Isle of Sin: A Standalone Dark Romance

My wrist buzzed with Bryant’s name, making me frown. It was the third time he’d tried to call me in the last five minutes.

“He obviously needs something important,” Darby said, following my gaze. “Just give me a hug. We’re getting on the jet now anyway.”

I gave her a tight smile. “Family is always first.” It was an unspoken rule among us, a vow that we would always be there for each other. No matter what.

Another vibration came through, this one a text.

Darby gave me a knowing look. “Come here, Gramps.” She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, distracting me from reading the message. Not that I’d really tried. But it was a bit troublesome that Bryant seemed so hell-bent on contacting me. He knew I was seeing my sister off today.

Yon met my gaze over Darby’s shoulder, his dark eyes holding a question.

I shook my head. It’s fine, I told him.

However, something in my gut didn’t feel fine.

Probably because my world was about to be turned upside down by Sin Cave assholes. They were scheduled to arrive in a few days.

And my brother Kane was coming tomorrow.

Because Clive had let him know about the situation. Something I was pissed at him for.

“You work for me,” I’d reminded him. “Not my brother.”

“Which is precisely why I called him,” Clive had returned. “I protect you, even when you refuse to protect yourself.”

Bryant had stayed out of the conversation, but his silence had told me he’d agreed.

I was in over my head.

It would behoove me to have backup, just in case.

The only reason I’d agreed was for Adalyn. If something happened to me, I needed someone well connected enough to help her disappear. And that someone was Kane Sinner.

Like all my siblings, he’d inherited a club. But his true passion revolved around private security, of which he owned his own firm.

And that firm had a lot of government and military connections.

Sin Cave might be powerful.

But so was Kane.

So am I, I thought, releasing my sister.

Yon’s expression suggested he’d seen something in my face, some sort of hint of trouble. I didn’t give him a chance to comment on it, or rather, my phone didn’t give him a chance.

I sighed as I saw Bryant’s name again.

“We’re good,” Darby told me, giving me a soft smile. “Thank you for the honeymoon.”

“You’re welcome back anytime,” I told her, my voice matching her quiet tone. “I’ll miss you, Kid.”

“I’ll miss you, too, Gramps,” she replied. “Come visit me soon.”

“I will,” I promised.

“Tru, too,” she added.

I rolled my eyes. “We’ll see.”

“I’m going to tell him you said that,” she warned.

“Please do.” My phone again started buzzing. “Jesus. I really need to take this, Darby.” It wasn’t like Bryant to keep calling. “You all be safe, okay?” I said, looking at Yon first because the words were mostly for him. Take care of my sister, I was telling him.

“Always,” he promised, his smile growing with fondness as he glanced at my sister, his palm curling around her neck as his thumb stroked her collar. “Let’s go, baby.”

I knew what that meant.

I knew what it all meant.

But I ignored it because I really didn’t want to picture the things Yon did to my sister as a result of that collar around her neck.

Her eyes glittered like stars as she looked back at him, the two of them so utterly in love it almost hurt.

Yon pulled her into a kiss before bending to retrieve their son from his stroller.

Darby gave me a little wave, her gaze a bit misty.

I smiled at her. “See you soon,” I promised.

“Thank you,” she repeated in a whisper.

I winked at her.

Then pulled out my phone as it started going off again. “Give me a minute,” I said to Bryant, waving to my sister as she started up the stairs to the jet. I’d followed them onto the tarmac, wanting to say goodbye near the doors, mostly to ensure they were actually leaving.

I needed to know my sister and her family were safe.

And I needed her gone before Kane arrived, or that would raise a shit ton of questions I couldn’t answer.

Which had also been my reason for leaving Adalyn at home. She’d handled my sister beautifully all week. But I knew Darby. It would be just like her to lay into Adalyn at the airport, just because she’d feel her time for answers was running out.

My suspicions had been proven correct when Darby had expressed her disappointment at my not bringing Adalyn with me.

Yon had distracted her by suggesting that I might bring Adalyn home for the holidays or something else in the future.

I’d nodded along.

Because yes, I would absolutely do that.

If Adalyn wanted to go.

Darby gave me one last wave.

Then disappeared inside.

And the aircraft crew began the process of closing everything up.

I gave the jet one more look and turned away, heading toward the building doors. “Okay. What is so urgent that you’ve called me seven times?”

“Nine,” he corrected. “And it’s Adalyn.”

I paused midstep. “Adalyn?”

“Mitch Brevington fucking attacked her on the beach.”

“What?!” I picked up my pace again, starting to walk faster toward the doors. I hoped like hell my sister couldn’t see me right now. If she thought for even a second that something might be wrong, she’d demand to be let off that jet. “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know. Someone heard her screaming about dreams on the beach and notified security.”

My heart panged painfully in my ribs. Oh, Adalyn… “That’s her safeword.”

“Shit.”

“Where is she?”

“About half a mile from your place on the beach. Dr. Zansky just got here. She’s…” He trails off. “She just keeps saying dreams, Asher.”

“Did he hurt her?”

“I don’t know yet. She’s wet and covered in sand, but I didn’t see any blood.”

That didn’t mean much. Injuries could be internal.

Or worse.

Mental.

“Clive took Mitch to holding,” Bryant continued. “I called you as soon as we had the scene secured. My men have blocked access to the beach.”

“Good.” I reached the door and glanced back at the jet, checking to ensure Darby hadn’t tried to come after me.

But everything appeared calm and normal. I raised my hand, hoping like hell it looked like an average wave, and disappeared inside.

“Give me three minutes,” I told Bryant. Then I hung up, pocketed the phone, and sprinted through the airport.

Which was, fortunately, not that big.

And directly to my car waiting outside.

Oscar stood out there waiting for our next arrival, his eyebrows lifting. “Everything okay, boss?” he asked.

“Yep,” I lied, then dove into the driver’s seat, started the car, and did my best not to hit anyone on my way out.

More than three minutes had passed since hanging up on Bryant.

However, I couldn’t seem to call him back. Not yet.

I needed to get my head back on straight.

Because fuck, this was a mess.

Mitch Brevington? Why the fuck would he attack Adalyn?

She used her safeword.

Did that mean she thought it was a scene? One I was orchestrating?

My stomach churned at the notion.

I’d told her I didn’t share. I’d promised her that no one else would touch her. Why the fuck would she think I’d craft a scene with Mitch Brevington?

I knew the answer deep down.

She still didn’t trust me.

But the fact that she’d tried to use her safeword showed on some level that she wanted to trust me. Because she’d believed that would save her.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck!

I slammed my hand against the steering wheel, my mind going a million miles a minute. Then my phone started to ring again.

Bryant.

I hit the Answer button. “I’m in the car. Only a few minutes away from my place.” Because I was driving eighty miles per hour on my island, which was really fucking dangerous. But I needed to reach Adalyn. I needed to make sure she was okay.

“Doc just gave her a sedative,” he said softly. “She tried to hit him while screaming her safeword.”

My throat went dry. “What the fuck did Brevington do to her?”

“I don’t know, but I can find out.”

I considered the offer. But I shook my head. “No. I want to talk to him. After I see Adalyn. Where exactly are you on the beach?”

He told me the villa number he was closest to.

“I should have guessed that,” I muttered. “That’s where Brevington’s staying with his mistress.”

The bastard enjoyed escaping to my isle to play with her because of the exclusivity on the island. The media couldn’t find him here.

And neither could his wife.

But I suspected she knew all about his little pet.

“Is he part of Sin Cave?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Bryant replied. “But I can ask Julian.”

“Do that. And have Clive look at Nate’s files, see if he can find anything on Brevington.”

“On it,” Bryant replied.

I couldn’t bring myself to thank him, not with my control hanging on by a thread. That made me a bad friend. But he’d understand. He’d forgive me, too. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

I hung up again and cursed, my insides burning with the desire to murder.

That fucker had put his hands on Adalyn.

My Adalyn.

I might be claiming her for show, to protect her from a worse fate, but some part of me had begun to truly consider her mine.

Time didn’t matter.

Our circumstances did.

Fate did.

The way Adalyn looked at me. The way she trusted me, at least partially. The way she came for me. The way she relaxed beside me. The way she asked for pleasure. The way she turned to me for guidance.

The way she felt against me.

The way she kissed me.

The way she existed with me.

That all mattered so much more than a simple clock.

This female was under my skin. She meant something to me.

It was almost as though she’d been made for me. Crafted into the perfect sub with a sprinkle of defiance on top. A remarkable spirit. Intelligent. Beautiful.

I swallowed. Everything about her screamed mine. I wanted her. I wanted to keep her.

And that bastard had touched her.

Made her scream her safeword.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” I vowed. I’d promised her that no one would touch her again.

A now broken promise.

Because Mitch Brevington had turned me into a liar.

That was unacceptable.

He’d tarnished my reputation with Adalyn.

Fuck everything else. Fuck him. Fuck this damn situation.

Adalyn mattered most.

And he’d had the audacity to tarnish her opinion of me. Ruin our tender foundation. Shatter what little trust I’d managed to instill in her.

My jaw clenched as I pulled my car over to the side of the road.

The door slammed in my wake, my body moving faster than I could anticipate as I sprinted down the beach, not caring at all that my shoes weren’t meant for sand.

Bryant’s men parted instantly, not bothering to speak as I plowed through their perimeter.

Dr. Zansky knelt near the water.

Bryant stood beside him, his expression grim as he saw me running toward them.

“Tell me she’s okay,” I demanded as I reached them. “Fucking tell me she’s okay.”

“She’s fine,” Dr. Zansky said, his voice calm. “At least physically.”

He was doing something to her side, making me kneel on the other side of her. “What are you doing?”

“Brevington either hit her or kicked her.” Dr. Zansky gestured to her reddening skin, only then making me realize she was naked.

A heap of white fabric rested a few feet away from her. “Did he…? Did he penetrate…?” I couldn’t finish the questions, my fury mounting and cutting off my ability to speak.

“No, it doesn’t appear that he was able to get that far. She fought back.” Dr. Zansky showed me her hands and the blood beneath her nails. “Other than a few bruises, I think she’ll be okay. Physically.”

That was the second time he’d used that word. “What about mentally?”

His lips twisted to the side, his gaze finally meeting mine. “She was quite upset when I arrived, Asher. I’m concerned.”

I nodded, expecting as much. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” But I needed to ensure Adalyn was safe first. Not lying here exposed and unconscious on the beach. “Is it safe to move her?”

Dr. Zansky did a few more checks before nodding. “Carefully, but yes. She’ll have some bruises and may cough up a little sand, but she seems to be all right otherwise. I’d like to keep an eye on her for a few hours, though.”

“Yes, I would like that, too,” I admitted. “Can I carry her back to my house?”

He dipped his chin. “Just don’t jostle her too much. I don’t know if she hit her head again or not.”

I glanced at Bryant. “Will you help me lift her?”

“Yeah.” He knelt on Dr. Zansky’s other side.

“I just need you to keep her head and neck stable while I situate her. Then you can guide her head to my shoulder.” I slid my arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders. “Ready?”

He made a noise of confirmation, and together we slowly stood. She didn’t weigh much. I just wanted to ensure she remained steady, per Dr. Zansky’s orders.

He observed our movements, his expression telling me we’d succeeded. When her head was nestled against my shoulder, I started walking.

Bryant followed. Dr. Zansky said he’d meet us there, heading toward his parked car.

I considered going to mine, but I didn’t want to bother with the bucket seat. I also felt the need to hold her. To carry her. To literally shoulder the burden of her situation.

This was my fault.

I’d promised her safety on my island. And I’d failed her.

Never again, I vowed. Your safeword will always be respected.

Fuck, it still killed me that she’d used it. Only to be hurt anyway.

It hadn’t gone too far, from what Dr. Zansky had said. But even a slight touch over her limits was unacceptable.

“Yeah?” Bryant said from beside me, his phone at his ear. “Yeah,” he repeated, this time not as a question but in confirmation of something. “I see.”

He had one hand in his pocket, the epitome of relaxed elegance. Yet I caught the tension in his jaw.

“He’ll want to have a conversation about this,” he continued, his hazel eyes flicking my way. “No, his hands are full at the moment.”

Another pause.

Then he pulled his phone away and angled it at me.

I frowned until I realized he’d turned his camera on. “Hands are literally full,” he repeated.

“Shit.” Julian’s voice came through the speaker, making me narrow my gaze at the screen.

Bryant took him off speaker and put the phone back to his ear. “As I said, he’ll want to have a conversation about this.”

I didn’t say anything.

I’d wait until he hung up.

“I’ll let him know,” Bryant replied. Several more beats passed, causing him to sigh. “Yes, I imagine he will.”

Then he hung up the phone.

“Mr. Brevington is a high-ranking Elite member.” He uttered the words without looking at me. “You can’t kill him.”

I grunted. In my current mood? “No promises.”

“Asher, he owns the biggest financial corporation in the world. He’s not a spare heir.”

“I know who he is,” I replied through my teeth. That didn’t make me want to kill him any less.

Fortunately, I was carrying Adalyn right now. Otherwise, I’d likely be in the holding area, beating the ever-loving shit out of Mitch Brevington.

Which I knew would have severe consequences.

I’d have to calm down before I spoke to him.

“Do we know if he has a history with Adalyn?” I asked, needing more information.

“Clive is still going through the records he pulled from Nathan’s phone. There are a lot of videos.”

There were. Adalyn had said they were for documentation purposes. However, Clive had mentioned that none of them were in the cloud. Which he’d thought was strange because all the files were solely saved to Nathan’s personal device.

“If they were meant for Taylor, wouldn’t they be in a shared folder?” he’d asked the other day.

“Maybe they were meant to be a wedding gift?” Bryant had replied.

That hadn’t seemed right to me. If Taylor wanted Adalyn trained for him, wouldn’t he want proof of that training prior to their wedding?

Something wasn’t adding up there.

None of this felt right.

Bryant moved ahead to grab the door for me, saying nothing as I stepped through with Adalyn still pressed to my chest.

I took her straight upstairs, but rather than head to the guest room, I carried her to mine.

Bryant didn’t comment, just helped hold her head as we laid her down.

“I’ll let the doc know where you are when he arrives,” he told me, giving me a much-needed moment alone with Adalyn.

She was covered in sand.

Her hair tangled.

Her throat darkening with a bruise.

So fragile and wounded.

It hurt my heart.

But I forced myself to look at her, to face the failure in my protection. “Never again,” I promised her. “I’ll never let anyone touch you again.”

Because this woman was mine. Even if she no longer wanted me after this, I’d still ensure her safety. Claim her from afar. Do everything in my power to make certain that no one ever hurt her again.

I leaned down to brush my lips against her cheek.

Then I wandered into my bathroom to grab some towels.

It would take a while to clean her up in this state, but I’d vowed to take care of her.

“I’m sorry, Adalyn,” I whispered, running the cloth along her neck. “So fucking sorry.”