Page 19 of Cruel Knots

“To whom?” I ask, barely able to keep control over my emotions.

“Word on the street is that Freddy Stone’s getting married to her,” Mikhail says in a grim tone. All the humor is wiped off his face as he adds, “But that’s not the interesting bit.”

“What do you mean?” Leon asks.

“Freddy Stone is gay,” says Mikhail. “Everyone knows that.”

“Wait,” says Leon, holding up a hand. “Is it the same person I’m thinking about? He was in the same grade as Lucia. Sort of a pretty boy, loved wearing pink and sparkly shit, and always changed his hair each summer?”

“Yep,” says Mikhail. “The same guy who was chummy with the hottest cheerleader in their grade.”

I tune out my brothers as they talk about the kids in Lucia’s school, sounding like they’d attended the same high school as her. All they did was spy on Lucia and map out the people surrounding her.

They shouldn’t feel like they belong in her world.

My heart turned into stone the night I failed to protect my brothers from Callum Baldwin. It’d been my own fault for being lax about Lucia’s brother. I should’ve known better than to trust a stranger. Instead of surrendering to Callum, I should’ve told my brothers to run the first chance they got.

I close my eyes, momentarily getting lost in the memories of that nightmarish night. The smell of rotting garbage still lingers in my nostrils. My skin still feels the warmth of my blood as it trickled down the cuts in my face.

I vowed to make Callum Baldwin regret everything he did to me and my brothers. He’s going to pay in blood but before that, I’m going to snatch away his most prized possession.

His sister. Lucia.

She’ll be paying back for her betrayal as well. We’re going to break her and send the pieces back to her brother and watch him cry tears of blood over her.

It’s the only way we’d come close to being even with them.

“Why have you gone so quiet?” Leon’s voice stirs me out of my thoughts.

“I was just thinking,” I say, bringing the tips of my fingers together. “Why would she get married to a guy who was openly gay?”

“Money,” Mikhail mutters. “Stone’s grandfather won’t hand him his inheritance if he refuses to have a proper marriage. I’m pretty sure that’s the sole reason Callum’s getting his sister married to a beta like him. He gets a cut of Freddy’s inheritance and his precious sister stays untouched by another man.”

“That’s fucked up,” Leon scoffs.

“We already know Callum’s fucked in the head,” Mikhail mutters darkly.

“Do you know where the wedding will take place?” I ask.

“Not yet,” says Mikhail. “I’m sure we’ll know in a day or two.” His expression darkens. “Are you thinking about making a move soon?”

I nod. “We’ll finally have a chance to take what’s owed to us,” I say in a grim tone. “It won’t be easy for Callum to keep an eye on his sister when he’s got a wedding to plan.”

“You’re saying we’ll be stealing Lucia? Finally?” Leon asks, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“We can’t let our princess be handed over to someone else,” I say, meeting his gaze. “She belongs to us.”

“Kissing her once was barely enough,” Mikhail says in a low, husky voice. “She’s kept me craving her all these years. No matter how many women I kiss and fuck, it’s her taste I always seek.”

“Kiss every inch of her, then,” says Leon. His amber eyes gleam with hidden malice. “Cut every inch of her as you please. Make her bleed. She’ll be ours, after all.”

Mikhail glances at me and I catch a glimpse of worry in his silvery eyes.

He’s concerned about Leon going too far with Lucia.

I was left with fatal scars on my face that night. They’re there for the world to see, but in Leon’s case, they’re invisible.

That night, Leon was the only one who’d remained conscious to witness the horrors done to us. The trauma left him with an insatiable thirst to cut his enemies and see their blood ooze from those wounds. It’s kind of a drug for him, the only thing that makes him feel in control.

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