Page 90 of Bleeding Hearts Duet

“She’s an addict,” Brayden snorted. “He knew exactly what she would do with that money. He wants her dead. He wants me dead too. And what’s going to happen to you, Brighton? Is he saving you for last?”

“I can’t have this conversation right now,” I snapped. “I don’t know what to do anymore. All I know is that I love him. And I want you to stay away from him.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he sneered. “I’ll be staying away from both of you.”

***

When I got back to Nicole’s apartment, I was surprised to find that my key didn’t work in the door anymore.

I stood in the hallway with warring feelings. I didn’t want to wake her up, but I didn’t want to go back to Ryland’s either. To see his blood everywhere. I couldn’t handle it.

Nicole solved my dilemma for me when she opened the door.

“He worried Brayden might come here,” she explained in a hollow voice.

She was still wearing a blood stained shirt, and her eyes were ringed with darkness. She also looked like she’d lost weight since I’d left. I thought I was too exhausted to deal with anyone else’s feelings, but Nicole was the exception.

I grabbed her by the hand and ushered her to the couch. I didn’t have the words to comfort her, but I wanted to try. Having Norma-Jean for a mother meant I lacked the nurturing instincts she should have instilled in me. I didn’t know how to nurture. I barely knew how to take care of myself.

“I can’t go through this again.” Nicole’s voice wobbled as she looked at me with bleary eyes. “I can’t do it, Brighton. I’m not strong enough.”

“You are strong enough,” I told her. “And this is not the same thing. Ryland’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” she argued. “You don’t know.”

“I do know,” I said vehemently. “I won’t let anything else happen to him. He’s okay now, Nicole. I just saw him.”

“He won’t stop.” She shook her head, the tears falling freely now. “He’s not going to stop until Brayden’s dead, you know that right?”

The truth of her words shook me to my core. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t argue with that statement. It was probably the reason Ryland hadn’t told the truth about what happened to the police. Because he wanted his chance at Brayden. My boyfriend and my brother both wanted each other dead.

“We’ll find a way,” I said weakly. “We have to. You and I, Nicole. We can do this together…”

“No,” she snapped. “We can’t. Wake up, Brighton. This is going to end badly. We both have to get out now while we still can.”

“I can’t get out,” I croaked. “But you’re right, Nicole. You should. Maybe you should take some time off. Go stay with your family for a while.”

I saw how much this weighed on her, and I didn’t want to see her broken. She’d been through enough already, and this wasn’t her battle to fight.

“I can’t just go.” She sobbed. “You have to come with me, Brighton. That’s the only way I’ll be able to do it. We could get a place together, in another city. Anywhere, I don’t care. Let’s leave…”

She wasn’t being rational but judging by her face, she hadn’t slept in a while.

“We can talk about this later,” I told her in a gentle voice. “I think you should get some rest.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded before rising on shaky legs.

“I guess you’re right,” she agreed. “Rest sounds like a good idea.”

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