Stolen Hearts: Between Two Brothers Novels & Stories

I grab my bag and shove my hands into the hoodie pockets, heart hammering. As soon as I step outside, the tears come unbidden. They fall freely down my cheeks, soaking the collar of the borrowed hoodie. Was I too late in confessing my feelings? Fourteen years loving Rowan and finally mustering the excruciating courage to speak, only to be... dismissed in the worst way possible. Since middle school, he’s been my world. My protector. And now? He has someone else. Someone blonde and extremely polished.

Did he hire one of his men to know that I would be here? I feel all the anger I have for him rising in my body. This man in front of me almost killed me. I gave this man in front of me everything, all of me and he broke me. He broke me so badly that I had to flee from my home town. This man is the Devil’s incarnate. He broke me, my life and left me with nothing. And yet I am carrying his baby and he has no fucking idea. I hate him. I hate him so much I could kill him with my own bare hands right now. I wish he would just go to hell where he came from. He destroyed my life. Because of him, I cannot love again. Because of him, I am finding it hard to trust again. I hear Levi mumble something b

I teared up and said, “I’ve failed four matches, and my heart is already badly damaged. If I don’t have that pacemaker, I’ll die.” Seth’s face turned pale, but he gritted his teeth. “You’ve managed to make it through till now. I’m sure that you can do the same this time. Jody is different. She’s frail. I’m begging you, Elena. Be reasonable for once.” I stared at the two men I once loved with my whole heart. One was my brother who had doted on me for more than a decade, and the other was my fiance whom I grew up with.

Each stolen moment became a precious memory etched in their hearts, an exhilarating secret shared between them. But as the flames of their passion grew hotter, so did the nagging fear of being caught. The intensity of their encounter became bittersweet, an exquisite blend of pleasure and trepidation. Every creaking floorboard and distant voice sent a jolt of adrenaline through their veins, urging them to embrace their stolen moments before they slipped away forever.

A boot on my throat had me seeing visions of Vanessa, a flickering haze of blue eyes and chocolate hair. “Get out of here. You and your brother are on thin fucking ice.” I lay on my back, in the literal gutter and tried to breathe through what felt like at least two broken ribs. In the final furlong of the race I had fallen. Every penny taken from me, every chance of offering anything to Vanessa ruined. I tried to pick myself up from the floor, but the sheer hopelessness of my situation rendered me numb. My brother, curse my idiotic, blundering fool of a brother to steal this chance from me once again.

Frost said nothing, waiting expectantly. Haltingly, I explained how I had attempted stealing a rare gem from a collector, only to accidentally release the imprisoned dragon within. Scar had hunted me down, claiming I 'stole' his heart and demanding I return it. Frost listened intently as I described being forced to stay in Scar's lair as he compelled me to help locate this precious 'heart.' Only when I overheard his plans to kill me once it was found did I manage to escape into the blizzard.

He was holding a heart in his hand which made me jump back and hide behind Aiden. “Brother,” Aiden said, his gaze fixated on Alan. “Would have never thought that you'd betray me brother.” Alan said angrily. “And you,” Alan turned to me, his eyes filled with rage and anger. “I’m not letting you go. I need to kill you to survive.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Now you're not even hiding it?” Alan scoffed, looking at Aiden. “Well, I guess you told her everything.” “Whose heart is in your hands, brother?”

Oliver was stunned but he merely smiled and patted her back and left. As he walked out he looked at the house where Isabella was staying and wondered how long that woman would have to suffer because of Nathan. He had always liked Bella and treated her as her little sister but he was Nathan’s sworn brother so he could only watch him break her heart at that time. He wanted to tell her everything but when he remembered how Nathan had saved him when he was a teenager and treated him as his brother he couldn't do it as he had been on Nathan's side but this time Nathan had crossed his limits by killing the unborn child.

Mamá was last, the root piercing her shoulder, blood blooming like a rose. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream. But I felt every memory the seed had stolen, every lie we’d told to survive. Javier teaching me to dice onions, tears in his eyes from the fumes, not the debt. Mamá hiding chemo bags in the restaurant’s freezer. Marco’s first hack, age twelve, stealing Wi-Fi to keep the lights on. Alexander’s parents’ crash, the anonymous tip that led him to Victor’s father. All of it, woven. The tree’s core pulsed: a knot of red and gold, the true Heartstone, not stone but flesh, beating in the trunk.

Dad said, "Use it to buy your brother reference books. He needs them. You're smart, and you don't need them." Three days before the SAT test, they even locked me in my room so I wouldn't take it. It was Daniel who stole the key in the middle of the night and let me out. Now that I got in, they wanted to take my college spot too. Daniel suddenly looked up and ran toward the cellar in the backyard. "I'm going to ask Caleb. If he doesn't agree, I won't go!" Mom grabbed him. Dad pressed hard on his shoulders. "You ungrateful child!"