Breaking Bro Code

Chapter 13

Nolan snapped. He lunged forward, his hand clamping onto Roman’s shoulder to yank him away from me. "Get your hands off her, Roman. Now."

Roman didn't flinch. He didn't even look surprised. With a fluid, athletic grace that reminded me exactly why he was the most feared man on the field, he pivoted, catching Nolan’s wrist in a grip that looked effortless but felt like iron. For a heartbeat, they were locked—two powerful men, one fueled by protective rage, the other by a cool, unwavering dominance.

"You're overstepping, Nolan," Roman murmured, his eyes never leaving my brother's. "She made her choice. The question is, are you man enough to respect it, or are you going to keep treating her like a piece of property you lost?"

"She's my sister!"

"And she's a woman who is tired of being shielded from the world," Roman countered, slowly releasing Nolan’s wrist. "If you want her to grow, you have to let her walk through the fire. Even if I'm the one holding the match."

I felt a surge of adrenaline, a wild, reckless electricity humming in my veins. For years, my life had been a series of approved choices, safe bets, and curated paths. My boyfriend had been the 'safe' choice, and he had gutted me. My brother was the 'safe' harbor, and he was suffocating me.

Looking at Roman—with his predatory smile and the scent of expensive cologne and something darker, something dangerous—I didn't see a mistake. I saw an exit.

"Go home, Nolan," I said, stepping closer to Roman, my shoulder brushing his chest. I could feel the vibration of his low, amused hum. "I’m not a child, and I’m not a victim. I want to be here. I *choose* to be here."

Nolan looked at me, and for the first time, the anger in his eyes was replaced by a flicker of fear—not for me, but of what I was becoming. He knew that once I stepped across this line, there was no going back to the girl who played by the rules.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Allie," Nolan warned, his voice ragged. He backed toward the door, his gaze darting between us. "He doesn't do 'forever.' He does 'for now.' When he's bored of this little rebellion, don't expect me to be the one to pick up the pieces."

The heavy thud of the front door closing echoed through the house, leaving a silence that felt heavy and charged, like the air before a lightning strike.

I didn't move. I couldn't. I was still pressed against Roman, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I looked up at him, expecting to see the 'Golden Boy' mask back in place.

Instead, the mask was gone. His eyes were dark, dilated, and burning with an intensity that made my breath catch. The possessiveness from before hadn't vanished; it had evolved.

"You chose the chaos," he whispered, his voice a rough graze against my skin.

"I did," I breathed.

Roman’s hand slid from my hair to the nape of my neck, his fingers tightening just enough to pull me upward, forcing me to meet his gaze. A slow, daring smirk spread across his lips—the look of a man who had just won a game he hadn't even realized he was playing.

"Good," he murmured, his lips inches from mine. "Because I don't play fair, Allie. And now that you've officially opted in, I'm not letting you go back to the safe zone."

He didn't wait for me to answer. He claimed my mouth in a kiss that tasted of victory and forbidden promises, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me back toward the master suite. The safety of my old life was gone, burned away in a single afternoon, and as I clung to him, I realized I had never felt more alive.