Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Eve
Out of nowhere, Lucas lets go of me—I don’t know how or why, but the second he releases me, I claw my way to the surface and pull in several violent gulps of air, my chest heaving.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I struggle to stand up, but my legs buckle under me. I fall back into the shallow water, saltwater burning my throat as I crawl toward the sand.
With my vision blurred, eyes stinging, I see why Lucas let go—Christian has Lucas in a headlock, dragging him backward out of the water before hurling him onto the sand.
“What the fuck, Lucas?” Christian roars, fists clenching and unclenching. “You were going to fucking kill her.”
Lucas staggers to his feet and spits out a mouthful of blood, fury sparking in his eyes. “I was doing what needed to be done,” he snarls, jabbing a finger in my direction. “That bitch has her claws buried so deep in you that you can’t even see straight anymore.”
Christian steps in front of me protectively. “So your solution is to fucking drown her? Jesus Christ, Lucas.”
Something dangerous flashes across Lucas’ face, his features twisting with rage. “I told you we were letting a viper into our den.” Blood drips down his nose, his chin. “She found the decoder. She knows enough about the Burning Crown to fucking bury us all, and you’re just going to—” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder “—ship her back to her brother and hand him the knife he needs to cut our throats?”
Christian stalks forward, each step intentional, measured. I can’t see his face, but if I could, I know what I’d see in his eyes—a flash of savage anger concealed beneath a thin mask of control. I’ve seen it before, and it’s terrifying.
“Touch her again,” Christian says, his voice deathly calm, “and I swear to God, brother or not, it’ll be the last thing you do.”
Lucas narrows his eyes. “Listen to yourself. I’m your fucking blood. Your twin .” He takes a step back, shaking his head in disgust. “This is exactly what I’ve been saying—your obsession with this bitch is warping your reality.”
Christian’s fingers flex, the tendons in his forearms strain, bulging. “Stay away from her, Lucas. I’m warning you.”
“You know I can’t just let her walk away,” Lucas says, jaw clenched. “There’s too much at stake. Too many people rely on us.”
Christian’s long legs eat up the sand as he closes the short distance between them. “And what if I were to drag Wyn out into the fucking ocean, huh? Hold her under the water until the life drains from her body?”
“Wyn isn’t the enemy’s fucking sister .” Lucas shoves a finger into his brother’s chest. “There’s only one way to deal with this kind of problem, and you know it. Like it or not, it has to be done.” His lip curls into a cruel snarl. “We’ll get you another mouthy brunette to fuck, if that’s what you’re so worked up about.”
Christian lunges, fist swinging, landing a violent punch that Lucas doesn’t even see coming. As Lucas staggers back from the momentum, Christian delivers a brutal uppercut to his ribs. The sickening thud and Lucas’ guttural groan carries over the crashing waves, making me flinch.
“You had no right to touch her,” Christian says, watching as Lucas heaves, hands braced on his knees. “No fucking right.”
Lucas straightens, his gaze deadly. “The Burning Crown comes before your feelings, Christian. Always has, always will.”
Christian stands over him, his voice terrifyingly calm. “We’re done, Lucas. Walk away while you still can.”
For one wild, heart-stopping moment, I’m afraid Lucas will continue the fight. But some weird, unspoken thing passes between them—a lifetime of brotherhood crumbling like sand. Lucas straightens slowly, squaring his shoulders as he faces Christian.
“You’ve chosen her over everything,” Lucas says, his voice hollow with disbelief. “Over the Burning Crown. Over me. ”
“You wouldn’t do the same for Wyn?” Christian asks.
Lucas doesn’t answer, but I can see the wreckage of Christian’s choice etched on his face as he shakes his head, turns, and walks away.
Christian drops his head and wipes the blood from his nose before turning his head to look at me. I’m drenched, shivering, and my throat is so thick with emotion, I can’t even cry.
He approaches me slowly, his eyes wandering over my body, like he’s trying to assure himself I’m okay.
“How did you find me?” I choke out, teeth chattering.
He tugs me against his chest, arms wrapping around me tightly, his lips resting on the top of my head. I should shove him away, but after everything that just happened, I’m exhausted, and I just don’t have it in me. So, instead, I melt against his chest and sink into his warmth.
“The necklace,” he says. “It has a tracker in it.”
Why am I not shocked?
I pull back slightly to look up at him. “That’s how you found me during the Fox Hunt.”
He raises a brow. “No way in hell I’d risk someone else finding you.”
“Oh,” I say, not sure how to feel about that, because I’m glad he found me, but, you know, damn . Stalker much?
His gaze falls to my lips, his head lowering slowly, and I swallow. Is he going to kiss me? Do I want that? Honestly, I do. I crave the feel of his soft lips against mine, the minty taste of his breath, but...
I step back, out of his arms.
Christian West isn’t good for me. And this whole nightmare with his brother just proves what I’ve always known—stories like ours don’t get a happily ever after…