Page 136 of Offside Angel

I can’t let myself imagine what my brother might do to my son.

“You want to kill me.” It’s not a question, but Dante answers it anyway.

“Yes. To put you down like a rabid fucking dog,” he snarls.

My blood runs cold, but I refuse to shrink in front of him. “I’m still your sister. Don’t you want to hear my side of the story before I’m gone forever?”

“You think I give a single fuck what you have to say?” He lashes out with a cruel laugh that makes me jump. Too loud. Too loud. “I didn’t care what you thought when we were growing up together—so why would I care now that you’re nothing more than the bitch who killed my father?”

“Because you’ve been chasing me for seven years. You’ve dedicated most of your adult life to tracking me down. There’s no way you want it to be over so fast.”

I hardly know what I’m doing. My mind is whirling, barking orders at me faster than I can follow.

Punch him in the larynx.

Find a weapon.

Get to your phone.

But all of those options could lead to raised voices and Aiden coming out of his room. They’re not worth the risk.

He hauls me up almost to my tiptoes, trying to prove how much stronger he is than me. Just like old times. “You’ve always overestimated your worth, Katerina.”

“I was worth seven years of your life.”

“Our father was worth seven years of my life!” he fires back, seething. “The only reason I’ve been chasing after you is because of him. Because of what you did to him. You? You are worthless to me.”

Some part of me hoped that Dante wasn’t a monster all the way to his core. Over the years, I tried to make excuses for him, but staring up into his black eyes now, I know there is no good in him.

Nothing redeemable.

Nothing worth saving.

Before I can react, Dante yanks me off the floor by the front of my shirt and slams me down on the coffee table.

The air doesn’t just rush out of me—it straight-up disappears. My lungs implode. I wheeze through several useless inhales before I can suck anything in at all, and then Dante is on top of me. His hand clutches around my throat.

Black is already creeping into the edges of my vision when I use every last bit of strength in my body to haul my legs up to my chest. I kick out, my foot glancing off of my brother’s shoulder. It’s not much, but it’s enough for his hand to loosen.

Enough for me to suck in one much-needed breath of air.

Which is then enough for me to draw my arm back and land one solid punch to the left side of his face.

The force ricochets down my arm. My elbow aches. But Dante stumbles back, and I have an opening. I push myself to standing and lunge for my phone.

Evan. Zane. 911. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take anyone.

I’m fumbling to unlock it with my shaking thumbprint when I hear the door at the end of the hall squeak open.

No.

Tiny shuffling footsteps.

No. Please, God, no.

“Daddy?” Aiden’s voice is raspy. Half-asleep.

“Oh, my. Who do we have here?” Dante croons.

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