and kept my hands to myself even though I actually wanted to kill the only family I had left. “You lied to me—for someone who turned around and stabbed you in the back the second she had the opportunity.
His breathing intensified, like my speech angered him even more.
“She will pay for this—”
“Kill her.” He said it with such conviction, spit flying from his mouth.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than killing her, but that wasn’t an option. “You will rebuild this camp, with your own money, and it will be better than it was before. You will pay me for everything I lost. I will bring that cunt back here to work for the rest of her life…since she loves it so much.”
The vein in his forehead popped, like her servitude wasn’t enough for what she’d done.
Even in my rage, I pitied him. Because I knew exactly how it felt to trust a woman—and have her turn on you the second the opportunity presented itself. To lie beside her every night and believe it meant something, and then for her to turn around and bite you like a fucking snake. His humiliation and pain seemed like enough punishment. His hatred was enough to make him forget about this woman who didn’t deserve his obsession in the first place.
But I had to punish him. “The only reason I will spare your life is because you’re my brother—and I haven’t forgotten what that means to us. You’ve been disloyal to me, but my loyalty to you continues. I hope this moment has taught you a lesson that you’d obviously forgotten.”
He dropped his gaze for the first time—ashamed.
“But I have to punish you. I wouldn’t respect myself if I didn’t.”
He looked at me again, facing it head on.
I pulled out my knife then nodded to my guards. “Hold him down.”
The guards were eager to force him into the chair, one of the few things that had survived the fire, and restrained his hands.
Magnus didn’t fight. A calm defeat was in his gaze.
I held my knife at the ready. “Drop his pants.”
Surprise and fear moved into his gaze when he realized what was about to happen, the punishment we reserved for the worst betrayals. But he still didn’t fight. He breathed harder and let them reveal his nudity.
I stepped forward, and with a straight face, I held the knife to the flesh.
He breathed harder and harder, but he refused to look weak.
I looked at him before I sliced through the skin. “You can thank her for this next time you see her.”
Five
A Promise Kept
Melanie
As the months passed, life became more normal.
I worked as a barista in a coffee shop, and even though I was bad at my job, the manager didn’t fire me. My salary wasn’t much, but it was enough to cover half the rent, along with food and utilities.
I never officially asked if I could be her roommate. It was just unspoken. After being apart from each other for so long, I couldn’t imagine us wanting to be apart ever again. Raven went on a few dates, but I didn’t.
It just…didn’t feel right.
I thought about him often, wondering if someone had replaced me in his bed, if he was back to his French whores.
I wondered if he still thought about me. Often. Occasionally. Or not at all.
I expected retribution for what we’d done, but as the weeks trickled by, I started to wonder if it was really over. The camp was destroyed. The girls were free. It was too much work to start the business up again, so they must have chosen to retire.
I couldn’t picture a man like Fender retiring.
Raven walked through the door after work, carrying a bag of takeout. “Hungry?”
No. “Sure.” I left the couch and joined her at the kitchen island. We grabbed utensils and napkins then ate across from each other. “So, how’d your date go the other night?” We lived together, but there were times when we didn’t see each other because of our work schedules.
She shrugged. “Eh.”
“Eh doesn’t sound good.”
“There was just no chemistry.” She sliced her fork into the lasagna and scooped it into her mouth.
I pushed my food around with my fork, still missing the food from the palace even though I’d left months ago. Food never tasted as good. Wine was never strong enough. My bed was never warm. Arousal was never the same either. Attractive men hit on me at the café all the time, but their numbers were always tossed