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them.
    His glance snagged on her bandaged wrist, and he stiffened. “Who hurt you?”
    “Nobody. Just another chapter in Lanie and Van’s Excellent Adventures.”
    His smile didn’t disguise lurking grief. “Keep having those adventures, okay?”
    “I’m not a child any more. I’ve got your back. Trust me.”
    Tender affection warmed those vibrant blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Lanie. I have nothing left to give you. Except this.” He quickly slashed his fingertip on the table’s rough edge. Murmuring a lilting language she’d never heard before, he grabbed her hand and painted three bloodied symbols in the center of her palm.
    Delaney stared at her brother’s blood…marking her with symbols exactly like Rowan had marked the cabin.
    She gulped. “C-connor—”
    The door whipped open, banging into the wall. Three guards barreled inside. Two rushed Connor while the third blockaded the doorway. The biggest man unlocked her brother’s chains from the table, then they hauled him up.
    “Dumbass move, punk.” The big officer grabbed Connor’s hair, brutally jerking his head back. “Playtime’s over.”
    Connor didn’t protest. Didn’t utter a sound when they savagely jostled his body between them as they dragged him toward the doorway.
    One of the guards tripped Connor with his own chains, making him stagger into the wall and hit his head. “Oops.” The trio laughed, but her brother remained silent. Former cops expected abuse in prison.
    Delaney leapt from her chair. “He’s not resisting, don’t hurt him!” She rounded the table toward her brother.
    “Stay back,” the door guard ordered. Lunging into her path, he shoved her, hard.
    She stumbled, fell to her knees.
    And Connor lost it. “Don’t touch her!” Even chained, he fought viciously. In the seconds it took Delaney to scramble up, he bucked off both officers, elbowing one in the solar plexus and head-butting the other’s nose.
    The gasping guards dropped. The officer who’d shoved her charged Connor.
    No! I can’t go through this again!
    Delaney threw off paralyzing déjà vu and flung herself at her brother. He feinted left to dodge her, but she anticipated his move. Bulldozing him to the wall, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Connor! Stop!”
    From behind her, the officer thrust his fingers into her hair and yanked. Pain tore across Delaney’s scalp, involuntary tears flooded her eyes, but she clung to her brother.
    “Lanie!” Connor snarled, trying to dislodge her. “Let go!”
    “Won’t!”
    Dark blurs shot past her peripheral vision as more guards surged inside. “Get her off,” a man’s voice yelled. “And take him out!”
    The agonizing strain on her scalp increased. A fist rammed into her ribs. Her eyes slammed shut on a blinding flash of pain and rage. Keep away from my brother!
    She heard screams, guttural grunts. Then the room went silent.
    “Christ, baby sister,” Connor whispered.
    Delaney opened her eyes. For a panicked moment, all she saw was blackness. Finally, her vision wavered into focus and she glanced over her shoulder. The stunned guards lay sprawled on the floor—several with blood leaking from their noses.
    Scared and bewildered, she looked back at Connor.
    He shook his head, eyes wide. “What have I done?”
    Boot steps pounded through the doorway. “Get them both down!” a hoarse shout demanded.
    “Need a Taser in room one!” another guard yelled.
    Connor went rigid. “No! I’m rolled up, Boss. It’s cool. I’m rolled up.”
    Everything’s fine. Delaney instinctively projected the thought. “Everybody relax,” she croaked.
    Nothing happened here.
    Sudden calmness blanketed the crackling violence.
    “Step away from the inmate,” the first gruff voice demanded.
    “Don’t hurt him.” Holding her brother’s gaze, she slid her arms from around his neck. “I was stupid. You stay smart.”
    Still appearing dazed, he nodded.
    She eased aside. Four officers crowded past to seize him, then