Page 68 of The Photograph

“Cara, what the fuck are you on about?”

Sheleans closer to my brother with her fists clenched. “He slept with her then paid her for services rendered.” Rage spills in her voice again as she locks her eyes to mine. “She was worth every cent? Men like you … you’re disgusting.” She cuts her eyes back to Mike. “He called my sister a whore before blackmailing her to leave our home. All this to avenge you.”

After Mike throws me a homicidal stare, he steps to Cara who jumps back.

“Aelin’s pregnant?”

Cara lets out a pained sigh as she shakes her bent head.

“No, she lost the baby … and it nearly killed her.” Her voice breaks on the last words.

My blood turns to ice as I lurch toward Cara. “What?”

If her eyes were guns, I’d be dead. Several times over.

“This is our home.” She hisses. “And we’re not going anywhere.” She inches closer. “You want revenge? Come after me, you slimy creep, because Aelin and I aren’t going anywhere. Go after our friends, our livelihood. Do your worst. We survived bigger evil than you.”

Guilt claws at my chest. This is the second time I’ve been lumped with that fucking incestuous pedophile rapist.

“Cara, my heart—”

He calls her ‘my heart.’

She whirls toward Mike whose hurt expression guts me as he watches his woman angry and in pain.

Cara lifts her face to his. “Why would you do this, Mitch?” Her voice breaks. “W-why?”

Mike rakes his fingers through his hair and closes the distance between them. “Cara, I’d cut my arm off before hurting you or Aelin. My heart, you must know that.”

Aelin’s sister’s breath hitches and she lets out a half sob. “Mitch, she nearly died. Aelin laid down in her own blood … all alone … and nearly died.”

What the fuck did I do?

“Cara, my heart…” Mike cups her face, but again she steps out of his reach.

“No.” She shakes her head, and her tone is cold. “No. You do not get to call me that. Ever again. You both stay the hell away from us.”

She strides to the door she slams behind her.

Michael exhales sharply before he turns slitted eyes to me. “What the fuck did you do?” My brother comes at me with his fists clenched, and I straighten up, ready for the hit I deserve.

“Why would you go after Aelin? Gabe, she’s a fucking kid.”

I’ve been called a lot of things, but coming from my brother…

“You want to hit me? Go ahead, you’d do me a favor. I fucked up. Big. But I was there the day the surgeons said you wouldn’t walk again. And I saw you look at that picture and drop it on the floor.” I wrap my hand around my baby brother’s nape. “And you gave up. You took one look at that picture, and you fucking stopped fighting, Mikey!”

We’re both breathing hard. Mike drops his head, and I exhale sharply.

“Fuck. Gabe. It wasn’t because of her. I was... Fuck”

Mike fastens his arms around me, and I hold onto my brother.

Chapter Fifteen

Aelin

I wake up to a quiet house. Cara’s still asleep. She’s been back for long enough and is over her jetlag, so she’ll be up soon.

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