Chapter 8

“You need to stay away from Clair.”

Damien slowly lifted his eyes from the documents on his desk.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he gave a short, humorless laugh.

“Your wife?”

Caleb’s jaw tightened. “Yes. My wife.”

“Interesting,” Damien said, leaning back in his chair. “Because she doesn’t seem to have a problem coming to me.”

“She’s my wife, Damien. Whatever reason she has for coming to you, I want it to stop.”

Damien studied him for a moment, completely unfazed by the anger in his brother’s voice.

“And what exactly do you think is happening?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“No, Caleb. I really don’t.”

Caleb stepped closer to the desk.

“I’ve seen the way you’ve been around her.”

“And?”

“And you need to back off.”

Damien let out another quiet laugh.

“You’re giving me orders now?”

“I’m warning you.”

Damien’s expression hardened slightly.

“Then maybe you should start by warning your wife. She seems to enjoy my company.”

Caleb’s fists clenched.

“Don’t push me.”

“Or what?”

The room fell silent.

Neither brother looked away.

Caleb’s voice dropped. “Stay away from her.”

Damien slowly stood from his chair.

“You’re acting like I’m the problem,” he said. “But maybe you should ask yourself why your wife keeps coming to me in the first place.”

Caleb’s eyes narrowed.

“Watch your mouth.”

“Why?” Damien asked. “Because the truth hurts?”

Caleb stepped forward.

Damien didn’t move.

“Maybe she doesn’t want you,” Damien said calmly. “Maybe that’s why she keeps coming to me.”

The words struck a nerve.

“Shut up.”

“Or perhaps,” Damien continued, his voice quieter now, “we should talk about why you don’t want her.”

Caleb froze.

Damien watched the change in his expression and knew he’d hit exactly where he wanted.

“Careful,” he said. “You wouldn’t want anyone asking questions about where you spend your nights.”

“Don’t.”

“About Julian Parker, for example.”

Caleb’s face darkened.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think I know enough.”

Damien leaned closer.

“Maybe I should stop keeping your secrets.”

Caleb stared at him.

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’m reminding you that you’re not the only one who has something to lose.”

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Caleb turned away, his breathing heavy with anger.

“This isn’t over.”

Damien watched him walk toward the door.

“No,” he replied coldly. “It isn’t.”

Clair noticed something was wrong the moment Caleb walked through the door.

He didn’t look at her.

He simply walked past her, his expression hard and his movements tense.

“Caleb?”

He stopped.

“What?”

Clair frowned at his tone.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He continued toward the stairs.

Clair watched him disappear, her uneasiness growing.

She had become accustomed to Caleb’s coldness, but this was different. There was anger in the way he carried himself, as though something had happened that he was desperately trying to keep inside.

She waited a few minutes before following him.

When she finally found him in their bedroom, he was standing by the window with his back to her.

“Caleb.”

“What is it?”

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Then why did Damien tell me you confronted him?”

Caleb turned around sharply.

Clair immediately noticed the change in his expression.

“You spoke to Damien?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“This afternoon.”

Caleb stared at her.

“What did he tell you?”

“That you told him to stay away from me.”

Silence filled the room.

Clair took a step toward him.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I wanted to.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

Clair’s brows pulled together.

“I don’t understand you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I do when you’re suddenly confronting your brother because of me.”

Caleb scoffed.

“Suddenly?”

“Yes. You’ve never cared before.”

The words made his expression tighten.

“Maybe I should have cared sooner.”

Clair stared at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Damien.”

“So?”

“So it bothers me.”

Clair shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re the one who barely speaks to me, Caleb. You’re the one who avoids me every chance you get. Now that someone else actually listens to me, suddenly there’s a problem?”

His jaw tightened.

“You’re my wife.”

“And?”

“And you should know better.”

“Know better than what?”

“Than getting too close to my brother.”

Clair’s eyes narrowed.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

“You didn’t have to.”

She folded her arms across her chest.

“Damien helped me when you wouldn’t. He listened to me when you wouldn’t. He treated me like I actually mattered.”

Caleb’s expression hardened.

“Don’t compare me to him.”

“Then give me a reason not to.”

He looked away.

Clair waited.

When he didn’t answer, her voice softened.

“Why are you really angry?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“Clair, drop it.”

“No.”

Caleb turned toward her.

“I said drop it.”

“And I’m asking you why.”

He stared at her, frustration building behind his eyes.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

He stepped closer.

“Maybe I don’t like seeing my wife running to another man every time she needs something.”

Clair’s face fell.

“Another man?”

“My brother.”

“Your brother who has shown me more kindness in a few weeks than you’ve shown me in months.”

“That doesn’t mean you should be attached to him.”

“Attached?”

She let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re making it sound like I’ve done something with him.”

Caleb said nothing.

The silence spoke for him.

Clair’s eyes widened.

“You think I’m cheating on you?”

“I think you’re getting too comfortable with him.”

“Because he helped me?”

“Because you keep going to him.”

“Because you give me no reason to come to you!”

Her voice echoed through the room.

Caleb’s face changed.

For the first time, Clair could see just how deeply her words had affected him.

But she was too angry to stop.

“You don’t touch me. You don’t talk to me. You don’t even look at me unless you’re annoyed about something. But the moment Damien shows me a little kindness, you suddenly remember that I’m your wife.”

“Enough.”

“No. You don’t get to control this conversation just because you don’t like what I’m saying.”

“Clair.”

“You’re angry at Damien because he treats me like a human being.”

“Shut up.”

She froze.

The anger in his voice was frightening, but she refused to back down.

“Why?” she asked quietly. “Because I’m telling the truth?”

Caleb’s breathing became heavier.

“Stop.”

“You know what? Maybe Damien is right.”

Caleb’s eyes flashed.

“Right about what?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have to beg for attention from my own husband.”

He stared at her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Clair turned away.

“I’m tired, Caleb.”

She walked toward the door.

But before she could reach it, Caleb grabbed her wrist.

She spun around.

“Let go of me.”

“Don’t walk away from me.”

“You’ve said everything you wanted to say.”

“No, I haven’t.”

His grip tightened.

“Caleb, you’re hurting me.”

He released her abruptly.

Clair stepped back, rubbing her wrist.

She looked at him with disappointment.

“You’re becoming someone I don’t recognize.”

Something inside Caleb snapped.

Before either of them could react, his hand struck her across the face.

The sound echoed through the room.

Everything went silent.

Clair stood completely still.

Her hand slowly rose to her cheek.

She stared at Caleb, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Caleb looked at his own hand as though he couldn’t understand what he had just done.

Neither of them spoke.

For the first time since their marriage, Clair was afraid of her husband.