Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

Kane glanced my way, then held out his hand. “Easy, Thom…easy.What the hell is going on here?”

He didn’t turn away from her, just pushed her harder against the doorjamb with a trembling fist.

I grabbed his fist, dragging him away.“Thomas, stop!”

But my brother was like a goddamn bloodhound, peering at her through the slits of his eyes. I pulled him away, forcing his gaze to mine. “What the fuck has gotten into you?”

He just shook his head, glancing her way before he inhaled. “Nothing. Nothing’s gotten into me.”

Something clearly had and whatever it was, it had made Helene tremble.

I narrowed in on the shuddering of her body. She turned those dark eyes my way with a soft shake of her head.

“What am I supposed to make of this, Helene?” I asked, leaving my brother behind as I took a step toward her. “First you step in front of my car, then I find out you’re my brother’s client.” I glanced at Thomas over my shoulder. “Want to tell me the truth?”

She jerked a panicked glance toward the door that led outside.

I moved just before she did, lunged to grab her as she made a run for it, and grabbed her around the waist. “Easy now…”

She kicked and fought, slamming her head backwards. I was so fucking in tune with her, almost like I saw her every move now before it even happened. I wrenched my face out of the way, and hauled her backwards through the living room to throw her onto the brown leather sofa.

She bounced and scurried forward. Fuck, she was fast, lunging.

“Youwill stay!”I roared, grabbing her and pushing her back.

She just glared at me with that murderous stare. My body thrummed. Heat rushed through me as I stood over her. Jesus, she affected me more than any other woman I’d met before, and as Kane stepped closer, watching the two of us, I realized she affected him, too.

“You’ll stay,” I gasped and stabbed the air. “And this time, you’ll tell us the goddamn truth. How the fuck do you know my brother?”

She jerked that glare toward Thomas. He moved closer, standing beside me. “It’s her voice. Her voice…I—” He scowled, searching his memory.

“I don’t know you,” she spat.

Lie.

I knew it before she said a word. It was more than a tell, more than a twitch of her temple. She was under my skin and inside my head. I leaned down and placed my hands on either side of her on the sofa. “You’re lying, Helene. You’re lying and you’re about to get caught.”

“One way…” Thomas said, his voice distant. “One way to put out a fire.” In an instant, he came rushing back into the present, his gaze narrowing in on her. “That’s what she said, one way to put out a fire.”

Her eyes widened. She shook her head. “No…no, you couldn’t possibly have—”

There…she said it.

“You were in the church with thatbastard St. James.”

Cold rushed through me as she met my gaze.

“And the warehouse,” he added. “She was at the goddamn warehouse. I saw her.”

“You’re a l-liar,” she stuttered.

I reached down and wound my hand around her throat. “I don’t think so, Helene. The only one we’ve proven is a liar so far is you.” I gripped her throat tighter, not enough to cut off her air. But enough for her to know…her life was on the line. “How about we start with the truth this time? Who the fuckareyou?”

I felt the panicked flutter of her pulse under my hand as she held my stare and answered. “Helene King.”

TWENTY

Helene