Page 217 of Falling in Reverse

“Then stake your claim. Put me on speakerphone so those wannabes hear me. Pretend to fuck her, Reeve. Put on the show of your life. I got your backup on the way now.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” I leer. “You want me to?—”

“No other way, Reeve. Emilio’s warned her and so have we. If he finds out we went easy on her, he’s going to wonder why. He might get pissed off at…”

My jaw ticks. “Me, asshole.”

If he finds out I so-called raped his daughter, I’ll bet every cent I have that he’ll have me beheaded.

“We’ll keep you safe,” Torin quickly retorts. “Don’t sweat that. However, our reputation…”

“Is irrefutable.”

“We’re gonna have enough to speak about when Emilio catches wind of what we just did but, if you like this chick, brother, save her life.”

Save her life.

My stomach plummets and so does the gun in my hand. I instantly feel as though I’m gonna get sick. My stomach mangles into a giant knot and bile rises up my throat, hot and acidic. I’m aware of the feeling all too well, on both sides.

I’ve been raped and done the raping.

I must’ve stepped closer to her because Bay’s fingers wrap around the back of my t-shirt and she tugs, gaining my focus immediately as if she can sense the turmoil racing through my body. “Do what he says.”

I don’t know if she heard him on the other line or if she knows what’s at stake, but I…I can’t do this.

“Brother, fake it,” Torin urges. “You got this. It’s not like before. You got back up.”

Right.

I’m not really going to hurt her. It’s all for show.

It’s all for this.

Pulling the cell from my ear, I put him on speakerphone and toss the damn thing to the roof of my car. “You’re on.”

“Wonderful,” Torin replies, sounding placid and fucking cold. “Boys, this is what happens when we warn people twice to stay the fuck off our streets with drugs. She got off once with a once-in-a-lifetime warning. She’s about to get off again.” The boys behind me cheer excitedly, clapping their hands and whistling out loud in delirium about the events to come. “Fuck her nice and hard, Stanton. I want to hear it. I want the boys to see it. I want her mocked and humiliated. Then I want her brought back here to me.”

The retort that I’m not able to do this is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m in self-preservation mode. I know what could happen to me if I don’t follow Torin’s orders because a gangbanger who likes dick isn’t respected if they appear like a pussy. I’ve seen within my own family what has happened when being gay isn’t cured or ignored.

In years past I’ve tightly hidden my attraction for men behind closed doors, and my mama still makes sure to make it public that I prefer women every chance she gets.

I prefer neither over the other.

And I don’t want to die either.

My brothers and I have plans and it doesn’t include being one man short. We’re quite aware of Emilio’s bullshit. The war he wants to start with South Shore. Like I told Bay just a moment ago and way before, I don’t have issues with South Shore.

However, keeping it safe from Emilio is going to require my being alive. We don’t want to be under the spotlight of a cruel king and his fucked-up ways. We’re betraying and leaving him, but we can’t until Cairo gains the Titan spot in Wharf Bay. We have no power backing us without it, but we have money.

But not everyone can be bought, and we desire loyalty and pride over greed and two-timing fuckheads.

I mouth Bay’s name and tears glisten in her eyes that she refuses to let fall.

And it’s then that I see my twin sister, Rosalie.

How she begged me to stop when I thrusted my cock deep inside my own flesh and blood.

How each time I stopped and cried, my mother would have me whipped with a belt, stab me with the end of a cigarette, slice me with a blade, and demand that I come.

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