Page 81 of The Burnt Heart

“We need to find Alessandro,” I cleared my tight throat. The tension flooded between us, and the others didn’t miss Briar’s quiet gasping. Jonah held out his hand for the gun Logan was clutching.

“Who is Alessandro to you, Briar?” Jesse coaxed quietly as we broke apart. I was grateful Jonah jogged out of the room so he could have privacy. Briar stared at him with blanched cheeks and haunted eyes. I felt the pull, and I wrapped my arms around him.

“He’s a monster,” he whispered fiercely. “Adelaide, what he did to you...” He clenched his jaw under my unrelenting stare.My wrists burned as I tightened my grip around his waist, ignoring the others.

“It’s nothing and he’ll pay for what he’s done,” I promised him vengeance. Logan tilted his head, desperate for answers that weren’t mine to give.

“What happened when he took you away? You need to tell us what the fuck is going on. He called you—”

Briar swore, a surge of disgust etched in his features.

“Don’t,” he begged. “Don’t call me that nickname.” There was a glazed lag in his expression. As if he were half trapped in memories.

“He looks familiar, but I don’t remember him. We can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on,” Jesse pressed. Briar laughed hollowly, his hand sliding down his face.

“I met him when we were still in the foster home. You wouldn’t remember him because he has a knack for targeting the weakest person in the room. That’s always been me.” His shoulders slumped. “I never wanted you to know.”

“Know what?” Logan’s voice had a thread of frustration. There was pressure forcing the air out of my lungs. Thoughts clamored in my mind, brash horror. I flexed my hands around Briar’s back, trying to gain control. Now was not the time to fall apart. We needed to be strong, me most of all. He flicked me a look, drenched with shame. I nodded encouragingly.

“There is a reason I can’t stand nicknames. Remember the extra tutoring I was given? He was my tutor but no tutoring every occurred. He... did things to me, said if I told anyone, he’d use you too.”

Color faded from Jesse and Logan’s skin. The former stumbled back into the table. They crumpled in front of me, the shock making them shrivel.

“I remember now.” Logan rubbed his jaw. “We were so annoyed that you got to go out for food while we were stuck in that shithole.”

“I tried to come with you one time, and you fought me,” Jesse breathed, his eyes widening.

“I didn’t want you to go through it too,” Briar admitted, his voice cracking. Jesse groaned, his head dropping into the cradle of his hands. “It doesn’t matter.”

I reared back, eyebrows smashing together. Alessandro had hurt Briar. He’d taken from him something that wasn’t his. Just like he had me. They were ghosts of themselves, the admission making them thin, breakable. Briar was ashen, and a slight tremble wracked through his body.

It did matter.

“Don’t.” The word was a hammer, and he flinched. It wasn’t what I intended, and I made a noise of derision. “Don’t call yourself weak or downplay what he did to you. I’m sorry if I ever did make you feel like I believed you were anything but strong. It matters, and he’ll pay for it. But right now, I need to get us out of here. Are you with me?”

Briar met my fervent gaze, matched it.

“I’m always with you Adelaide.”

I dropped my arms, giving Logan and Jesse a moment to digest. They were shell shocked, but there would be time to address emotions later. I pressed a kiss to Briar’s forehead, a promise of vengeance in it. I closed my eyes and focused on tucking away my raw, jangled emotions, until only the rage remained. I let it spread. Burn and scorch me full of motivation. But Jesse and Logan weren’t done. They smothered Briar and I between them, squeezing until we both gasped.

“I wish you would have told us,” his voice was layered agony, vibrating with swallowed sobs. Briar took in a shuddering breath, his chest hitching against mine.

“We would have done something, anything,” Jesse added, muffled. We clung to each other, the messy parts of us becoming glue, holding us together, stronger than before. My chest throbbed, their closeness the only balm. “You’re our family. We would have fought for you.”

“The only thing that matters to me is us,” Briar admitted, and I pressed a hard kiss to his down-turned mouth. Slick wetness coated my cheeks, mine or his. It didn’t matter. The burden was a shared well between the four of us. I shifted from our huddle, unwilling but necessary. Briar and I shared a look, and I saw the golden glints in his eyes like treasures again. Brighter than they had been a moment ago. Free of long hidden secrets.

“What are you thinking?” Logan was at my back.

“We can’t wait for Jonah to return.” I wandered over and prodded at Harold with my foot. “I’m going to be the one to kill your heir.”

He glared with a baleful eye, swelling from Jesse’s fists.

“You scare me in the best way, siren.”

I managed a sharp smile. “Ray has hopefully secured the outside. Let’s make our way there.”

“Jonah and Ray as a dream team. Who would have thought?” Briar squeezed my shoulder lightly.

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