Page 92 of Reflections of Peonies
“What happened?” His tone cut into me like a knife, and my breath hitched. “How the hell did you go from being with Kieran, to living in a trafficking ring? What did they do to you?”
“Now that’s just too far!” Brayden had gotten to his feet and grabbed Bryce’s shoulder. “Can’t you see that she’s upset?”
“Of course she’s upset.” Bryce released me and brushed Brayden’s hand away. “And I want to know why so we can fix it.”
But what was the point of rehashing the past? I wasn’t in that situation any longer; I’d moved on the best way I could.
I was trying not to be a victim.
So why couldn’t everyone let it go?
They argued. Brayden continued to express concern, and Bryce refused to budge. However, it didn’t matter who won because I couldn’t answer anyway. There was simply no way.
I stared at them as the last threads of my composure stretched to a breaking point.
Titus had once told me that Bryce would stop at nothing to bring down his enemies. From the deathly expression currently on his face, I believed it. And even though Brayden was arguing with him, he also radiated murderous intent.
He wouldn’t push me. But he held just as much anger as his brother.
The two of them hid their ferocity behind masks of indifference and joviality, but when the façade fell, and their patience wore thin, the result was terrifying.
But, simultaneously, my heart began to pound for another reason.
They were angryfor me. Their bloodlust was thick in the air, making it hard to breathe.
That feeling was present on my behalf.
I wasn’t sure what to think about this development.
Their emotional investment was almost as heartwarming as Titus’s offer to bring me Mr. Richards’s spine—much less disgusting too.
I mean, what kind of offering was that? What would it accomplish?
It was much more practical to trap your enemies into soul contracts where they had no choice but to do your bidding forever and always. In such situations, vengeance would be eternal.
Still, it had been sweet of Titus to offer.
The door slammed open, rattling the tinted windows. Titus stormed into the greenhouse, his fierce expression highlighted by the knot of hair at the base of his skull and the grease smudged across his unshaven jaw. His eyes locked on to mine, and before Bryce or Brayden could react, Titus crossed the room and pulled me to his side.
“What’s wrong?” He ran his warm hands down my arms, and the chill lingering on my skin faded. “Did they do something stupid?” His voice ended in a growl, and his eyes flashed dangerously as his focus moved over the room.
Bryce made a sound, but I shifted, clutching the ring tightly against my chest, which drew the dragon’s attention back to me.
“It’s okay,” I managed. “But I think they’re going to kill people.”
The air was thick with tension, but I wasn’t afraid anymore. My skin grew warmer as a strange, giddy sensation electrified my nerves.
The anger dropped from Titus’s expression, curiosity leaking into its place. Even so, he continued to run his hands down my arms as his gaze remained locked on the two brothers.
“And that makes you pleased?” he asked.
His question snapped my attention back to the present, and the feeling vanished.
“No!” What kind of question was that? I wasn’t a monster. “Of course not!”
“Oh.” Titus rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly disappointed. “I could have sworn…” he started, but his words trailed off. “What were you happy about then?”
I glanced back at Bryce and Brayden. They had finished their argument and were now looking at us. My skin heated, and I turned back toward Titus, burying my face in his chest.
