Page 58 of The Vicious Defender

"No," he says. "I'm just not done torturing you yet."

"I've had enough of this shit," I hiss, trying to free myself from the ropes.

"Oh, don't leave just yet, hermano. I haven't told you the best part yet."

"Go to hell."

"I will. You'll wait for me, won't you?" His cruel laughter rings through the room. "I bet you thought they were all dead, didn't you?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, the Gunns," Xander chuckles. "Your family, the ones who took you in. One of them is still alive, hermano."

"Bullshit."

"No," Xander laughs. "I'm not lying. It's a lie you told yourself to sleep better at night, brother. You're the only monster left."

"Lies," I hiss.

"They're not," Xander snaps. "But now, thanks to you, they're all going to die. The Gunn family will be extinct soon enough. And that's all because of you."

"Stop it."

"Make me," Xander challenges.

I try to rip free, but the ropes are too tight. I can't move, no matter how hard I try. And that just makes me angrier.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," I hiss.

"Good luck with that," he laughs. "But for now, we have a lot more time to spend together, hermano. I want you to know how much your brother hates you."

"I can feel the love," I sneer. "I hate you too."

"Not as much as I hate myself," Xander adds. "For trusting you."

"Well, that's not my fault."

"No," he sighs. "You're right. It's mine. I'm a fool, hermano. A blind, fucking idiot."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Wouldn't you? You took my place," he hisses.

"I was born first. They would have taken me anyway. That's the rules."

"They were going to make me king," he roars. "But then you happened. You were always so fucking jealous. Are you jealous now?"

Suddenly, he starts walking down the grand staircase in the front hall. My eyes are glued to him as he emerges from the shadows step by step. The light reveals more and more of his familiar features, but when he finally reaches me, I gasp.

It's like looking in a mirror. A broken one.

"Xander," I gasp.

"Brother," he says.

"I'm... sorry."

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Xander sneers.

---