I’m about to barge inside and abort his plan, but I stop when Bran reaches a hesitant hand to Nikolai’s…hair.
He slowly, gently slides it back, revealing his unconscious face. A groan spills out of Nikolai’s lips and Brandon jerkily releases him. His hand finds the back of his neck and he pulls on the short hairs there.
Nikolai’s eyes blink open, his pupils dilated, and he appears to be as high as a kite.
“Lotus flower…? What are you doing here?” His voice is craggy, a bit slurred, barely understandable.
Bran reluctantly releases his hair. Then he pulls out a knife from his waistband and starts cutting at Nikolai’s bindings. “You’re the one who came into my house. You just couldn’t stay away?”
A lopsided grin lifts Nikolai’s lips. “How else would I see you so adorably worried about me?”
“I am not worried about you and don’t fucking call me adorable again.”
“Wow. The posh boy can curse.”
“Shut it or I’ll leave you to my brother’s and cousins’ nonexistent mercy.”
“If I’d known I’d see this side of you, I would’ve gotten myself kidnapped long ago.”
“Are you insane?”
Nikolai lifts a shoulder. “Probably.”
Brandon shakes his head and releases a long sigh. “I’ll release you and leave the back door open, and you’ll have to find your own way out.”
“No.” I stroll inside and Bran freezes, then slowly faces me.
“Creigh.”
“Step back,” I order when he continues trying to cut the ropes.
“This isn’t right and you know it—”
“Step the fuck back, Bran. I won’t repeat myself another time.”
He complies, but he doesn’t put away his knife and lets it hang at his side. When I went to my room earlier, Lan and Eli filled him in about the situation, so he knows exactly why I’m doing this.
“Get out.”
“Listen…” He steps toward me. “I know you feel the need for revenge, but this whole thing is wrong.”
“No one asked for your opinion. Stay out of this.”
“I won’t allow you to throw your life away for parents you’ve never known and a past you’re better off without, Creighton.” His voice hardens. “I’m letting Nikolai go and then we’ll talk about this.Rationally.”
He turns around to our prisoner, but before he starts trying to free him again, I punch him on the back of his head.
A groan spills from his lips as his unconscious body falls on top of Nikolai. I pull him back, then lower him to the floor against the wall.
Sorry, Bran, but your morals have no place in this situation.
“That was unnecessary,” Nikolai says in a deadpan voice.
I face him, both hands in my pockets. “Attempting to save you is what’s unnecessary.”
He’s about to say something when the door opens again and Landon strolls inside dressed in new clothes and sporting a galaxy of bruises.
His gaze roams over the room and pauses at the sight of his brother, but he doesn’t appear surprised in the least. “And what is he doing here?”