Chapter 16

Brennan squeezed Aaron until he was choking:

-My god! You're alive!! I still can't believe it!

-We have a lot to tell you Brennan. Come sit down so I can explain everything to you.

He pulled away from his brother and hugged Justin,

"I'm so glad nothing bad happened to you. Thanks for protecting Brennan."

Justin winked at him,

"Oh that wasn't easy! Your brother didn't make it easy for me!"

Black frowned:

-Aaron come back to me! I remind you that you are convalescing!

-Of course! Of course! Say instead that you don't like it when I hug someone other than you!

-Enough!!

This time, Black was furious but Brennan could notice that he took Aaron by the arm with extreme delicacy to sit him next to him on the couch. He was instantly reassured.

Aaron was not at risk in the company of this strange man.

On the other hand, he did not understand what his brother had meant when he thanked Justin for protecting him.

He sat down in turn followed by Justin while Uncle Jack looked with an interested air at a small clock made of fine gold on the mantelpiece.

-Holy crap! There are some really nice things here!

But no one was paying attention to him.

They were waiting for Aaron to start his story.

-I'm going to take a little tour of the kitchen, he continued nonetheless.

When Brennan looked towards the fireplace the clock was gone but unperturbed by Justin's uncle's thefts he stared at his brother impatiently,

"Don't keep me waiting any longer. Tell me what happened."

Aaron leaned comfortably against Black's shoulder and began to speak:

-A month ago, when I left the Blacknight Maritime I was attacked by two guys who stuck a knife in my stomach.

Brennan closed his eyes, turning pale. He imagined his brother's ordeal. He then felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

It was Justin. His gaze told him to be strong, he's fine now.

Aaron waited for Brennan to regain his composure and continued with humor to lighten the mood:

-As you can see, it's not a little stab wound that's going to send me to the other world! The bad guys thought I didn't have much longer so they talked about their plans in front of me. They said they were going to get a nice sum for my death and that the next one was you.

-Luckily Black wasn't far away and when he found me, he took me to his house to be treated by his doctor then he took me on his ship to Uncle Jack's little island so that I could recover.

He didn't need to tell him the whole truth. It would only worry him more.

Uncle Jack reappeared for a few moments, a chicken leg in his hand:

-Hey, wimp! Don't you tell your brother that the two bastards threw you into the water bleeding, thinking that you would be eaten by sharks? Luckily Black was there to fish you out when you were sinking!

Justin and Black rolled their eyes as Brennan started yelling,

"What?! I'm going to kill that Red Flam. I swear I'll have his head!"

Uncle Jack laughed as it was Justin's turn to feel faint. He was

n't going to tell him, was he?

-Calm down Brennan

Aaron ordered him. Everything is fine now and it wasn't Red Flam who tried to kill me.

Justin made you believe it was him to come into your life so you would be protected from the real culprit.

Faced with this flood of information, Brennan thought.

So all the times they had been attacked, it was him who was targeted and not Justin?

He was beginning to understand.

He remembered the time when they had narrowly escaped death on horseback.

Justin's men were already there and had helped them.

And when he had discovered him talking to these two pirates behind the stable, in fact they were making plans to defend him in the event of an attack.

Since Justin's uncle had all the makings of a pirate, he assumed that it was his men who

had protected them.

He realized above all that no one had trusted him enough to tell him the ruth.

He turned to Justin:

-Why did you pretend to be someone you're not? Why did you lie to me? I could have found the culprit and made him pay!

-But yes, of course! That way you would have thrown yourself directly into the lion's den! You're much too stubborn to listen to other people's advice!

-That's the problem, big brother. You would have been killed. I'm sorry to have made you suffer but the one who thought he had killed me should have absolutely no suspicion about my death.

-The one who wants our life is not a pirate but an aristocrat and as long as we don't

know why, it's better that I continue to pass for dead.

Brennan's gaze suddenly lingered on Black.

"And you? What interest do you have in helping us?"

It was Uncle Jack who answered in his place:

- Of course! He's as stupid as his brother! It's so as not to lose a good employee, for goodness sake! It's so rare these days!

Shocked Brennan didn't know what to say as Aaron burst out laughing:

-Don't listen to that old man's ramblings.

He then threw a burning look of love at Black and placed his hand on his:

-We are friends and much more than that. We are mar...

-Enough! Black interrupted him icy as he got up. I don't want to hear another word of this

story! You know what it is for me.

Hurt by his rejection Aaron fell silent.

Shameful for having lost his temper in front of everyone, he apologized and left the room.

Why didn't Aaron understand that they couldn't be together?

He went to Hargrove's library and wrote a long letter.

He then gave it to Adams:

-Is it possible to take this letter to my solicitor in London urgently?

-I'll take care of it, sir. I'll send a servant right away.

At meal time, they all sat down in the large dining room.

They all helped themselves copiously but Brennan couldn't help but stare at Justin who was speaking in a low voice to this Black.

He had saved his brother's life but that didn't allow him to make eyes at his Justin!

He hadn't yet found a moment to apologize to him. He had made him his without consideration for him for several days and Justin had never said anything to protect him.

Even if he didn't know anything about what was happening at that time, in hindsight, he was ashamed.

He had taken him out of pure selfishness, his desire being the strongest.

His fingers tapped on the table. He was no longer listening to what was being said. All he saw was Justin's smile when the man spoke to him.

His hand resting on his.

-Holy crap! There are no cutlery at this table! Bring us some knives and forks!

Adams took care of it, surprised. He had nevertheless supervised the setting of the table and he was certain that nothing was missing.

There was indeed no cutlery in front of the plate of the old man and his two companions.

So he took it upon himself to give them some.

Once the meal was over, they settled back in the living room to have a digestive.

When Adams ordered the servants to clear the table, they told him that the cutlery for the entire table was missing.

Suspicious, he saw the two pirates heading towards the entrance with a well-filled bag in their hands.

They had stolen all the silverware! He should inform the Duke.

In the living room, Justin preferred to stay standing.

When Adams wanted to pour a finger of cognac into his glass, Black stopped him:

-No. He doesn't drink. And neither does Aaron.

This time Brennan lost his temper. He couldn't stand this rapprochement between Justin and this guy. And how did he know he didn't drink?

He grabbed the bottle and served Justin:

- By what right, sir, do you allow yourself to forbid this young man from drinking a little cognac?

Black's stern gaze lingered on him for a few moments as Uncle Jack took in the situation. He slapped his knees, laughing, and pulled one of Brennan's service knives out of his pocket to pick his teeth:

-Holy crap! He doesn't know! As stupid as his brother, like I told you!

They all turned to him with the same question in their eyes:

"Aware of what, old man?" Aaron asked.

Uncle Jack looked at Brennan insistently, not wanting to miss his little effect, and pointed at Justin and Black:

-Let me introduce you to Black Thornwood, who became the Marquis of Thornwood after the death of his parents, and Justin Thornwood, his brother!