Page 73 of Chaos Luck Wrath

Wrapping the metal chain around some asshole’s neck, Layne left it pinched around his throat letting him choke to death before she moved onto the next person looking to die.

Layne caught sight of Liam as he cowardly made a run for it up the stairs several feet from where she was. There was no way he was escaping so easily. “No, you don’t, little fucker,” she murmured.

Using her small figure, she managed to push through a couple of guys as she ran for the stairs after her brother.

Joey tossed one of Liam’s goons off him, slamming a fist into his cheek and knocking him to the ground. He looked up as Layne ran up the stairs two at a time after Liam. “Layne!!”

The shouting of her name prompted Gage to thrust a knee into the scrappy asshole he was dealing with before directing his attention to the same sight that had Joey barking out their girl’s name.

“Devon!” Gage shouted, glancing over his shoulder at his friend nearest to him. “Need your help over here!” If they were going to chase after Layne, they needed to get past the group of men blocking their path.

Layne made it halfway up the stairs before she turned to look at both men. It was a split second or less but her face softened with a silent apology clouding her green eyes. She tore her skull mask from her face, dropping it to the ground at her feet. Her perfect lips mouthed her love for them with those three little words before she continued her ascent up the steps following Liam behind the door at the top.

Just like that, she was gone.

Chapter Thirty

DEATH IS NOT THE END

She chased Liam through the door at the top of the stairs. It led into the hallway on the third floor.

“Li! Get the fuck back here!” she shouted while watching him blatantly ignore her.

Her brother rounded a corner and she heard a door slam shut. Quick to make the turn, she noticed a door that looked different from all the others. Panting from the pursuit, she pushed through it and saw a steep set of stairs that led to a single metal door that was just drifting closed.

Layne steeled herself as she followed, prepared for whatever showdown was going to happen with her brother. When she made it out the door, she got blasted with a gust of freezing air that whipped her ponytail around erratically. He had led her up to the roof.

The visibility of the night air was shitty thanks to all the fat snowflakes that kept swirling around as they descended from above. Each flake that fell, stuck to her chestnut hair and contrasted against the black of her clothes.

He couldn’t have gone too far, and the moment she thought as much, he crashed into her side, knocking her to the snow-covered ground.

Without hesitation, she rolled and began swinging her fists at his face. Scrambling, she fought for the upper hand as they exchanged hits. Eventually, she was able to use leverage from her foot to create enough space between them so she could push herself onto her feet.

Liam got to his feet and stared at her with intense hatred. “You fucked up this family, Layne!”

Each of them was panting from the scuffle, their warm breaths visible when meeting the extremely cold winter air.

“Get the fuck over it,” Layne shook her head and with every step closer he took, she took two away from him. “You have always been the one with the problem!”

Trying to keep tabs on each movement her brother made down to the flexing of the muscles in his arms, she reminded herself to also be aware of her surroundings. Her eyes stole quick looks at what was there on the top of the roof. Other than weathered patio furniture and HVAC systems, she had little to work with in the open space.

Liam angrily roared at her, “You’ve always tried to hold me down! Dad spoiled you and made you the fuckin’ favorite when it should have been me! You don’t deserve shit!” His hands wildly flailed as he shouted.

“You’re a goddamn spoiled brat, Li! You could have had everything! I overlooked so many of your faults in hopes that sometime you’d grow the fuck up!” She had always been willing to maintain what should have been a steadfast alliance with him, but his destructive behaviors ultimately obliterated any chance of that ever happening.

He charged at her, and when she turned to get out of his way, her foot caught on an old broom left buried under the snow. The trip sent her down onto her hands and knees, giving Liam just enough opportunity to grab her by the back of her jacket and yank her back onto her feet.

Forcefully, he shoved her forward into a large condenser unit. Layne yelped out as she felt the unyielding impact of the metal casing against the front of her body.

When he pulled her back to slam her back against it one more time, she extended her foot in front of her to prevent another collision. She pushed back with just enough oomph that she could duck and turn under his arm, forcing his grasp on her jacket to break. Her elbow jabbed into his side, eliciting a grunt from him as he stumbled.

Layne and Liam continued wrangling with one another, both their feet sliding occasionally against the slippery snow underneath their shoes. The ledge of the roof was getting closer and Liam’s hand had found its way to her throat, latching onto it like the jaw of a rabid dog.

Fighting against the slowing oxygen and blood flow to her brain, her spine was suddenly bent backward over the partially raised wall that separated them both from a four-story free fall. Snowflakes fell into her eyes as she clawed at Liam’s hand on her neck.

“Go burn in hell, sis! Don’t worry, your shithead manwhores will be joining you shortly!” Liam’s other hand was gripping the front of her jacket and despite her struggles, her lighter body weight was getting eased off her feet as he began shoving her over the wall.

If she was going down, she was going to try and drag Liam with her. No longer fighting his chokehold on her, her hand fumbled until it found the pocketknife she had used to free Joey earlier. Without a second thought, she flipped open the blade and jammed it home into Liam’s chest. It would have been sweet justice if she had struck his heart, but with her vision struggling under his choking grasp, she didn’t get that lucky.

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