Between Two Brothers

CHAPTER 19.

DARE'S POV

The rain hammered the windshield as my driver navigated the winding roads toward Finn’s secluded townhouse on the outskirts of London. My blood still boiled from the confrontation in my father’s study. Victor’s threats echoed like a death knell— send her away—and Julian’s smug face haunted every shadow. I needed clarity, strategy, and someone who understood the machine I was trapped in without being another cog in Victor’s wheel.

Finn Carlisle had been that someone since Spain. My right hand. My brother in arms through the darkest deals and sleepless nights. He opened the door before I could knock, his sharp eyes reading my expression instantly.

“Dare. You look like you just walked out of a war zone. Get in here.”

I shrugged off my damp coat and followed him into the warmly lit study. Books lined the walls, a fire crackled in the hearth, and a half-empty glass of whiskey waited on the side table—Finn always seemed prepared for my storms. I poured myself a generous measure and downed half of it in one go.

“Victor’s making his move,” I said, voice tight. “He’s pressuring the board for me to ‘settle down, publicly. And he just told Julian to prepare an official engagement announcement with Isla.”

Finn’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned against the mantel, arms crossed. “Julian? That snake. He’s been circling her like a vulture since you left. What’s Victor’s angle? Image control after the gala fiasco?”

“Image, legacy, and control.” I slammed the glass down. “He warned me to stay away from her. Said being close to Isla would tarnish the Blackthorne name. Called her a distraction. A liability tied to old secrets. Then he threatened to send her away. Far from my reach. Shut down her mother’s restaurant. Everything.”

Finn whistled low, pouring himself another drink. “That’s bold, even for Victor. He’s scared. That the. family secrets might crack. Isla’s presence is forcing it all into the light. Julian sees an opening to finally beat you.”

I paced the room, rain streaking the windows like tears I refused to shed. “I won’t let him have her. Not after Spain. Not after I spent years believing she’d betrayed me with him. She’s fighting back now—pushing against me, against Serena, against all of it. But Victor’s threat… it’s real. He can make her disappear.”

Finn nodded, thoughtful. “We delay. Buy time. An official engagement takes planning—press releases, events, board approvals. We create distractions. Leak controlled rumors that destabilize Julian’s position. Dig deeper into those Spain files you suspect he manipulated. And you… you need to show Isla you’re not just the jealous bastard who corners her in cars and alleys.”

I stopped pacing, a bitter laugh escaping. “She stopped me last time. Told me to know my place. She’s stronger than I deserve, Finn. Every time I touch her, I lose control. Jealousy eats me alive seeing Julian near her. But I can’t force her. Not if I want her to choose me.”

Finn set his glass down, eyes sharp. “Then give her a choice on your terms. Not Victor’s. Not Julian’s. What’s on the horizon that could shift the board?”

The opportunity hit me like lightning. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the calendar. “Spain. The follow-up meetings on the Voss restructuring. I was supposed to go with you next week to tie up the loose ends from the old deal, meet with the new stakeholders. Victor expects it to keep me focused. Distracted from London.”

Finn’s mouth curved into a slow smile. “Spain. The place that broke you. Poetic. Take her with you. Frame it as business—her role as your assistant makes it legitimate. Get her away from Julian’s reach, away from Victor’s immediate threats. Use the time to show her the truth. The real documents.”

Jealousy and revenge twisted together in my chest, dark and potent. The thought of Isla in Spain—the city where I’d lost pieces of myself—sent a surge of possessive need through me. She’d see the ghosts. The weight I carried. And Julian couldn’t touch her there. “She will come with me. Victor will definitely this, when he hears it. But who cares? I’ll have days to remind her why she fell for me before the lies.”

Finn raised an eyebrow. “Kind of risky too. Victor might accelerate the engagement announcement while you’re gone. But it buys time. We can plant doubts within them. I’ll handle the London end. You handle Isla.”

I poured another drink, the firelight dancing across the amber liquid. Tension knotted my shoulders as I imagined the conversation. “She’ll fight it. After the gala, after the car… she’s drawing lines. Telling me I don’t own her. But Spain could change that. Show her the man behind the revenge. The one who never stopped loving her.”

“Love?” Finn’s tone was careful. “Or obsession? You’ve been walking a fine line, Dare. The revenge plot—making her your assistant, the sabotage—it pushed her toward Julian at first. You need to be careful. One wrong move and she takes that escape plan he’s dangling.”

The words stung because they were true. I sank into the leather armchair, staring into the flames. “I know. Every time I see her with him, it destroys me. Spain was hell—Elena, the deals, the isolation. But believing Isla had moved on with Julian… that was the real knife. Now she’s here, stronger, challenging me at every turn, and I can’t let go. I won’t.”

Finn joined me, glass in hand. “Then be strategic. Tell her it’s non-negotiable for the Mercer follow-up. Professional necessity, but make it personal. Show her the cracks Victor doesn’t want exposed. It might be the key to unlocking her trust.”

We brainstormed deep into the night—contingencies for Victor’s interference, ways to monitor Julian’s moves, press strategies to delay any announcement. Finn’s loyalty was ironclad, forged in those long Spanish nights when he’d been my only anchor. He understood the family rot better than me.