Branded (Fall of Angels #1)(89)

And so is she.

The only woman who could chain my heart to hers forever.

I bring her to an alley across the street, safe from the smoke and the fire, and then put her down against the wall.

“Are you okay?” I ask, checking her for serious injuries.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replies, a smile forming on her lips. “You’re still alive.”

Her worry humbles me and makes me smile too. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“But I do, though. While you were gone, I did every single day.” She swallows away the lump in her throat. “I tried so damn hard not to … but …”

I place a finger on her lips, and say, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I understand.”

And I press a kiss to her lips, claiming her as mine once again.

She was right. After all the struggling, the pushing, the tugging, us being together was inevitable. Despite our differences and the misery we caused each other, we belong together. There’s no way I can breathe without her … and she’s not going to let me go either.

If I can’t die with dignity, at least I can use whatever time I have left to make it up to her. And I’ll try my very best until my last dying breath, dammit.

She’s worth it all.

Right then, the firemen have arrived to douse the flames and bravely fight the fire. I turn my back toward her and gaze at my papa’s shop going up in flames. I’m as much sad as I am excited. The flames light a fire inside my soul that ignites a frenzy in me. Fire has always had this effect on me, and I’ve usually taken it out by either lashing out at someone … or by jerking off.

It’s the first time I’ve shared my passion with someone. And for that someone to be Dixie Burrell makes it even harder for me to turn away from her. But I don’t wanna take advantage of her. Not when she’s this vulnerable.

However, her hand touching my back alerts all my senses and makes me tense up.

She’s touching the burn scars that I just created. The scorched off names of the men who killed her brothers. She must think I’m a monster for doing this, but I had to. The pain is my way of dealing with my guilt for being a murderer. But these men deserved nothing less.

“Did you do this to yourself?” she asks with a soft voice. “Who are these people?”

“They’re the men who killed your brothers that night.” I clear my throat. “You don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

I can’t face her when I say this because I am one of those men too.

I should’ve died with that fire right there.

“You don’t have to die for me,” she says, her fingers softly grazing over the tattoo that carries my name. “I want you to live.”

I nod, trying to keep that in mind while I watch the blazing fire, wondering what it would’ve felt like. If I really deserve to stay alive.

I will do everything in my power to make myself worthy of this second chance she’s given me. She deserves that much.



*

Dixie



“You … erased my name,” I murmur, touching his back right where my name used to be.

“You didn’t deserve to be on there,” he replies.

My hand slides up his shoulder and wraps around his neck as I hug him and squeeze tight.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

“Don’t say that, please,” he says, turning around to face me.

I don’t understand why he keeps rejecting the idea that I can like him. I’ve already come to terms with it, so he should too.

“I can’t thank you for taking my name off your hit list?” My brows draw together.

“I’ve given you nothing but pain. I’ve done nothing good for you. Nothing.”

Even now, he still thinks of himself as the worst of the worst. As if he’s some kind of animal who’s not allowed to even get close to me. But he put his life on the line to protect me back when his uncle tried to kill me. He even went after the guys who murdered my brothers. If that isn’t a show of goodwill, I don’t know what is.

I place my hand on his face and caress him softly. “That’s not true. You wanted to give your life.”

He sucks in a breath. “Don’t.” He grabs my hand, pushing me away. “I don’t deserve your love. And I don’t want your pity.”

I don’t feel pity for him. I never did. I was fighting so hard against the feeling of needing him, and I’m done fighting now.

So I grab him and pull him toward me, wrapping my hands around his waist. “I’m the one who decides who earns my love.”

“Why would you give that to me, knowing what I’ve done?” He slams the brick wall behind me. “Dammit, Dixie. You should’ve been living out your life, enjoying it to the fullest.”

“There’s no fun without you,” I reply. It’s the honest truth. Life is boring without him in it. I used to hate that feeling, but I’ve come to terms with that now.

Brandon roars out, stepping away from me to watch the fire once again. The flames have really gotten him riled up. Does fire always do this to him? No wonder he likes burning shit so much.

“Leave me be,” he says resolutely.

“Why?” I ask.