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

Chapter 18

Eighteen

Dare

T he amber liquid burns down my throat as I swallow hard. I grip the glass tight, knuckles white, and signal the bartender for another. He nods, used to men drowning sorrows in overpriced whisky at this upscale bar.

I came to Herbsaint to get away, to think, but her voice echoes in my head. "Forgive your brother, Dare. Please, for me. He's family.”

Spoken by a woman who's never had a sibling. My wife’s na?veté shows.

I shake my head sharply as if I could shake away the memory.

My brother. My enemy. No, I won't forgive Burn. Not after everything.

The bartender slides another glass in front of me wordlessly. I toss it back, hoping to scorch every memory from my mind.

The cabin that I found Talia in. Her cry of pain. His hands on her. My fists slamming into his face. The graveyard. Her tears.

No. He doesn't deserve forgiveness. My loving wife may plead for reconciliation, but some betrayals cut too deep. I stare into my empty glass, seeing only the past.

Burn turned my world upside down. Stole my fiancée. Tried to steal my wife. I can’t forget. I won’t forgive.

The bar fades away as I'm pulled back into the dark vortex of memory. Her voice anchors me, calling me home.

Talia . My light in the darkness. The only one who can still the storms inside me. I long to return to her, to leave these ghosts behind. But forgiveness for my twin? That I cannot give.

The memories overtake me once more. There she is, my Talia, cornered by him. Burn crowds her against the brick wall, hands gripping her arms.

"Let her go!" I shout, seeing red.

He sneers over his shoulder. "Or what, brother? She's mine now."

I charge forward, grabbing Burn and throwing him off her. He stumbles but comes back swinging. I block his punch, fueled by rage.

"She will never be yours," I snarl.

We trade blows. Talia cries for us to stop but the world narrows to me and him. All the years of jealousy, bitterness and betrayal boil over.

I knock him to the ground, straddling him. My fists slam into his face relentlessly. Blood spills but I don't stop. Not until her voice breaks through.

"Dare, please!"

I freeze, chest heaving. Burn lies motionless beneath me. Talia pulls at my arm, sobbing. I look down at my battered hands, the red haze receding. What have I done?

Shakily I get to my feet, taking Talia into my arms. She clings to me, trembling. I stroke her hair, whispering apologies. Over her shoulder, I meet Burn's glare. No remorse.

The glass in my hands comes slowly into focus. I’m breathing hard, trying not to lose my shit in the middle of Herbsaint. I blow out a breath.

Some betrayals can't be forgiven. The past can't be undone. But I have Talia… She is my future. She's my light, my whole world. I can't lose her now.

I would do anything for her.

Does that mean giving Burn another shot at being the brother I’ve always needed him to be?

I'm shocked back to the present by someone scraping the bar stool next to me across the floor. I blink down at my drink, giving myself a little shake.

"Is this seat taken?" a female voice purrs.

I freeze up. I used to hear that voice in my dreams on an endless loop. Daisy slinks into the seat next to me, her perfume cloying, her red dress plunging in the front and the back.

"Fancy seeing you here," she purrs, running a manicured nail along my forearm. I resist the urge to recoil. "It's been too long, Dare."

I take a swig of whiskey, keeping my eyes fixed on the rows of bottles behind the bar. "Not long enough."

She pouts, leaning in close. I catch a whiff of gin on her breath. "Don't be like that. We used to have such fun together."

Her hand trails higher up my thigh. I grab her wrist, removing it firmly.

"Used to being the operative words. I'm a married man now, if you hadn't heard."

Daisy scoffs. "Oh please. We both know this little farce with Talia won't last." She tosses her dark hair. "You need someone who understands your world. Someone born into your world of wealth and privilege. Besides, I've missed you, Dare."

I finally turn to look at her, disgust churning my gut. "You don't know the first thing about me or my world. Not anymore." I toss a few bills on the bar and stand. "Do yourself a favor, Daisy. Stay away from me and my wife."

I stride out without a backward glance, Daisy's shrill voice fading behind me. The night air is cool and crisp, clearing the cloying perfume from my senses.

I take a deep breath, the night air filling my lungs. For the first time in a long while, my mind feels clear.

Daisy was an error. I can see that now with crystal clarity. But Talia...she's different. With her, I feel like I've found solid ground after years of drifting aimlessly at sea. Our love woke something in me that I didn't even know was sleeping.

“Where are you going?” Daisy asks. “Dare, stop.”

She reaches out and catches my arm. I rip my sleeve from her hand and continue on my way, pointedly looking at the ground in front of me.

Daisy isn't ready to let me go that easily. Though I've left the bar, she follows me, her heels sounding like gunshots on the pavement.

"Dare, you're being unreasonable," she wheedles. "Come back inside and buy me a drink."

I shove Daisy away as she tries to press herself against me, her cloying perfume invading my senses.

"Don't touch me," I snap. "You're the most awful fiancée I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. I never loved you. Not really. It was all a naive illusion in my mind."

Daisy scoffs, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Oh please, you know you wanted me. Who do you think you're fooling with this ' I love Talia ' act?"

"It's not an act," I retort. "I know what real love feels like now, and you and I never had that."

"You expect me to believe you actually have feelings for that mousy little twit?" she says with a cruel laugh.

I bristle at her insult toward Talia. "Believe what you want. The only one I care about convincing is my wife."

Daisy rolls her eyes dramatically. "You two won't last a month once the shine wears off. She's just a placeholder until you realize I'm the one you really want."

She reaches for me again, but I grab her wrist tightly. "Let go of your delusions, Daisy. I don't want you. Not now, not ever again."

I release her hand and turn to leave, ignoring her sputtering indignation. I take a deep breath, the night air filling my lungs. For the first time in a long while, my mind feels clear.

Daisy was a mistake, one that I let cloud my judgment for far too long. When I look back on our relationship now, all I see is a tangled mess of mind games and manipulation.

"Dare!"

I whip my head around, my eyes searching for my brother. Daisy leans against the entrance to Herbsaint, and I see my twin come jogging up the sidewalk, his eyes sliding between us.

"And just what's going on here?"