Chapter 7 Braking the Protector

Evelyn's Pov

I stayed in that dark room for hours, just sitting and not moving. The sun went down again, and the estate grew quiet. I knew it was late because I heard the guards outside changing shifts, and I was still shaking from everything.

I finally realized I was stupid for hiding in there and letting Daniel and Piper win by making me feel weak. I was furious about it, I stood up and stretched because my legs were stiff. I walked to the door and unlocked it quickly, I pulled the door open, ready to march right downstairs, find Braydon, and tell him I was going to help plan the biggest attack ever, because I had nothing left to lose.

But Gyran was standing right there, leaning against the wall near the corner. He looked like he hadn’t moved since he left, and I jumped because I didn’t think he would actually stay.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound mad, but my voice cracked a little.

He pushed off the wall and walked toward me slowly. He looked tired, but his eyes were wide awake, staring right at me.

“I told you I wasn’t going far. You didn’t knock, so I was waiting,” he said. He stopped right in front of me, and he was so much taller than me that I had to crane my neck to look up.

“Well, I don’t need you to wait for me. I’m fine. I just needed a minute, and you can go back to being Braydon’s shadow now,” I told him and tried to push past him, but he moved sideways and blocked the hall again.

“You don’t look fine, Eve. You look like you haven’t slept in three days. Your eyes are red, and you were crying, I heard you crying,” he said, his voice low but not mean. It was kind of soft, and that made me even angrier.

“Don’t lie. You were mocking me this morning. You said I still dream of peace and that I think I can fix everything and run back to my perfect little life,” I snapped because his words had been stuck in my head all day. “Well, guess what? My perfect little life was a lie. My fiancé was cheating on me with my best friend, so there’s nothing to run back to now. Are you happy?”

I regretted saying it right away because the words came out too fast and too loud. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, especially not him. I saw his face change then, his eyes got really dark, and his jaw clenched hard like he’d just been punched.

“What did you just say?” he asked, his voice suddenly rough, quiet, and totally different from before.

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything just move,” I insisted as I tried to turn around and go back into the room, but he reached out and gently grabbed my arm and didn’t let me move.

“No, you don’t say anything to me. You said Daniel was cheating on you with Piper, your best friend,” he repeated every word slowly. I just nodded once because I couldn’t speak. Hot tears started falling down my face again, and I hated that he was seeing me like this.

He let go of my arm and stepped closer into my space. Now we were barely an inch apart, and I could smell that same mix of gunpowder and sweat and his heavy cologne. It made my head swim.

“Those city people, they broke you and they hurt you,” he said, reaching up and wiping a tear off my cheek with his thumb. His skin felt rough and warm against mine, and it was the first kind touch I’d had all day, it almost broke me completely.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s over, I  threw the ring away and destroyed everything, so it doesn’t matter,” I choked out, trying to sound strong but shaking again, unable to stop.

“It matters to me,” he whispered, his voice deep and low, vibrating right through my chest. “You came back here because you thought you had a life to go back to, and that made you weak and a target. But now you don’t have that stupid life anymore, and you have nothing left to lose.”

He leaned in closer, his face right next to mine. I could feel his breath warm on my ear, sending a weird electric feeling down my spine.

“Your legs are shaking, baby girl, and your breath is heavy. Is that fear I perceive, or is it the burning lust you have for me?” He whispered the words right into my ear. I knew he was mocking me again, but I couldn’t pull away because I was frozen.

He pressed his body into mine, and I sank against the door. He was so big and solid, and everything else in the world disappeared, it was just him and me and the narrow hallway.

“Move back, Gyran,” I whispered, but I didn’t try to push him because I didn’t want him to move back. I hated myself for that.

He didn’t move. Instead, he reached down, scooped up one of my legs, and brought it around his torso so I was balanced against him. I had to hold onto his shoulders to keep from falling.

“Your brother would probably kill me when he finds out what I’m about to do, but look me in the eye and admit that you have not longed for this too,” he growled, staring down at my mouth, then back up to my eyes. His eyes were burning with something hot, dangerous.

I looked at him and saw the roughness and the violence and the absolute danger in his face. It should have scared me away, but it didn’t, it made me want to lean in because his darkness felt real and honest and true, unlike all the lies I had just left behind.

“I..” I started to say, but I couldn’t finish the word because I was breathless.

He didn’t wait for me to finish. He lowered his head, and his mouth crashed down onto mine. It was hard and rough and demanding, and I felt like I was exploding. I didn’t pull away, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back just as hard because I didn’t care about rules or Braydon or consequences anymore, I just cared about the fire right now.