Burning Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 4 by Nicole Hamilton Read Free Book Online

lips. Occasionally I got lost there as we spoke.
    “What?” I said.
    “I said we’ll fix this, Ashley, I promise.”
    “You know, when you say it, I actually believe you. I don’t know how we’ll fix it, but we’ll try, right?”
    “You’re not going to give in to him, Ashley. Please. Brandon is despicable.”
    I nodded. “I know. But if it saved my brother from danger…”
    “You think it could get any worse than what’s happened already?” asked Cody.
    I knew what he meant, but who knew what Brandon was capable of. “I don’t know, Cody. But this is crazy. Think about it. And listen to the words as I say them. Brandon has actually kidnapped my brother. That’s what this is – a kidnap . If someone can do that kind of crazy shit, surely they’re capable of even worse.”
    “Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of. And that means you’re definitely not going back to him. Not now. Not ever again.”
    I enjoyed hearing the fire in his voice. He was angry, and his anger was inspired by my protection. It soothed me, and warmed me inside. I longed to sit close to him, my hip against his, but instead I contented myself with another indulgent gaze before I reminded myself he was in love with another woman who I just couldn’t compete with.
    “Then what am I supposed to do?” I said.
    “ We. What are we going to do?”
    “Yeah. What are we going to do?”
    “First off, we’re going to find out where Brandon is staying. And then we are going to get in there and get your brother out. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? The truth is I don’t know how the hell we’re going to manage it, but surely Brandon will see sense in the end. This could all be a bluff, you know, just a psychological punishment. And what about Amanda and Luke?”
    “They’re involved in this too, Cody. I don’t know how Amanda could do this to me. Not after I helped her.”
    “She’s weak, Ashley. She’s nothing like you.”
    “Yeah. Brandon broke her a long while back.”
    “What they’ve done is criminal. All of them. Do they realise they could go to jail?”
    “I can’t involve the police, Cody. They might hurt Regan before the police ever get there. Besides, the police don’t have a lot of time for Regan. They might just leave him to it. They don’t exactly like my brother.”
    Cody supped his pint. I felt his eyes tracking mine, and wondered what he was thinking. I soon found out.
    “Ashley. After all he’s done to you, did he honestly, really, think you could really go back to him? I mean, you said you considered it.”
    I hesitated, gathering the right words, arranging them in some kind of defensive order.
    “I considered it. But only as a last resort to save Regan…”
    “So you don’t have feelings for this guy at all ?”
    “Cody… This is about my brother.”
    “Tell me…”
    I felt a twinge of doubt somewhere inside me. Even after all he’d done, I still remembered the sweetest moment when it had been good. Ever since Brandon I had been a disaster. I needed to forget that one sweet moment. Brandon was a monster. Cody was beyond compare. I made myself sound as firm as I could.
    “I don’t have any feelings for Brandon. How could I?” I said, and I wondered as I still felt that twinge inside, and a whole sack of guilt to go with it.
    “Good. That’s what I needed to hear.”
    His eyes wanted to ask another question and I waited for it, but the question didn’t come.
    “What Cody?”
    Now it was Cody’s turn to hesitate, but his words came eventually.
    “And Ridgley. Did you love him?”
    “Cody. What has this got to do with my brother?”
    He tutted and rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ashley. I’m going off course here.”
    “You can say that again. But I’ll let you off,” I said with a hint of flirtation. “After all, you’re the only one who came to help.”
    He’d asked me some pretty probing questions, so I guessed the door was ajar for me to do likewise. I gambled and offered a tentative