Read Online Lost (Shifter Island Book 1) by Carol Davis - Free Book Online

were, that he had family here. It was inevitable that someone would find them together sooner or later.
    The water stopped feeling warm and soothing, in spite of the bright summer sunshine. Now it felt cold, something she longed to escape from.
    The two men stood facing each other, fists clenched. The stranger was obviously angry—not to the point that he would attack Aaron, Abby hoped, but he practically had steam coming out of his ears.
    “Who is this?” the stranger demanded, and jabbed a finger at Abby.
    She sank a little lower into the water.
    “I owe you no explanations,” Aaron said. “You aren’t in the circle of elders. If I owe answers to anyone at all—and I don’t believe I do—it’s to them. Don’t pretend you can bully me into anything. You’re no higher in the process than I am,  not while Father is alive. You have no say.”
    “She’s not one of the pack.”
    “Go back to the settlement, Luca. Leave us alone.”
    “So you can ignore the rules of the Separation? And—and–” The stranger, Luca, sputtered, so enraged he was nearly incoherent. Then he took a couple of breaths that made his chest heave and calmed down enough to go on talking. When he did, he spoke quietly, in a deep, earthy rumble. “How can you do this? Aaron, where is your common sense?”
    “The same place Jonathan’s was.”
    That made Luca’s eyes shoot open wide. “You’re going to use Jonathan as a touchstone?”
    “Why shouldn’t I?”
    “Because–” Again, Luca stopped talking. He stalked in a circle, pulling at his hair with both hands, head down, muttering to himself. He went on stomping across the dirt as he grumbled, “If Father were here right now–”
    “He’s not,” Aaron said.
    Luca’s head snapped up. This time he strode right up to Aaron. Abby expected Aaron to defend himself, or to back away, but he didn’t. He seemed very willing to stand there, not giving up an inch of ground, but not confronting his accuser, either.
    Abby realized something suddenly. They’re brothers.
    This was the brother Aaron had mentioned.
    Their resemblance was strong: the same dark hair, the same eyes. Luca was a little taller than Aaron, but they had the same general build, slim and muscular. They spoke to each other in low tones, their voices dropping low enough that Abby couldn’t make out words at all. For the moment, they were entirely focused on each other.
    She took advantage of that to scramble out of the water and grab the blanket Aaron had brought along. She wrapped it swiftly around herself like a sari, then moved away from the two men, wondering if she ought to go back to the cabin.
    “You know I can’t,” Luca said.
    “Is your obligation to them, or to our family?” Aaron asked, and added pointedly, “Brother?”
    Luca glowered at him.
    “Well?” Aaron pressed.
    “I’ll get you a boat. You need to take her… anywhere. Away from here. Before this becomes so complicated you can’t undo it.” When Aaron didn’t respond, Luca said, “You need to undo this, Aaron. Never mind that you’ve completely ignored the rules and purpose of the Separation–”
    “If the purpose is for me to discover the true path of my life–”
    Luca’s attention jerked toward Abby, then back to Aaron. “You can’t be serious. Don’t be a fool.”
    “Hey,” Abby said.
    Both men turned to look at her.
    “Excuse me,” she said with a frown. “I’m standing right here, you know. And I sort of object to the idea that having anything to do with me makes somebody a fool.”
    “No one invited you to speak,” said Luca.
    “ Invited me?”
    This was feeling like Lane all over again. Like her father. Like almost every boss she’d ever had, both male and female, and half of her boyfriends. It made Abby boiling mad and ready to cry from shame at the same time. Her whole life, what she’d wanted was the self-esteem and strength that would allow her to stand up for herself in a sane, rational way. Instead,