A Safe Surrender: A Donnelley Brother's Novel (Donnelley Brothers Book 2) Read Free

even louder opinions. If she didn’t agree with something, you knew it, and if you didn’t know it, you were deaf, blind, or both.
    “Hey, girl,” she tipped her head back, taking a long swig of her water bottle. “How are you this lovely snowy day?”
    “I can’t wait for summer.” I huffed my grunted reply. “I’ve even been wearing dresses around the house trying to push the season.”
    She chuckled, shaking her head. “You do realize it’s only February. You’ve got at least another two months left of snow.”
    I groaned before adding hopefully. “March can be nice.”
    “Yeah,” she nodded. “If you live anywhere else in the world but lovely Alberta.”
    My eyes turned deadpan as I glared at her. “You’re determined to kill my hope.”
    “Just telling it how it is.” She said sweetly, but bluntly, and I rolled my eyes.
    “Do you ever tell it any other way?” I asked as I pulled my shirt over my head, clipping my chin roughly in the process. I hissed in a breath and flinched at the feel of the pressure against my tender flesh.
    Tossing the shirt into my bag, Ember gasped. “Oh shit,” she crossed the distance between us in a flash.
    Reaching up, she ran her hands over what I was assuming were now visible bruises. Glancing down at the workout shirt in my bag, I groaned at the sight of the cover-up staining the light pink material.
    “Ember,” I pushed her hand away. “Please don’t.”
    “Did this happen last night?” She demanded, pinning me with determined eyes. “Tell me the truth, Kami.”
    “Yeah,” I nodded, pulling my t-shirt over my head as I walked to the mirror with my bag of makeup. I seriously hated wearing this crap, but Rhett left me with little to no choice.
    “What happened?”
    “He came home late and drunk.” I shrugged. “It’s what always happens.”
    “He didn’t,” she frowned. “He didn’t do anything else, did he?”
    “Why do you ask?” My eyes connected to hers in the mirror. Goosebumps prickled my flesh and my heart raced at an uncomfortable pace.
    “You’re not usually this flippant about it. You’re acting like it doesn’t even matter.” She said quietly. “So, I’m asking, did he do anything else?”
    Sighing, I debated on lying to Ember, but then I decided against it. She deserved the truth. I was leaving him - soon. I just didn’t know when or how yet, but I’d figure it out eventually.
    “Yeah.” I nodded, feeling so deeply ashamed. “He did something else.”
    She pulled in a shaky breath, but held her eyes on me. “Tell me.”
    I frowned at her in the mirror. “I’d rather not.”
    “If you don’t tell me, I’ll confront him about it, Kami.” She threatened and I tensed. Because as much as I didn’t want to talk about this - I knew Ember. No one scared her. She would go to Rhett and she would confront him. And then I would be in trouble.
    “I don’t really know how to explain what happened.” I snapped, closing my eyes to keep the tears from falling. “I guess - I guess he forced himself on me.”
    “He raped you.” I barely even heard her words. Opening my eyes, I saw that her hand was covering her mouth and her eyes were wide and misted. “I’m so sorry.”
    Again, I shrugged. “I understand the power of lust better than most people, Ember.” My tone was bitter, but when you had a past like mine, it was hard not to be. “It shouldn’t be a surprise. Rhett’s been cracking for a while, crossing lines - changing. I should have anticipated it.”
    “Sweetie,” she shook her head, reaching out for me with her tender touch. It was too much. Too soft. I was too ashamed.
    I stepped away from her, feeling suddenly tense. “My mother was a stripper. She induced lust that was never satisfied and she was murdered for it, Ember. Don’t sweetie me , and don’t try and make it into something it’s not. I know what happened is wrong, but I’m just as at fault as Rhett.” I knew my next words were going to break her