Page 227 of The Curse Trilogy

“What did he say?” Hale asks through gritted teeth.

“He said Araya’s mother was a human informant who almost died when she went undercover. He took her blood in his mouth to infect her with the virus and save her life so they could get the information they needed - they already knew she had the right gene. He was barely a lieutenant then and it rocketed his career when they found the clan they were looking for because of his fast thinking.”

“Why give up Araya and keep Angelica?” Hale almost hisses, and his arm drapes across my body as he pulls me into him.

“He didn’t say. He shut down after he told us that much, and he ran off to dive into work. What room are you in?”

“Seven thirty-four,” Hale sighs out. “I’ll see you when you get here. Let her sleep as long as she wants to though.”

“I didn’t plan on waking her,” Brazen huffs out, and I hear the phone dropping to the bed as Hale’s arms pull me even closer to him.

I keep my eyes closed as his lips trail over my body, and I can’t help but wonder if there are lingering traces of my blood in his system provoking this enamored affection. The warmth of his body heats mine, and I feel the throbbing in my lower half that I wish I didn’t. I’m hurting Brazen by being in love with Hale, and even if Hale loved me, I’d hurt him by loving Brazen.

“I love you,” he whispers to the girl he thinks is still asleep, and my stomach knots and twists before trying to explode from my body.

What the fuck? No. He can’t do this to me right now. He told me he was incapable of loving me. He cheated on me. You don’t cheat on a girl you love.

A knock on our hotel room door pulls him from my side but not before he kisses my shoulder one last time. I hear the bedroom door shut as the floor in the living area creaks beneath his feet. I pull the sheet up closer to my body, trying to cover my shame. I’d run out of here right now if I had any fucking clothes. I was naked when he got there, naked when we left, and naked now. Damn it.

I can’t pull on one of his shirts. That would just be flaunting the fact I’ve fucked Hale yet again. And oh my did we fuck. I’m surprised there’s anything left standing. Between my savage and the blood exchange, we’ve barely slept an hour. Now he’s up dealing with my mess while I cower in the bedroom like a baby.

“Is she still asleep?” Brazen’s voice asks, and I almost choke on my tears as a knot rises to my throat.

I can’t face him. I just want to hide here forever.

“Yeah. Like I said, it was a rough night. She was crying from almost the time we left until she fell asleep. I think it would be best if you gave her a while to recuperate. She’ll be terribly emotional when she sees you. She’ll feel guilty, and she’ll almost hate herself for what she had to do to come back down,” Hale whispers, and a stinging feeling slaps me in the gut.

I do hate myself… for so many reasons.

“She can’t help it. I love her too fucking much to just leave her here with you. I’m not giving her up because you have a freaky hybrid connection. As long as she wants me when she’s herself, I’m hers. I’m the one she chooses. You’re just the one she falls to when she loses herself,” Brazen snarks.

“What the fuck is your problem? I haven’t done a damn thing to you. All I’ve done is try to be nice, but you just can’t resist the opportunity to cut me off at the knees. I brought her down. I didn’t take advantage of her if that’s your fucked up deal,” Hale yells in a whisper.

I hear Brazen sigh as he collapses to a chair, and then I hear Clay grumbling under his breath for the discomfort he’s facing.

“I don’t get you, Hale. That’s my problem. I don’t know if you still want her, or if you just love being that guy she craves when she loses it. I don’t like not knowing things. You keep leaving her, and she won’t tell me what the fuck you said to send her back to me this last time. I worry daily her feelings for you aren’t gone, and I worry you’re just biding your time until you use your yo-yo trick again.”

More tears fall free from my eyes, and I sit up very quietly so as not to alert them to my eavesdropping ears.

“I never meant to yo-yo her at all. My relationship with Araya is so far past fucked up it’s not even funny, but I’m not trying to steal her away from you… at least not yet,” Hale murmurs suspiciously.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Brazen asks with angered bemusement.

“It means I’ll let you know when I’m a threat. Until then, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Your vague bullshit is just pissing me off. What the fuck did you do to send her back to me, and what do you mean you’re not a threat yet?” he barks.

“Watch your tone. She’s still asleep,” Hale cautions, and I hear Brazen’s reluctant sigh.

“I love her,” Brazen almost whimpers out.

Hale is the one to sigh this time, and I can’t leave Brazen out there feeling the torture of losing me to the man who has admitted to cheating on me. I can’t fall back into Hale’s trap. Brazen’s right - he treats me like a yo-yo he can throw out and then pull back whenever he wants. Brazen is the one who deserves me, even though I don’t deserve him. He deserves for me to show him I choose him right now.

I stand up and wrap the sheet around me much tighter, and I walk out with heavy footsteps as I see Brazen’s eyes look up helplessly. He doesn’t move at first, and I know he’s scared of what I’ll say or do if he moves too suddenly. I don’t even acknowledge Hale as I walk over to Brazen.

He stares up into my eyes while staying in his chair, and I feel my tears pouring feverishly down my cheeks as I sob out, “I’m sorry.”

His eyes show relief and pity as he pulls me into his lap, and I curl up like a scared child as his arms wrap around me.