Page 54 of Deadly Little Games

“What have I told you about paying attention? Don’t fucking disrespect me again, boy,” he growls before stepping back. He looks into the forest, catching sight of the girls, and before I think, I step in front of him, trying to stop him.

His fist hits my nose with a crack and tears well in my eyes. I’m not allowed to cry but I want to. Blood drips down my lips, and the tangy taste burns down my throat. Gage and Lucas stay still beside me. They know better than to react.

My father moves quickly through our backyard and into the forest. Footsteps follow behind me, Lucas and Gage hurrying to catch up.

Freya stands up and pushes Amirah behind her back, protecting her from him. My heart beats faster and faster like it always does when she’s around. I don’t understand it. Girls are bad. Father says we aren’t meant to show them any love because they don’t deserve it. They are meant for one thing only: to be at our beck and call. But I like her and my best friend’s little sister. I don’t want to treat them badly. Like myfather did with my mother. She always had sores on her, and I wanted to make them better, but she didn’t let me.

“What the fuck is this?” My father grabs the doll and rips off its head. Amirah gasps and Freya’s nostrils flare.

“Give it back,” Freya yells, and my chest tightens like someone is grabbing it and squeezing. She steps forward, trying to reach for it.

I see it coming, but I can’t stop him. The back of his hand lands on her cheek, and she falls to the ground. My feet move, and before I can think about the consequences, I fall to the ground, grabbing onto her shoulders. She looks up, her ocean-blue eyes filled with tears, and I want to hug her. Make all her pain go away.

A hand grips onto my neck and her eyes widen. She tries to reach for me, but it’s too late. My father pulls me up, spins me around, and his fist comes straight for me. Her screams ring in my ears before everything goes black.

That was the last time I protected her from him and us. I have to keep my distance from her, but the more time she spends with us, the closer she’s getting—and I don’t know how to keep her away anymore.

Our worlds are tied together with black ribbon, and I can’t seem to cut the tether no matter how much I need to.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Freya

Amirah takes me to the police station on their side of the tracks and drops me off.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?” Turning down the stereo, she then puts the car in park.

“It’s fine. I’ll message you later.” I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door handle as Amirah grabs my hand.

“Just be careful with them. They may look like cops, but they are Brotherhood through and through.”

I know she’s right, but this is my last resort—I don’t want to leave any stones unturned.

“I will, promise,” I say, and she lets go, waving goodbye.

When I shut the door, the engine of her car roars to life, gradually fading into the distance as she departs. Despite the presence of a couple of cop cars in the parking lot, an eerie quiet hangs in the air. The sun slowly descends behind the building, momentarily blinding me with its brightness. Putting one foot in front of the other, I head inside.

With an eerie creak, the station door swings open, drawing the attention of the older man behind the counter.He momentarily breaks his focus from the computer, his gaze fixating on my chest for an uncomfortably long moment.

“You’re a little far from home, aren’t you, darlin’?” he asks before I can even open my mouth. I shove my hands into my pockets.

“My brother, Alec LeClair, is missing. I want to file a report,” I say, ignoring his stupid question.

“People go missing all the time here. You should know that. He’ll show up one way or another.” He shrugs, looking back at his computer, and starts typing away.

Is he for fucking real? I forcefully slam my fists down on the counter with a loud thud that echoes through the room, and he responds with a piercing glare.

“Please, tell me if you’ve heard anything,” I beg, but he ignores me. I’m about to lose my shit.

“I want to know everything that you do about my brother, and now!” My voice is raised, and a cop who looks younger than me peers through the door leading to the back. I’ve seen him before, but I can’t recall where.

The older guy behind the desk shakes his head. “Look, kid, you’re wasting your time here. He’s probably dead and he’ll show up somewhere. Just move on and keep to yourself.”

My shoulders tense and I grip the counter, my fingers turning white. The desire to lunge forward and eliminate the smug look on his face overwhelms me. How dare he say that?! My brother isn’t dead. No, I’ll never believe that. He can’t be. I’ve come to the one place that’s supposed to help me, and they won’t. Before I make a huge mistake and assault a cop, I reach over, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. I hastily jot down my name and number, then slide it toward him with force.

“If you hear anything, please call me,” I say, and head back out the front door.

As the sun sets on the horizon, the sky is bathed in a warm, orange glow. Lifting my phone out of my pocket, I navigate to my contact list, and my finger hovers over Amirah’s name before scrolling down further to find one of the guys’ numbers to arrange for a ride, but I hesitate. When did I start relying on them so heavily? With each passing moment in this place, the lines between their actions and identities blur, causing me to forget who they truly are. I just want my brother to come back, then everything will be solved. We’ll leave this place behind and start fresh. Just like we always planned. However, with every passing minute, my desire to leave diminishes, and a sense of longing settles in my stomach, making it increasingly difficult to walk away.

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