Page 12 of Whispers of Wisteria

Damen blinked and shook his head, his glasses briefly reflecting the bright café lights. “Well, that’s good to know,” he stumbled over his words, moving back an inch.

The man usually oozed assurance, so I couldn’t imagine why he was faltering now. The air between us grew warmer. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He cleared his throat, no longer meeting my eyes.

My pulse was beginning to race. I pulled his hand, trying to undo whatever this was between us now. “What—?”

“Oh, this is justdisgusting.” Brayden appeared, slapping his hands on the surface of the table. His voice lacked his usual light-natured timbre, and his normally playful eyes blazed. “I’m taking my break and have to walk in to seethis? My sister-in-lawis off-limits, Abernathy!”

“What?” Damen blinked and stepped back, pulling himself out of my reach as I grasped air. My discomfort grew as I began to notice our surroundings again.

We were still in a public place, and more than half the room’s inhabitants watched us with undisguised curiosity. There was even a group of girls in the corner, pointing in our direction.

“And you!” Brayden rounded on Finn, who was sitting back in his seat, glaring at the table. “How could you let this happen?”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Finn clenched his teeth. “There’s only so much I can do. It’s like he doesn’t even care.”

At this, the dumbfounded look faded from Damen’s eyes, and his jaw locked. “I care.”

“Well, you have a strange way of showing it. Your irresponsibility astounds me,” Brayden snapped.

Then he turned to me.

His eyes seemed brighter, and his skin seemed to glow. I froze, suddenly unable to breathe. He studied me briefly before he looked at Damen again.

“If she becomes a target, don’t make the mistake of thinking your rank alone will save you,” Brayden continued. “Bryce and I let the incident in the forest go, but we won’t overlook such a huge lapse in judgment again.”

He’d threatened Damen before, but that seemed more like good-natured fun.

This, however, was not a joke.

“Brayden?” What was wrong?

He moved at the sound of my voice. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I stumbled to my feet, falling onto him, but he hardly seemed to notice.

Although from the way that Finn’s eyebrows suddenly drew together and Damen’s jaw tightened, the two of them had seen.

“Hey—” Damen lowered his head, and his tone held the hint of a warning.

But Brayden interrupted him as he grabbed my purse. “She’s not yours,” he said, voice louder. He moved back, pulling me with him, and his fingers shook around my arm. “So stay away.”

I expected either Abernathy to respond, but neither did. Instead, my last glimpse into the coffee shop was of Finn’s slightly apologetic frown and Damen looking away, dark fury pouring off him in waves.

3

Brayden didn’t saya word as he led me through the library. He was much faster than me, and if it weren’t for his grip on my arm, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up. His usual warmth had been replaced with tension.

My heart pounded harder with each step.

By the time he’d pushed through the doorway of the faculty exit, I was convinced that he’d been exchanged with a man-bun-wearing, hipster-clothed clone.

We stepped into a short hallway where, finally, we were alone.

“Damnit!” Brayden let go of my arm and dropped my purse before he clenched his fists.

I jumped, my heartbeat echoing in my ears, when he turned and punched the wall. The air was heavy, and my hands were shaking when I touched my fingers to my mouth.

Something was wrong with my brother. And the only people who could defend me had just allowed me to leave with him.