The Bride and the Brute(27)

“Perhaps your father didn’t want you, either,” a voice mocked from the doorway.

Jayce turned unsteadily, recognizing the voice. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and faced Morse as bravely as her trembling limbs would allow.

Morse leaned against the door frame, eyeing her with an icy disdain. “Perhaps I was wrong as to how seductive you can be,” he snarled, taking a step toward her. “I thought that my brother’s heart was dead. I thought that he was made of stronger stuff. But when I saw the two of you locked in that sinful kiss, I knew he had succumbed to your wiles.” He circled her like a panther eyeing a frightened rabbit.

Jayce stepped forward to leave the room, but Morse moved to block her path and she pulled back.

“I think it’s time to end this farce, my lady,” he said bitterly.

Jayce watched him warily.

“Reese can’t love you,” he told her, “and he never will.”

“It doesn’t matter whether he loves me or not,” Jayce insisted, knowing it was a lie. She realized with a jolt she had begun to care for Reese. To look at him as a friend. As more than just her husband. “I am his wife,” she said out loud, with more conviction than she had ever felt.

Morse chuckled at her. “For the time being anyway.”

Her confidence slipped a notch and she watched him warily.

Morse walked around her to the desk. She didn’t turn to watch him, but heard the shuffling of papers. Dread slithered up her spine.

Suddenly, he shoved a piece of parchment at her from behind. Jayce jumped, stifling a scream. She pulled the blanket around her neck, trying to seal off the chill creeping through her body, even as she reached for the parchment. She scanned the quickly stenciled letter... and froze. Her heart refused to beat. Her breath refused to come.

“You see, Reese never intended to honor your marriage,” Morse hissed in her ear. “He doesn’t love you. He never will.”

The castle rocked with a crash of thunder as Jayce’s heart shattered.

The parchment she held was a letter to the king, requesting an annulment of their marriage.

She crumpled the parchment in her fist, lifting tear-filled eyes to Morse. Her entire body was shaking, but it had nothing to do with fear. She tossed the balled-up parchment at him and the paper bounced off Morse’s chest, then rolled across the floor to rest back at her feet.

Morse grinned a terrible grin.

Jayce fled from the room, afraid that her pounding heart would burst from her chest if she didn’t move, if she didn’t do something. Anything. She just knew she had to get away from Morse, from Reese, from the castle.

Morse’s horrible laughter followed her down the hallway.





Chapter Twenty





Reese raced through the castle, his search growing desperate. He pushed open the door to his study, his frantic hunt encompassing every room. He came to a halt as he entered the room, his eyes narrowing on his brother like pinpoints of light. Morse sat behind the large wooden table, his feet crossed on top of a pile of parchment. He had a strange grin on his face that sent a sinking feeling down into the pit of Reese’s stomach. Reese’s fists clenched; every muscle in his body tensed.

Morse tossed a balled-up piece of parchment up and down in the air, catching it deftly with one hand. “All our problems have been solved, brother,” he said casually, laughing.

Reese launched himself at Morse, grabbing his tunic and pulling him to his feet. The sheets of parchment on the table scattered in every direction. “Where is she?” he demanded.

“Reese---” Morse began, the laughter gone from his face. “I---”

Reese shook him hard. “If you’ve hurt her, I’ll kill you, you bastard.”

Morse’s eyes rounded in shocked disbelief. “You said you didn’t care about her!” he exclaimed. “You said she meant nothing to you!”

Reese shoved his snarling visage at his brother. “Where is she?”

Morse gaped at him for a long moment, unable to speak. Finally, he said, “She left.”

“Where, damn you?” Reese growled.

“I don’t know,” Morse answered quickly.

“What did you do to her?” Reese demanded. “Did you hurt her?”

“No, I---”

Reese shook him again. “What did you do?”

Morse’s hand rose, palm up, displaying the crumpled ball of parchment.

Reese’s eyes shifted to the paper. In the wadded-up mess that the parchment had become, Reese made out some of the words… imploring... kindly... annulment.

Complete and utter dread swept through him. God’s blood! He lifted enraged eyes to his brother. Morse had shown Jayce the letter! An unbelievable rage consumed him, blinding him with its lashing ferocity. With a furious howl, Reese tossed Morse aside and raced out of the room.