“I would’ve thought my intentions were clear enough,” Dillon said coolly. “I wanted her, I took her. Simple and eloquent don’t you think? Besides, she was a means to an end and she worked quite perfectly. For that, I’m very grateful.”
“You’re such a liar. You care for her.”
“You presume too much,” Dillon retorted, shifting in his chair. “But for the sake of argument what makes you think that I care for the girl?”
“Because Penny is the kind of girl who gets under your skin and doesn’t let go until you can’t possibly imagine life without her,” Vince said, startling Dillon with his revelation. Dillon regarded his brother with renewed interest. He leaned forward and Vince stared him down. “So, what are your intentions with Penny?”
“I think the bigger question is what are your intentions? Are you suddenly growing a heart, little brother?” Nolan made a sound of irritation and Vince looked ready to jump from his chair and plant his fist in Dillon’s mug. “It’s a fair question wouldn’t you say? I’ve never known you to be afflicted with any sort of deep affection for anyone but yourself so I’m curious as to what’s truly happening here. If I recall, you’re all about the chase. As far as I can tell, the chase for Penny is over. She’s your willing pet. It amuses me that you care that I’ve fucked her when that hadn’t seemed to matter in the past,” Dillon said, his tone taking on a bitter edge.
“You fucking bastard, just come out and say it! This is about Isabel, not Penny. Why don’t you grow a fucking pair and just admit it!” Vince shouted, jumping to his feet. Dillon followed, lightening fast. Within seconds, they were toe-to-toe, the rage in each other’s eyes burning like twin coals beneath a wicked flame.
“Guys!” Nolan tried to intercede but Dillon and Vince both wanted this. Dillon had dreamed of putting his brothers in their place since the day he’d discovered what they’d done to Isabel after he left. The twins hadn’t given him a chance to redeem himself before they’d swooped in and put their grubby hands all over his girl.
“You want to hit me?” Vince taunted, giving Dillon a hard push. “Don’t be a pussy. Go ahead. Do it. Because I’ve got something reserved for you that I’ve been holding onto for the past eight years!”
“Is that so?” Dillon mocked, advancing toward Vince, his rage percolating at a dangerous level. “Do your worst, baby brother.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Vince muttered right before swinging a hard right hook straight at Dillon’s face. Dillon managed to avoid the hit to his face but took a blow to his shoulder, stumbling a bit but he rebounded quickly, adrenalin giving him an extra boost of power as he lunged at his brother, taking them both to the floor with a roar.
“You rotten son-of-a-bitch,” Dillon shouted, landing a punch across Vince’s cheek as they grappled like Greek Olympians in designer clothing. They’d all lettered in football and wrestling and all that age-old training kicked in as they grunted and shouted, landing punches as they rolled across the fine carpeting, leaving smudges of each other’s blood in their wake. Nolan shouted for them to break it up but Dillon and Vince were determined to beat the holy hell out of each other or die trying.
“Selfish, self-absorbed asshole!” Vince countered with a grunt just as Dillon locked his legs around his torso and wrenched his head back. Vince struggled but Dillon tightened his hold as Vince clutched desperately at the choke hold Dillon had on his windpipe.
“Let him go, Dillon,” Nolan yelled. “You’re going to kill him!”
Dillon, breathing hard, let go of his brother and pushed him hard away from him. Vince gasped and rose to his knees, rubbing at his neck with a surly expression as he recovered. Dillon rose slowly to his feet and Vince followed. A long moment of heavy silence passed between the three until Vince, his gaze bitter, said, “You weren’t the only one who had loved Isabel,” he said. Dillon shot him a sharp, warning look but Vince barreled forward anyway. “We made a mistake, Nolan and I. If I’d known how to deal with the feelings I was having, I never would’ve agreed to the arrangement…we were young and stupid but no one was dumber than you for letting her go in the first place.”
Nolan looked away, ashamed. Dillon had never seen his charming twin express something akin to genuine emotion. “We were so arrogant. We didn’t realize the damage we were doing. I thought it was all part of the game and I wanted to win. I don’t want to make the same mistake with Penny.”
Vince shared a look with his twin. “I don’t either. Isabel haunts us all. Isn’t it time we let her rest in peace?”
“Don’t talk to me about Isabel if you know what’s good for you,” Dillon warned, tears springing to his eyes. “She was my girl. You had no right. What you did was inexcusable.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Nolan said hotly, stepping forward. “But you’re not off the hook either. You were stupid and brash and arrogant, too. If you’d realized what an asset you had in Isabel, you never would’ve tossed her away during what accounts for a royal temper tantrum.”
“A temper tantrum? Is that what you call what happened between me and our father?”
“You spoiled bastard,” Vince bit out. “You think you cornered the market on being bullied by that man? He fucked with us all! We were just smarter than you and learned how to play the game! Why couldn't you have just swallowed your pride? None of this had to have happened. Did you ever stop to consider if you hadn't been so damn selfish, maybe Isabel would still be alive?"
"Don't play the what-if game with me" Dillon snarled. "Don't you think I've spent the last eight years wondering how things might've been different if I hadn't cut ties? But unlike you I couldn't live under the old man's thumb. Unlike some people I'm not content to suck off of someone else's tit in exchange for luxury. I made my own fortune and I did it on my own terms. Can you say the same?
"Bravo, brother,” Nolan mocked, adding to ask, “But at what cost?" Dillon’s stony silence was answer enough. Nolan shook his head and said, "You have no idea the true cost. Honestly, I thought I was doing you a favor in keeping something from you but I know now you’ll never truly understand the burden we carried for you unless we tell you now."