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He pushed my hair back from my forehead with a shaky hand and pressed a kiss to my temple.

“Oh my fucking God, I can’t believe you’re in one piece.” He inched back to look down at me. “What the fuck happened to your foot? Wait, is that a knife?”

“You should see the other guy,” I murmured.

Brody twisted to look at Nick. He groaned on the floor, holding his stomach, dark blood staining his T-shirt. Cal and Marcus stood over him.

“You stabbed him?” Brody asked, his voice full of admiration.

“Yeah. I fought like a girl, just like you told me to.” My voice was fading. I couldn’t hold on to the last shreds of energy.

“Good girl. No, brilliant woman. I’d expect nothing less from the most remarkable person I’ve ever met.” Brody stared down at me with luminous eyes. He stroked my hair back from my bloodied forehead. “Oh, and little heathen, I love you, too.”

A smile touched my lips, and Brody grinned at me. I closed my eyes and sank gratefully into the darkness. Safe, in his arms.

Brody

A paramedic attendedto Selena on the scene, while the police searched the hunting cabin. An ambulance and police escort had already taken Nick away. Now the cops hovered, waiting to ask us questions.

Cal was on the phone to Ronan. “I hope you didn’t leave town yet.”

A deep, older voice came over the speaker, tinged with an Irish accent. “Why not now?”

Cal faced me. “Selena just stabbed someone.”

A pause. “Is she the new sister?”

“That’s right. She might be new, but she was born to be a Sinclair.” A smile laced Cal’s voice.

A brief silence, and then a long-suffering sigh came over the line. “I’m on my way.”

“She won’t get in trouble. It was clearly self-defense,” I said, folding my arms and sending a glare at the cops.

“Still, she stabbed someone?—”

“I don’t give a fuck. She needs to go to the hospital and not anywhere near Nick. They’d better not try and keep her hanging around here more than necessary. She needs her foot seen to.” I clenched my hands into fists at my sides so tight, my nails broke the skin of my palms.

Cal nodded. “The boot’s supporting it, but it has to hurt. She’s tougher than she looks.”

“You have no idea.”

Selena caught my eye. She sat in the back of an ambulance, letting the paramedic check her over. Her foot was elevated in front of her. They hadn’t tried to remove the boot here. Hopefully, they’d give her something for the pain before they attempted it.

“She’s stronger than you can imagine,” I muttered and caught his look. “What?”

Cal shook his head. “If you’d told me a few months ago that you’d be standing here, saying those words about a girl, who is our stepsister, by the way, I’d never have believed you. I guess you’ve a heart in there, after all.”

I slapped my brother on the shoulder. “I always had a heart. I just forgot it was there.”

I stared back at the ambulance, where the paramedic was about to lock the doors. I signaled at him to wait. “I’m going to go with her to the hospital.”

Cal nodded. “I’ll wait here and see if there are any other questions.”

“Sounds good,” I said and walked away.

“Brody!” Cal called when I was about to get into the ambulance.

I turned back.