Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Brant

I woke up with a sharp pain in my head, blinking as my eyes adjusted to my surroundings. Damn Leslie.

I looked around and realized I was in my bedroom, and Dani was sitting beside me, her head resting against the headboard, eyes closed. She must have slept like that, staying up all night to take care of my grown-ass self.

I winced as I sat up, gently adjusting her so she could lie down more comfortably. Her eyes fluttered open, worry already written across her face.

“Brant… be careful,” she said softly.

“Dani… I’m alright. Stop worrying about me,” I replied. It’s time this woman stopped worrying about us. She deserved to retire, to rest, and let us take care of her for once.

“It’s alright, my son. I’ll always worry about you. Your mother would never forgive me if I didn’t. And besides,” she smiled faintly, “I love taking care of you.”

I gave her a wry smile and held her hand. “She would forgive you,” I said. “My mother knows you deserve rest. Now, why don’t you go have your breakfast and let Marirose and Loren handle everything?”

“Don’t forget to thank Sable when you see her,” she said.

Sable. I remembered seeing her with Lucas—that damn bastard. He was grabbing her arm like he owned her. What the hell was she even doing at the club?

“Brant…” Dani called out gently.

I looked up. She was already on her feet, slipping on her shoes.

“Dani… I will,” I promised.

She nodded and walked out of the room.

‘Ghost… What the hell happened?’ I asked.

There was silence. He didn’t answer. I could only hope he at least scratched that son of a bitch Lucas for putting his hands on a woman I cared about.

It had been a long time since I felt this way. The first time was with my first love, Jessica. We were so happy together. So damn happy. Every time she walked into a room, she lit it up with her beauty. Her stunning blue eyes still haunt me every night.

I was in love. And despite her being my stepsister, it didn’t matter to me. She just fit into my world like she was made for it.

After her, I promised myself I’d never let another woman in. But every day, Sable makes that promise harder to keep.

She’s different—strong, but with a softness she tries to hide. And the way she sometimes looks at me, even with that fire in her eyes… it’s like she sees something I forgot was ever there.

I don’t know what this is yet, but whatever it is, Sable’s already found her way into the part of me I swore I’d closed off for good. She’s not just getting under my skin—she’s carving a place in my heart, piece by piece. And that scares the hell out of me.



I went down for breakfast. Everyone was already seated.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning,” they all replied as I sat down. Marirose came over and quietly started serving me.

Then Kit suddenly burst into laughter.

“What’s funny?” I asked, my voice coming out a little grumpy.

He covered his mouth with his hand, but with Kit, he could never hold in a laugh. Soon, tears welled up in his eyes.

“Sab… Sable told us that Leslie drugged you to have sex with you,” he managed to say before exploding into another fit of laughter.

I glanced at Sable. Her head was lowered, eyes fixed on her plate, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. Her lips were twitching, her shoulders shaking—she was clearly trying not to laugh too.

Damn it, Ghost.

Kit, wiping his eyes, added, “The reason it’s funny is… she used to get it for free, and now—”

“She started becoming obsessive,” I cut in. “And I don’t like obsessive women. Being with her started to drain me. It was no fun anymore.”

I sighed and leaned back, looking around the table.

“When I’m with a woman, she’s supposed to be my peace. My comfort. Someone I can run to when life gets too damn heavy. Someone who brings me back to myself. Not someone who adds to the chaos. Someone who makes everything quiet in here.” I tapped my temple.

“So, you’re not going back to the club anymore?” Rhett asked.

“No. I only ended our sexual relationship. I’ll still go if needed.”

“So now you have no woman in your fucked-up life,” Rhett said, shoveling eggs into his mouth. “And I noticed… you and Marirose haven’t had sex since you got back. Do you two even talk anymore?”

I turned my head to look at her. She was heading back into the kitchen. I knew she heard Rhett because her steps quickened and her back stiffened.

I looked back at him. “No. I’m now lonely in my fucked-up life… happy?”

“I can introduce you to some hot girls,” Kit offered with a grin.

“Kit, what you’d introduce me to would be children,” I said.

Everyone at the table laughed.

“Hey, that’s not funny—seriously. These girls know what they’re doing. They’ll satisfy you in ways you’ve never imagined. I’m talking no drama, no strings, just straight-up fun. You need to loosen up.”

I smirked but shook my head. “Nah… I think I need a break from women.”

My eyes drifted toward Sable. She was staring at me. Her face gave nothing away, but I knew that look—especially when I had my hands on her body. She was lost in thought, thinking too much and feeling even more.

Then my gaze slid over to Joss.

He was looking at her like she was his whole damn world.

I can’t hurt him again.

I already broke his heart once. Seeing the look in his eyes now… I couldn’t be the reason that light fades from them again.

But the question is...

Can I really stay away from Sable Knox?

Because whether I like it or not, the little minx has got me in a chokehold I don’t know how to break.