Caine closes the distance between us, leaving enough space that I normally wouldn’t feel crowded.
I definitely feel crowded right now, though.
This man has taken up so much space in my head in the past, his presence is heavy.
“You really think I would do that to you?” he asks, like he’s offended by the audacity I could have to not trust him. Before I can snap at him, he sighs. “Don’t answer that, I know what you think of me.”
I snort, propelling myself forward to shoulder-check him. His hand snaps out and closes around my bicep.
I’m getting really tired of trying to play nice tonight.
A united front won’t mean shit when someone drives me into a goddamn massacre, and I give myself a blood bath.
“Just listen to me,” he rasps his plea.
“I have nothing to say to you, Caine. You have your life, and that’s more than what you deserve after what you did to me.”
“I know, Malia. I was a fucking idiot.” He drops his hand, releasing my arm as I finally turn to fully face him. May as well end this now. I’ve never been a runner until Liam Brenner, and I don’t intend on creating new habits. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret losing you—making the mistakes that I did.” He shrugs. “We were good together.”
Fuck, I want to laugh in his face.
“Not good enough, evidently,” I mumble. “It’s been seven years. What do you gain from our marriage? If youlovedme, if we weregood together, then I would have heard from you before tonight.”
Caine’s hand reaches out and wraps around the back of my neck. He moves quicker than I expect, and his lips slam on to mine.
Fifteen
Liam
SEEINGMALIAAGAINisharder than I thought it would be. Staring at her while knowing everything I felt for her was a lie fucked with my head, way more than trying to understand what I was feeling in the first place did.
While she’s distracted, I slip out the door for a moment and away from the crowd to get my head right. I thought seeing her would evoke the feelings I have against her family, especially the man that ripped mine from me. But lo and behold, her complete mind fuck has me wondering if any of it was real.
Was any of Mila Williams actually Malia Olin? Or was every second of our time together bullshit?
I blow out my cheeks, trying to steady my racing heart and swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat, when I hear a set of footsteps closing in on me from behind. Before I can spin to face who is rushing me, strong hands grab my suit jacket and slam my back against the wall.
All I see is fire before a fist connects with my jaw.
Not fire from just the anger, but fire from the pale-brown eyes of an infamous Castello. My head slams back hard against the wall, making my vision blur before it goes red. Fury explodes through my senses, and my own fist snaps out to return a punch.
Lion Castello stands a little taller than me and glares down at me through slitted eyes, his teeth bared and nostrils flaring.
“Think you can show up here after threatening my sister and leave without a bullet between your eyes?” Lion spits.
I stare at him for a moment in confusion before remembering the conversation with Malia about siblings all those weeks ago in my kitchen.
“You must be the porcupine.” I smile, the knot in Castello’s jaw tightening as he grinds his teeth.
He chuckles before pulling a pistol too fast for me to react, settling his aim between my brows. My hand is frozen inside my jacket as I narrow in on the barrel as he cocks the hammer.
“Lion!” a deep voice yells from beside us, but he doesn’t waver until two figures come into view and pull him away.
Elijah Castello and Nathaniel Olin stand between Lion and me. My gaze shifts to The Omen, and I pull my gun, resting it on his temple. Lion’s head snaps up after his father wrestles away his weapon. Elijah spins when I cock the hammer while The Omen chuckles as I press the barrel harder.
“A Brenner through and through,” The Omen says with an amused smirk on his cocky mouth. “I see you have the balls to pull your weapon on me, but what about the trigger?”
“Uncle,” Lion says to him through clenched teeth. Neither older man seems concerned that with only a twitch of my finger, brain matter would decorate the wall.