HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION (An Erotic Billionaire Romance) novel Chapter 31

Alaric’s POV:

I didn’t want to get violent. Not in front of Meadow.

But my younger brother had a way of pushing me to do things I didn’t want to do. Like breaking his already crooked nose for the third time in two years.

I didn’t feel it. I never did–but the way Nolan’s head had snapped to the side before his body had hit the ground, too fucking drunk to even get back up, the way he cursed loudly, curling into himself and cupping his bloody nose, told me everything I needed to know.

“Shut up, Nolan,” I muttered. He groaned in response.

Out of all the things I already had going on in my life, my brother was the last person I wanted to see. We weren’t close, but every now and then, he’d pop in just to bother me or try to insert himself back into my life by using our mother as an excuse.

Though I knew that the only thing driving him was his guilt.

“Alaric…” I heard Meadow gasp softly.

My shoulders tensed as I turned to face her, looking her straight in the eyes and expecting to see at least a sliver of fear in her eyes.

And I did, alright. I saw the fear, but with the way her brows drew together in concern as her eyes dropped down to my hand, I was certain that it wasn’t directed at me.

I walked back to her, my gaze immediately shifting to her foot which had a cut underneath.

That was part of the reasons I hit Nolan. Because if he hadn’t come here and broken my bottle of scotch, Meadow wouldn’t have slipped on it and hurt herself.

I reached for the first aid box beside her, pulling out a band aid. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. The cut wasn’t deep at all.

“You’re bleeding,” Meadow finally whispered as I placed the band aid over the cut. I stood upright, curling my hand into a fist and inspecting my knuckles.

“It’s not mine,” I replied simply after running my thumb over the blood on my knuckle.

Meadow nodded, swallowing, but I could sense that she had other follow–up questions to ask.

The truth was that, even if it was my blood, I wouldn’t have known. And that was the worst part of all this. I could bleed out to the point where I was nearly dying, but I wouldn’t know.

It was why I needed someone like her.

Why I needed her.

“Your brother, is he…”

As if on cue, Nolan let out a low groan, murmuring something that sounded a lot like gibberish.

My jaw clenched, and I looked at Meadow. “He’ll be fine.”

She peered at me over the rim of her glasses and something about the serious expression on her face made my mouth twitch.

She opened her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. “You’re sleeping in my room tonight,” I said plainly.

Meadow’s eyes widened slightly, and I didn’t think I’d ever get over how easily flustered she got. Her cheeks were already burning red.

“Why?” She asked, a slight tremor in her voice as she tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to distract herself. “What’s wrong with me sleeping in my room?”

I considered the perfect response to give her as I rubbed the scruff on my jaw with my palm. Nolan was a sleepwalker, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

Not that it was the main reason I wanted her to be with me. She could’ve just easily locked the door to her room from the inside.

I just… wanted her to be with me. Didn’t matter if she was touching me or not.

“Because I said so,” I finally replied.

Her teeth came down on her bottom lip, brows furrowed like she was considering my offer. And she had no idea… no idea how enthralled I was by her beauty and grace.

And apparently, her clumsiness.

She didn’t have to agree to it, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

She let out a soft nervous laugh. “Alaric, I–your brother-”

I lowered my voice, my mouth twitching at the way she pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I’ll drop you upstairs and come back down to deal with him and this mess.”

Her eyes dropped to my mouth and I could hear her inhale deeply, preparing another protest. But again, I beat her to it.

“You were already snooping around in my room earlier, Meadow. I’m surprised you haven’t jumped at the opportunity to continue from where you stopped.”

Her face reddened in embarrassment.

Meadow could snoop all she wanted, but the fact remained that there was nothing in my room that she would see that I wasn’t letting her see.

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