Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 4

Four

Talia

I jolt awake at the sound of the door handle rattling. The first light of day creeps in through the window, and I see a silhouette of a figure standing in the doorway. Burn. He’s here to take me back home.

He storms into the cabin, his face twisted with anger and accusation. “Get up."

I clutch my knees to my chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed in my wrinkled dress in sharp contrast with his muscular form dressed all in black. He strides across the room and stands over me, his eyes blazing hot with fury I can feel like an inferno between us. My pulse thunders in my ears and I stifle a scream of fear as he grabs my arm roughly and pulls me up from the bed.

He hauls open the door then turns back to grab my hand, pulling me out into the crisp morning air before I can even protest or think twice about what is happening.

His grip on my arm is bruising, but I don't struggle. What's the point? I'm trapped in this godforsaken place with a madman.

My stomach rumbles. It's been more than twelve hours since I ate or drank anything and I'm starting to feel lightheaded.

Not that Burn cares at all. He pushes me in front of him, frog marching me down toward the lake with ruthless silence. We head toward a small dock on which another black power boat is moored.

Apparently, we are going for a ride. I keep my mouth shut and clamber aboard. It is useless to resist. I choose to save my energy for escape.

Burn starts the engine, pointing to the seat beside his. Then he steers us across the still lake. Burn fishes in his pockets and throws a few protein bars in my lap.

I rip into one, devouring the whole thing in less than a minute. It tastes like sticky dirt, but I suppose that beggars can't be choosers. I try to think about where I can store the other two bars. In my bra?

My gaze slides toward Burn and I think better of it. I hold the bars close for the time being.

The icy wind cuts through my thin clothes, but I barely feel the cold. I'm numb inside.Is this what it feels like when you start to go crazy?

After a few minutes, Burn cuts the engine and the boat glides to a stop.

"Look." He points toward a small island, hardly as large as a swimming pool.

I shade my eyes and gaze at it.A chill runs down my spine, but I don't know why. The island is pristine, untouched by humanity. In its center is a tranquil lake, reflecting the pale sky.And at the very center is a corroded gray angel and a gravestone that has her name, birth date, and death date. Below it all, there is an inscription stamped into the stone. I can’t quite make it out from here, though.

My eyes widen. My breath leaves me in a whoosh . Even without being able to read the epitaph, I can guess whose grave we are looking at. "Is that...?"

"My mother's grave," Burn says softly. He's still for several long beats of my heart, emotions flitting over his face. "Dare hasn't visited since the funeral. But this is the one place I know he'll never look for you."

Revulsion and fear curdle in my stomach. Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow hard, struggling not to retch."You plan to hide me in a grave?"

Burn rolls his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm going to keep you in the cabin we just left."

My nausea subsides, but his answer isn't exactly satisfying. "Ah," I say faintly.

If Burn notices my discomfort, he doesn't comment on it. His gaze bores into me, cold and hard as stone. "Dare abandoned me when I needed him most. He was never there for me, but I was always there for him." His voice breaks, raw with remembered anguish. "When they told us our mother had died, he crumbled. I tried to comfort him, but he pushed me away. He left me all alone."

I stare at him, aching with pity I don't dare show. The little boy inside Burn, desperate for his brother's love, refuses to perish. If only Dare had been there for him, instead of leaving him to face such grief alone. Maybe then Burn wouldn't have become so twisted, obsessed with possessing what he cannot have...

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

It's the truth, though I know Burn will never believe it. I see now the wounds that shaped him, the scars that time cannot heal. And I wonder if there's any way left to save him...or if he's already too far gone.

Burn bleats a laugh and then turns the boat around, rushing me back to the shore. He ushers me inside the cabin, his hand clamped around my arm. Inside, he releases me and strides to the fireplace, adding logs to the dwindling fire.

Flames leap up, casting a ruddy glow over his face. Then he turns to me, eyes gleaming.

Burn stops a few feet from me, his gaze searing my skin. I feel no fear. Instead, an unfamiliar heat surges through me, coiling tight in my core.

"You're mine now," he says softly. "You and the baby both belong to me."

My mouth goes dry as I stare up at him. He's so close I can feel the warmth radiating off his body. His eyes bore into me like twin lasers, burning away all semblance of reason and logic.

I should be terrified—but instead I'm strangely drawn to him, like a moth to a flame.

He is so like his brother. I could almost close my eyes and pretend…

Burn reaches out and takes my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine in a gentle yet possessive grip. His touch ignites something inside me that has long been dormant— a forgotten spark of desire that had been smothered by fear and loneliness. Tears sting my eyes as he pulls me close, and before I know it, I'm melting against him, pressing my body into his as if there is no other place on earth for us to be but together.

He leans down and tries to brush his lips against mine. My body wants him, confused at his scent, his shape, his likeness to Dare.

But deep inside, I know that he is not my husband. So at the last moment, I flinch away from his kiss, squirming to free myself from his grip.

He hisses angrily.

Burn cages me in, hands planted on either side of my head.

"I'm the better twin," he rasps. His breath smells like clean mint, just like Dare's. "You know you want me. I'm the one you came to that night. I'm the one who gave you what you needed."

Revulsion rises in my throat like bile. I shake my head, shrinking away from his scorching touch. "No. I don't want you. I was drunk and confused, and you took advantage?—"

I twist away from him, fear slicing through me. He reaches for me again, but I manage to scramble out of his grasp and stumble away. My heart beats wildly as I stare at him, my breath coming in short gasps.

Burn's face is a mask of rage as he stares at me. His jaw clenches and unclenches as if he's fighting to keep himself from lashing out. Finally, he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before speaking.

"You're mine," he says in a low voice. "No matter what you claim, I know the truth. You feel the same heat for me that I feel for you."

My mouth goes dry at his words, but I refuse to back down. Summoning all my courage, I take a step forward and look him in the eye.

"I will never want you," I say firmly. "I'm in love with Dare. Nothing you say or do will ever change that. My heart belongs to him."

Rage flashes across his face like lightning, twisting his features into an ugly mask of hatred. He grabs my shoulders and shakes me so hard my teeth rattle.

"You're mine!" he roars as his grip tightens painfully around my arms. "You belong to me, and no one will ever take you away!"

Dizzy and breathless with terror, I can only shake my head. Burn's grip tightens until his fingers dig into my flesh, and he leans down, mouth seeking mine in a punishing kiss. I struggle wildly, fighting for air and freedom, but his hold is unbreakable.

Darkness crowds the edges of my vision. A single thought beats in my mind like a drum.

Dare, where are you? I need you. Please find me...