Crazy for Her(89)

His gaze finally settled back on her. “Did he look like me?”

Victorious, she grinned. “Exactly like you, with only one exception. He had hair.”

He swept a hand over his head. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Between deployments, he kept it short, but when it neared time to ship out, he let it grow.” Within ten minutes, he had moved to the edge of the chair and seemed to be hanging on to her every word as she told him stories of his brother. All she could think was, poor Eli, and how sad Evan never knew about him. Sad for Eli, too, because Evan would have moved heaven and earth to save his twin if he’d only known.

“He was your brother, Eli, your twin, and in his dreams he knew you, loved you. He loved me, too, and it would hurt him to know someone meant me harm and that you were a part of it. Please believe that, because I would never lie to you. He would only ask one thing of you,” she said when she noticed the sun setting, a reminder it was almost time to enter the viper’s nest.

“What would he ask?” They were the first words Eli had uttered since she’d started talking.

“That you protect me. He would want you to keep me safe. You’re not my husband, Eli, nor will you be. But you are Evan’s twin and his family. I do love you, but it’s the love one would have for a brother.”

“But he’s me, so how can you say you can’t love me like you loved him?”

It was like talking to a child and trying to answer his endless whys. Even the expression on his face was that of a boy trying to understand the world around him. Instinctively, she tempered her words to ones a child would understand.

“Whoever told you that lied.” Damn you, BS. “You’re you. You can’t be Evan, because you’re Eli. Somewhere in this vast world is a woman meant only for you. It isn’t me. Love me like a sister and you’ll always be a part of my life. Try to force me into something I don’t want and I’ll hate you for it.”

“I don’t want you to hate me,” he said, his voice plaintive.

This whole situation was bizarre, surreal. Kneeling in front of him, Dani curled her fingers over his hands. “I could never hate Evan’s brother, my brother. Please, you have to stop this insanity.”

The door banged open. “Ain’t this a cozy scene?”

Dani glanced over Eli’s shoulder to see Mean Eyes staring at them, his lips curved in a leer. Letting go of Eli, she backed up until she hit the wall. Had her words gotten through? Would he stand between her and danger?

“Don’t look to me like she’s ready for him,” Mean Eyes said. “What’s going on here, boy?”

“She’s turning out to be a stubborn one,” Eli said, his back to the guard. He winked at her before he turned. “I’m having doubts she’s gonna be an obedient wife.”

“You still think he brought her here for you?” The man laughed, the ugly sound of it filling the small room. “You’re stupider than I thought, Eli.”

Dani’s still-unsettled stomach roiled at the implication of Mean Eyes’s words. Pressing her back against the wall, she slid down it and pressed her face against her knees. BS meant to marry her? Bile rose in her throat at the thought of those lily-white hands touching her again.

“Get out,” Eli said.

She lifted her head, hope blossoming that Eli understood what Mean Eyes implied and not liking it. He towered over the other man by at least a head. If it came to a fight, Dani had no choice but to put her money on her new brother. At least, she prayed he was starting to look on her as a sister he had to protect.

Mean Eyes slid cold eyes her way. “It’s almost time. Get the woman ready.”

“Get the hell out,” Eli said, taking a step toward Mean Eyes.

“Blessed Son’s not gonna like your language.”

Eli narrowed the distance. “And I’m sure you’ll tell him, so I’ll say it again slowly just so you don’t get it wrong. Get. The. Hell. Out.”

Dani bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from cheering. Mean Eyes slammed the door behind him. She looked at Eli and hoped he saw her gratitude. “Thank you.”

He stared back at her for a long moment, and then one corner of his lips twitched. “I’m beginning to think you’re too much trouble to marry.”

She could live with that, for sure. “There was more than once when Evan would have agreed with you.” Raising her hand, she tugged on her hair. “It’s the Irish in me. He said my red hair should have been a warning.”

“When I listen to you talk about my brother, it hurts that I’ll never know him. Are you going to put on that dress, Irish?”