He doesn’t finish.
Because Knox lunges.
It’s a blur of muscle and fury. The cops strain, boots digging into the dirt. Cuffs rattle, arms lock. “Call her that again,” Knox growls, voice guttural, monstrous. “Please.”
The Taser never goes off. Thank God.
Brandon actually steps back, his color draining, but then his mask slides back into place, icy eyes flicking to me. “My parents warned me you’re too low-class and crass to fit into my life. I should’ve listened.”
“Here’s your chance then,” I snap. “Listen on your way back down the mountain.”
His mouth twists. “You think I invested in you just to see you walk away?”
“Invested in me?” My voice is rising, trembling. “How? By telling me every day how useless I am?”
Knox growls, deep and dangerous, the sound of an animal about to break free. His muscles strain against the cuffs, his eyes fixed on Brandon with murder in them. One wrong move and he’ll tear free. And then what? My big, beautiful Bear will be Tasered again or shot. Or worse.
I can’t let that happen.
I take a deep breath, stepping forward, feeling every eye on me. “What do you want, Brandon? We both know it’s not me. Not really. You want someone you can control. Someone whowill tell you how incredible you are and play carpet for you to walk all over.”
My gaze flicks to Knox—my Bear—held back but still radiating obsession and heat. His look isn’t cold like Brandon’s. It’s beautifully feral. Unhidden. His entire body is a promise and a vow.
For me.
Only me.
“There you go, overdramatizing everything again,” Brandon says smoothly, dragging my unwilling focus back to him. His voice is loud enough to carry over the cops’ heavy breathing, over the rumble of Bear’s growl. “I treated you like a prized asset. Like a diamond that just needed cutting, shaping, polishing.” His lips curl, mock sympathy dripping like acid. “And here you are, covered in bruises, crawling through the dirt with this brute. You really think this is better?”
The insult slices, but it doesn’t land where he wants. My chest tightens, but it’s shame burning through me. It’s incandescent both of a wasted past and a very much intolerable present with this grasping, low-rent tyrant.
“Keep your diamonds and your polishing and whatnot. But, Brandon, here’s the thing,” I say, lifting my chin. “Far from crawling through the dirt, I’ve discovered I like riding on the shoulders of giants.”
Bear stills immediately, and the shift in his eyes floors me. They darken, glinting with something feral and tender all at once. “Giants?” he rasps, low and dangerous. “Better watch that plural, petal.” But his gaze stays locked on me, unflinching.
“Giant,” I amend softly. My giant. “One. Exclusive.”
His lips curl in approval and a flash of teeth, while Brandon blinks, confusion washing over his face. “Is that some kind of euphemism… or?” His head jerks toward Knox, his disgust plain. “You’ve been spreading your legs for this Neanderthal?”
“Fuck, he’s slow,” Knox mutters, the words rolling out like thunder. But it’s loud enough for everyone to hear. Snorts and muted laughter ripple across the clearing, breaking the tension for one breathless moment.
Brandon’s face turns scarlet, his composure cracking. “I’m here for what you owe me.”
I tilt my head, voice like ice. “Which is what, exactly?”
“Thought you were here because her fiancé had been kidnapped?” one of the cops cuts in dryly. His eyes dart between Knox and me, narrowing as he takes in the way I’m standing—not cowering or pleading. Standing on my own two feet and unafraid. “She doesn’t look exactly kidnapped to me. The opposite, in fact.”
My breath shudders out in relief when agreement ripples through the officers. Their grips on Knox loosen now, uncertain. They’re starting to see the truth. That their preliminary assessments aren’t adding up.
“He’s not my fiancé,” I snap, voice sharp as a whip, “and you’re right, officer. I haven’t been kidnapped. I left him.”
The words hang in the air, final, undeniable.
“And I’m here of my own free will,” I add, louder this time, just to be crystal clear.
My heart kicks hard when I feel Knox’s eyes digging into me, deeper than bone, deeper than blood.
Yes, Bear. I’m here.
