Chapter 67 I'm In
Brair's POV
I stood at the empty intersection, the cold wind scraping against my face until my eyes burned. I should have felt relieved. I had pushed him away, made him angry enough to leave.
That was what I wanted, wasn't it? So why did my chest feel like someone had ripped it open and left the wound exposed to the freezing air? I told myself it was just the wind making my eyes water.
A sharp screech of brakes exploded behind me, and before I could turn around, something grabbed my wrist hard enough to bruise. I stumbled backward, and then I was being pulled forward with enough force that I nearly lost my balance.
Lucian stood in front of me, his gray-green eyes blazing with flecks of gold that seemed to glow in the dim light. "Get in the car."
I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn't give me the chance. He bent down and scooped me up in one smooth motion, his arms locking around my back and under my knees as he lifted me off the ground. I gasped, my hands instinctively grabbing at his shoulders for balance, and he carried me to the passenger side of his car.
He yanked the door open and deposited me into the seat, then leaned over me and grabbed the seatbelt, clicking it into place with rough, impatient movements. His face was inches from mine, close enough that I could see the gold flecks in his eyes pulsing with something dangerous and barely controlled.
"Shut up," he said, and the words came out as a command.
The car shot forward, tires squealing as he made a sharp U-turn. I glanced out the window and felt my stomach drop. We were heading in the opposite direction of my apartment. The streets blurred past, unfamiliar buildings and darkened storefronts, and I turned to look at him, my pulse quickening.
His hands gripped the steering wheel with enough force that his knuckles had gone white, and I could see fresh blood dripping from the gash on his forearm, staining the leather seat. The interior of the car was bathed in the cold blue glow of the dashboard lights, casting harsh shadows across his face.
The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. He was a volcano on the verge of erupting, and I had no idea what would happen when he finally exploded.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and he slammed on the brakes hard enough that I lurched forward against the seatbelt. Before I could recover, his hand shot out and wrapped around the back of my neck.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was hoarse, and when I turned to look at him, I saw that the gold in his eyes had intensified.
I shook my head, unable to find my voice, and his hand tightened fractionally before he let go and turned back to the road.
I stared at the reflection in the window, watching the blurred outlines of buildings streak past, and I felt a strange sense of inevitability settle over me.
Screw Julian. Even if the devil himself showed up tonight, he wouldn't be able to stop what was coming.
The car slowed as we turned into a quiet residential street. Lucian pulled into the driveway of a standalone villa and killed the engine. He came around to my side, unbuckling my seatbelt and pulling me out by the wrist, my bare feet hitting the cold pavement.
He pulled me inside and up the stairs without pausing. The first floor was dark except for a single floor lamp in the corner, casting long shadows across the polished hardwood. By the time we reached the third floor, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
Each step felt like a countdown. His hand around my wrist was hot, almost burning, and I knew with absolute certainty that once we crossed that threshold, there would be no going back.
The door handle turned with a soft click. In that split second, I made my choice. I hooked my arm around his neck and pulled him down, my other hand kicking the door shut. I pressed my lips to his and felt the world tilt.
He made a low sound between a growl and a groan, his hand cupping the back of my head as he kissed me back with ferocity. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he backed me up against the door, his body pressing into mine with enough force that I felt the solid wood against my spine.
When he finally pulled back, we were both gasping for air, and he rested his forehead against mine, his breath coming in ragged bursts. His hand moved to my waist, his fingers digging into my hip.
He shifted his grip and lifted me onto the narrow console table in the entryway, stepping between my legs and leaning in until there was barely any space between us. I could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of my dress, could feel his heart pounding against my chest in a rhythm that matched my own.
He muttered, his voice breaking around the edges. "I can't wait anymore. You need to give me an answer. Tonight."
I forced myself to meet his eyes. "What if I say no?"
He let out a low laugh, and his thumb brushed across my lower lip. "You're lying. That's not what you're thinking." The gold in his eyes flared brighter. "Not willing? Try walking out that door and see how far you get."
My eyes stung, and I felt tears threatening to spill over. "Do you think I'm awful? That I'm terrible for being so indecisive?"
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, and there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Yes. But I don't care." He paused, his gaze locking onto mine. "And I have plenty of ways to make you stop being indecisive."
His hand slid into my hair, tilting my head back, and he kissed me again, slower this time but no less intense. His lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, trailing down to my neck, and each kiss felt like a brand.
I grabbed the front of his shirt, my fingers twisting in the torn fabric, and forced the words out even though my voice was shaking. "Aren't you afraid Julian will come after you?"
He went still, then straightened and reached over to flip on the main light. Warm light flooded the room, and I blinked against the sudden brightness. The injuries on his face were even worse under the light. He looked at me with an expression that was eerily calm.
"What makes you so sure he'll be the one coming after me, and not the other way around? What if I'm the one who tears out his claws first?"
I stared at him, my mind struggling to process the words. There was no fear in his eyes, no hesitation. Just a cold, calculating certainty.
He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. "Come with me."
The scent of cedarwood and amber filled my lungs, making my head spin, and I looked up into his eyes and felt myself drowning in the gray-green depths.
I tightened my grip on his hand, my voice coming out hoarse and unsteady. "I've never been promised anything in my life. I've never believed in promises either." A tear slid down my cheek. "But Lucian, right now, I need you to say it. I need to hear it from you."
He lifted his hand and wiped away the tear with his thumb. He was silent for a long moment, and I could see something shifting in his expression, something raw and unguarded.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and steady. "I don't believe in promises either. Actions speak louder than words. But since you want to hear it—" He cupped my face in both hands, his gray-green eyes blazing with gold. "From now on, I'll weather every storm with you. I'll pull you out of every disaster."
He leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead, then my eyelids, then the tip of my nose, and finally the corner of my mouth. Each kiss felt like a vow, and I closed my eyes as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. He kissed those away too, his lips warm and gentle against my skin.
I buried my face in his chest, breathing in the scent of cedarwood and amber. No wonder people loved hearing sweet words. Language had a way of wrapping itself in beautiful colors, making it impossible to tell truth from lies, making you believe that this moment could last forever. But did it matter if it was real or fake? Either way, it was madness. And if I was going to lose my mind, I might as well enjoy it.
I lifted my head and pressed my lips to his, pouring everything I couldn't say into the kiss. When I pulled back, my voice was steady and sure.
"Okay. I'm in."