Chapter 190


    He was my lighthouse, guiding me back to the shore, safe through tumultuous waters.


    I stepped into him and fell into his chest. His arms wrapped around me on instinct. Gently, he eased me


    back into the room I’d left, and away from the hallway where anyone could have happened upon us.


    “Oh, shit,” Julian muttered. “It’s not what it looks like I swear.”


    Nichs’s arms came around me, protective yet soft, treating me as if I was made of ss. His voice


    exuded anger, however, as he snapped at his brother, “What the hell did you do?”


    “I didn’t do anything!” Julian said at once. He quickly amended, “Well, not like you’re thinking, anyway!”


    Nichs started to growl.


    “Piper,” Julian said. “I know you are going through a thing but can you please exin to my very furious


    brother that I did not do anything untoward?”


    I sniffled, then looked up at Nichs. He wasn’t looking back, so I reached a hand up and cupped his


    cheek. That imed his attention, and his fiery eyes found mine. Immediately he softened.


    “Did he hurt you?” he asked.


    I shook my head. “He only told me the truth.”


    That wasn’t the right answer. The fire sparked anew in his gaze, a raging wildfire out of control.


    “I warned you that he would break your heart,” he said.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    “What?” I blinked, not fully understanding. My mind was too caught up in my own misery at the


    revtion of my sister.


    “Oh my God, Nichs. Your jealousy really is ugly,” Julian said. He was standing now, when I nced


    at


    him over my shoulder. His wicked smirk was back. “Maybe I was actually confessing my undying love


    to


    her and she was just overwhelmed?”


    “Don’t lie to me,” Nichs said. “Piper is a good girl and she deserves better treatment than your quick


    fuck and forget bullshit. She is a genuine heart and should be treated with love and respect, and not


    “What are you even going on about?” Julian said.


    “She deserves better than you,” Nichs snapped.


    “Oh, let me guess. She deserves you instead. Don’t make meugh. You are so emotionally


    constipated,


    ”


    +15 BONUS


    “She’s my friend.”


    That all? Then why did you get so mad when you thought she and I were fucking? You can’t even


    admit


    when you are jealous!”


    “I’m not jealous,” Nichs growled, though his arms tightened around me. He held me closer to him.


    One of his hands sat low on my backside, just above the curve of my ass. Possessive.


    “Now who’s lying to who?” Julian teased.


    “Stop,” I said, but my voice was still weak. “Nichs…”


    “I’ll handle this, Piper,” Nichs whispered to me. “When I’m done with him, he won’t bother you


    again.”


    “Don’t try to stop him, Piper. I could use the entertainment,” Julian said. “Let him think whatever he will.


    If he wants to make an ass out of himself, we should let him.”


    I shook my head. I didn’t have time for their childish games.


    I tapped my hand against Nichs’s chest. “This is important, Nick. Please stop.”


    He looked down at me again. His brow furrowed some in confusion. “What’s important, Piper?”


    Julian and I had agreed to keep Nichs in the dark about our investigation, but that no longer seemed


    possible. To protect Elva, and potentially everyone in the pce, I had to share what I knew. His guards


    needed to be prepared.


    “It’s my sister,” I said. “She’s back.”


    “What?” Nichs looked even more confused. “Since when? Where? What happened?”


    Julian sighed. “God damn it, Piper.”


    1 didn’t let his disapproval get to me.


    I told Nichs the truth. “Julian and I are still investigating the underground organization.”


    Nichs’s confusion ebbed, but in its ce grew anger, bright and hot. “You… what?”