Page 121 of Hate Me

“Good. Really good. I guess with not doing this for a while, all that creativity that’s been stifled is now bursting out of me, determined to be heard and stuff.”

“That’s great.”

“Remember that character sketch I made based on you?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s gonna be a major player in this sequel, so I’m working on him now. One of his magical abilities is being able to wield hellfire.”

“Damn, that sounds amazing.”

“Because it’s based on you?” she asked, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Not just that. Wow, you’re really painting me as an egomaniac, huh?”

“I’m kidding. Believe me, you’re the farthest thing from an egomaniac. I know egomaniacs and you don’t fit the bill.”

“I know,” I said, chuckling. “I’m just fucking with you. After all, I’m not my brother. He’s got that egomaniac thing down pat.”

I stilled, then grimaced at those words being put out there. To her, of all people.

A grimace twisted her features.

“Shit. I’m sorry, Sky. I didn’t mean—”

“There’s something I need to tell you.” She sucked in a breath. “About him.”

“What? What could you have to tell me about him? You’ve been away for two years and he was gone for a good portion of that too. You haven’t left this house to see him around either and—” My gut twisted. “You were with him during those two years?”

“Eww, no. Not in the way you’re clearly thinking, judging by the expression on your face.”

“Yeah, that didn’t seem to add up. Sorry. So, what, you tried to go after him then, after what he did to you at the fight club, with the tape?”

“I wouldn’t hurt him because he’s your brother. Even if you gave me permission, I wouldn’t, because I know you’d regret it down the road, like I’m sure you did when you clashed that day at the Thorn estate.”

Damn, she knew me too well. She was good at reading people. Everyone except herself, because she kept so much locked up to try to keep control.

Well she had been like that. She was different now, changing, as the other night had shown.

I put my laptop down and crossed to her, taking a seat beside her on the couch, my urgency building. “Then what, Sky? What happened?”

She shut her laptop lid. “He helped me, Bastian.”

I frowned. Now that definitely didn’t compute either.

Before I had to ask, she went on, nervously wringing her hands on the closed lid of her laptop, “When I was searching out Jett, I came across Damien. It became apparent that he had a line to him somehow. I reached out and he agreed to help me. Well, more like begged me to let him help me. He wanted to make amends for what he did to me, and to you, through helping me. He was the one who pointed me toward those locations where Jett was gathering recruits to build his own army to protect himself and get back in the game.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I know. I didn’t want to rock the boat by telling you, and I thought it was over, because after I came around with you guys and also made that deal with Caspian, I had no intent of going to Damien again, because that would mean going around all of you.”

“Then why tell me now? Brutal honesty?”

“In part. I don’t want there to be anything there to get between us. But also because I received another message from him this morning.”

She was snatching up her phone from the couch cushion then. She swiped it open, scrolled for a couple of moments, then handed it to me.

I took in a text conversation there.

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