Page 66 of Coercion

“So what if I am?” I reply. How dare he turn up, how dare he just reappear after all this time and judge me like I’m some sort of harlot, trading my body for safety, even if that’s what I’m sort of doing.

“You know he’s a killer, right?”

“So was dad.”

His hand slaps the last of the sentence from my mouth.

I clutch my cheek, staring back at him. He’s changed so much, hasn’t he? He’s not the fun big brother I knew. But then again, I’m not the carefree daydreamer I was either. I guessthe real world destroyed those parts of us. Crushed them until neither of us were recognisable anymore.

“I’m getting you out.” He states. “We’re leaving right now.”

“No.”

He grabs my wrist, trying to haul me across to the French doors and the dark garden beyond. “Once you’re away from here, once you have some space, you’ll understand.”

“No.” I snap, yanking myself back, almost crashing into the granite worktop as I stumble. “I’m not leaving. I want to stay. I want to be here. With Preston.”

He shakes his head, pulling a face so reminiscent of our father, one I knew to look out for, one I knew meant there was about to be trouble.

“Levi arranged this marriage.” He growls. “You really want to help our uncle and this damn alliance he has set up with Nico Morelli?”

“I don’t care about him.” I cry louder, my pride and my stubbornness making me reckless now. “I care about Preston.”

“You’re being a fool. A stupid sentimental fool. You think a man like Preston Civello gives two shits about you? You’re nothing but a hole to fuck, a thing to own until he wears you out or simply kills you and replaces you with a younger model.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not leaving.” I state, holding my ground.

This is the closest thing to home I’ve had and Preston, he’s the only person in this entire world that makes me feel safe, that makes me feel like I’m a person of value for myself, not just what my blood is.

I won’t betray that. I won’t betray him.

Jett snarls again moving to grab me and I dart away, grabbing the glass from the side and throwing it hard onto themarble floor where it shatters into what seems like a million pieces.

“The fuck…?” Jett begins but we both hear it, the movement, the men, people are swarming to where we are. “You stupid idiot.” Jett says in a way that doesn’t even sound angry, he just sounds disappointed, like I’m some silly little girl caught up in a situation way beyond my understanding.

“Go.” I say stepping back, ignoring the spike of the glass that embeds in my foot. “Go before they find you.”

He makes a dash for it, sprinting for the door, and I don’t look, I don’t watch as he disappears.

I don’t know what I’d do if they find him, if they bring him back.

Would I plead for Preston to spare him? Would I plead for a brother who I once loved but now feels so much more than a stranger to me?

Would Preston even do it? Somehow I doubt he’d agree if he learnt what Jett’s intentions were in being here, if he understood that Jett was trying to split us up.

“Ruby?”

I turn at the sound of Preston’s voice. Relief spreads over me as he steps into the room and if that doesn’t tell me something then I don’t know what does.

He’s completely starkers, he didn’t even stop to put clothes on when he thought I was in danger and I’ll admit my heart reacts more at that fact than it should. I can see the five guards behind him, all ready to attack whatever foe might be lurking in the darkness.

“What happened?” He asks, looking around, searching the space like he already knows something is up.

“I, I dropped the glass.” I say, acting like it was a mistake. I know I shouldn’t, I know lying to Preston right now is the worstthing to do but some small part of me still yearns for the brother I once knew. Still wants to protect the family I once had.