to swallow the lump that had mysteriously formed in her dry throat and pointed out the obvious. “My shoulder. Could you loosen your death grip?”
He continued to glare at her, but loosened his hold. Barely.
Shit.
She so should’ve stayed in bed.
CHAPTER 5
“I’ve always had the sneaking suspicion that particular area was your favorite part of my anatomy, but now isn’t the time to explore my being right.”
Clear blue eyes sparkled mischievously as D easily caught Shanna’s knee before it connected with the family jewels again. He pushed her back against the wall, her knee still cupped in his hand as he slapped his other hand down beside her head. He settled comfortably between her legs while managing to keep what made him male out of her reach.
He had her effortlessly caged in before she could even take a breath to curse him. That, of course, incised her to fight even harder. He easily held her at bay, waiting for her to calm down.
They had been in this same predicament so many times it was ridiculous. He knew all he had to do was wait her out.
“I bite back,” he warned, moving his arm up a couple of inches, just out of reach. “And not necessarily in the same spot.”
She growled, signaling her mounting frustration. She was pissed, yes, but more frustrated.
She glared up at him, cursing—not for the first time in her life—their nine inch height difference. Her heart skipped a few traitorous beats at the familiar closeness of his body. An involuntary shiver made its way slowly down her spine, her knees promptly going to jelly.
Damn the man. She needed to get this under control before he took advantage of this temporary weakness. She couldn’t deal with her overactive hormones right now. They needed to back off and let the rational, logical, pissed off portion of her brain deal with this.
D bit the inside of his cheek to the point of drawing blood to keep from laughing. She saw the playful twinkle in his eye and his lips twitching.
Apparently, he valued his life because he wisely kept his trap shut.
She took a deep breath, choosing to believe he didn’t notice that shiver.
“Hi. It’s been ten years. Ten years that you seem to have forgotten basic manners. Like knocking. Knocking is good.”
His dark eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
She sighed, cursing the stupidity his closeness had the power to bring out. She surveyed his outfit as a temporary distraction.
Surprise, surprise. He was dressed in a tight fitting black shirt, black loose fitting jeans, boots, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
What was with the guys growing out their hair?
She really wished he’d let her go. She only wanted to deck him, not maim him. “Of course not. What was I thinking? Cloak and dagger is your preference. Of course, knowing my rotten luck as of late, your ass was already here in the house when I arrived.”
She pointedly looked down at her raised knee still imprisoned in his hand. “Think you can let my knee down now? It hurts my ribs and your privates are safe from me. Scouts honor.”
He grinned. “Nope. I like this position. I’m comfortable. And you were never a girl scout.”
His grin widened to range from ear-to-ear at her very explicit and unladylike curse. Then he became sober again, his eyes hardening. “Besides, you only get one free shot. For the sake of any future children I may or may not be considering siring, I think we’ll remain in this position a little longer.”
She winced at the children remark. She pushed away the guilt attempting to rain on her anger’s parade. That was a problem for another day.
His eyes narrowed, his attention to detail oriented mind not missing the wince. Or the guilt that blinked across her face like a neon sign.
He decided to let it ride. Smiling, he added, “And, just for the record, I was down in the basement when I heard your interesting little altercation with Danick. I figured since I was the reason his life was in danger, I should probably come up to defend him.” He shot her an annoyed look. “As for your other smart ass remark, please don’t lump me into the spy category with my brother. I’m an independent contractor. There is a difference.”
Her injured arm was trapped between their bodies, a jolt of pain shooting down it. She gritted her teeth and attempted to yank her knee from his grasp without injuring herself further. “Not my damn problem,” she grunted. She hissed out a breath when her knee didn’t budge. “You take money from the highest bidder to snuff out some poor soul whether they deserve it or not. You’re no better. Get over it.”
The verbal jab hit its mark. Gray mixed into the blue of his eyes like a storm suddenly interrupting a clear summer sky.
Shanna looked away, her spine stiffening. She was not going to back down just because she’d stepped over some invisible line drawn in the sand and injured his delicate ego. It wasn’t in her nature and, although she was afraid of that look in his eyes, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
D shook his head. “Now, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I have no idea what is. That job—rather arrangement—has kept you alive and allowed you to build this nice little world you live in over the last decade.” He released her knee. His now gray eyes bored into her green ones as he held her good arm above her head. “Don’t make me regret saving your ass.”
She flinched, her mouth suddenly completely dry. He was way too close for comfort.
She knew he’d sacrificed a lot for her. He’d even gone as far as sacrificing her. He’d left to protect her. She understood that. Really, she did.
That didn’t make it hurt any less, though.
And he still had no right to be the pissy one right now.
Her back straightened. “I never asked you to save my ass,” she mumbled as she attempted to fight her body’s automatic response to having him so close.
All her nerve endings were in hypersensitive mode. It had been so long since she’d been close to him.
“It’s been my job for as long as I remember,” he said softly. “It comes naturally.” His eyes skimmed down her body. “Besides, it’s always been a great ass.”
She stood up straighter, looking him dead in the eye. “Asshole.”
D cocked his head, that thousand watt smile she hated so much starting to pull at the edges of his mouth. “If I remember correctly, that was the first word you ever said to me.”
Shanna rolled her eyes. “I was three, for the record, and you had taken my favorite toy. You had to prove you were in control, even then, just because you were three years older,” she defended with a smile.
“Still…” His eyes twinkled.
“Well, you always did bring the best out in me,” she said dryly.
“Can’t dispute that.”
She groaned, going back to the task of trying to free her hand from his grasp. Now that he’d pissed her off again, he was a little too close for comfort with her pinned like this. He was all but plastered to her. At least with her knee held prisoner, he’d kept a respectable distance.
And with their history, him plastered to her was distracting her with very naughty thoughts. Thoughts that would hav
e been appropriate ten years ago. Not so much now.
“Cocky as ever. Some things really do never change.”
His smile damn near blinded her as he upped the wattage. “I’m not cocky, I’m confident. Huge difference.”
“So I’ve heard multiple times over the last two decades or so.”
His grip tightened on her waist, careful not to hurt her. “Besides, you’ve always had a thing for me, cocky or not.”
She was suddenly flustered as he pushed her deeper into the wall to make his point. The familiar scent of him overrode her senses—mostly her common sense—causing her to forget what the hell they were just talking about. And maybe her name.
She answered with her standard answer when he got her to this point.
“Fuck off, Tiern.”
“Shanna, I thought we’ve already established that this isn’t the time or the place, tempting as the offer may be.”
“Go to hell.”
“Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt to prove it. Currently there again, happen to own property. It’s a sweet offer nonetheless.”
His face lowered, his eyes never wavering from hers. His mouth stopped a hare’s breath away from hers. “Tell me to stop and I will. I need an answer either way right now,” he whispered, his voice husky. “It’s your call.”
Her breath caught in her throat, the blood in her ears beating loud and fast along with her pulse.
She swore in that moment, she forgot her own damn name, let alone all the reasons this was all a horribly bad idea.
It took all of her energy and focus to calmly blow out a breath and state softly, with a surprisingly steady voice, “I liked you better dead.”
He chuckled, brushing a strand of hair off of her face as he leaned back, keeping true to his word of not kissing her without permission. “No, you don’t,” he pointed out softly. “Your life was just less complicated when you thought me dead.”
She really hated when he was right.
And how well he knew her.
“Tiern, I’ve risked a lot to keep you alive and to keep your secret from the free world, but if you don’t turn on a light and step away from my wife, all bets are off.”
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