Page 83 of Briar

She’s a fucking gift. And they’re going to break her.

So I’m taking her.

I force myself to take a breath. It’s entirely possible that I’m going to be just like them. But I won’t lie to her. “You’re moving in with us. To Ravenhall. You can have your own room. Your own space. We’ll put no pressure on you. We can tear the fucking agreement up. But Briar—,”

I glance down, meeting her eyes. “I am not letting you go back into that house. I’m not walking away from you. Not today. Possibly not ever. So, I’m going to ask you. Do you want to stay with us?”

Her lips are parted. “If I say no—,”

“I will pick you up and carry you.” My arms tighten. “Nobody will stop me, I promise you.”

Someone has to intervene. She screams vulnerability from every fucking pore.

She’s amagnetfor trouble.

And she has the survival instincts of a panda. If someone told her there was a puppy in the back of a windowless van, she’d skip right in with a smile and a thank-you to the scary masked man.

I don’t want her to change. So I’ll be the villain for her.

Even now, there’s no fucking fear in her emerald eyes. “I want to stay with you.”

Braced for a battle, the air releases from my lungs. “Good. That’s – that’s good.”

Even if she’s just proved my fucking point.

Her gaze traces my face. Her hands are resting on my chest. “Do you want me to move?”

“No.” I glance down, and my gaze snags on her left hand. “Take that off.”

The ring is grotesque. It’s a parody of what any male with a puffed-up sense of self-importancethinksa woman would want.

That fuckerbither.

I pluck it carefully from her fingers, not wanting it anywhere fucking near her. “Do you want me to make sure this gets back to him? You don’t have to see him again. Ever.”

“He deserves to lose it. But I don’t want it.” She nestles against my chest. “Will you take me back to Ravenhall?”

My heart thuds so loudly she can probably hear it.

“Yeah. Let’s go home.”

River

Idon’t think either of us expected Jenson to stroll in through the front door with Briar curled up against his chest.

Her hands are resting on his chest. And he’sallowingit.

What happened?Kai signs the question I can’t say as we both stand.

Briar offers me a small, uncertain smile, and my focus zeroes in on her lip. Kai catches it at the same time.

Both of us still. She didn’t have that last night.

Which means—

Kai moves first, gently lifting up her chin so he can get a closer look.

And my voice drops, the tone not one I’ve ever heard coming out of my mouth. “What. The fuck. Happened.”