Page 218 of Mud

“Madeline wants her granddaughter dead,” Radockfinally said, looking at Kaid, grinning. “My spy said she wanted the girl delivered to her after her interrogation. He said she insisted on being the one totake care ofit. She was, apparently, offended by her granddaughter’s new, erm…status.”

My brothers laughed.

I laughed, too.

And I really wanted to know who Radock’s spy was.

“So, she’sreallynot a trap?” Kaid again.

“She really isn’t,” Radock said with a nod. “We have been blessed by Iris Herself, brothers. Tonight, we get to avenge our little brother. We get to kill the girl who took him from us for almost two whole years.”

Radock stood up.

Seth and Kaid smiled and nodded.

“No.”

The word left my lips while I still had my smile on.

No, you will not kill the girl who took me from you, brothers. Not ever. Not for any reason.

Their smiles froze. “What’s that, Tal?” said Radock, pretending he hadn’t heard me.

“I said,no.”

Kaid stepped forward. “Little brother, little brother,” he said with a sigh, shaking his index finger at me. “Have you forgotten your place so quickly?”

Oh, but I hadn’t.

“Let him speak,” Radock told Kaid. “Speak, Taland.”

I looked at Kaid as I smiled and said, “Her life ismineto take. Do with her what you will, but I will be the one to kill her. It is my right.”

The words were nails that I pulled up my throat. They left me a bloody mess—but most importantly, theyworked.

My brothers agreed. More than that, Radock was so fucking proud of me I wanted to crawl right out of my skin.

“Very well, little bother. Very,verywell…”

“Your word,” I said. “I’ll take your word.”

Radock laughed. He sounded happy, more proud than before. “You have it. You have my word that we will not kill your girl. But we will play with her for as long as we want.”

And right now, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

My mind worked. My thoughts were chaotic. Whatever scenario developed in my head, it all ended the same way—with me dead at the hands of my brothers or my brothers dead atmyhands.

And I couldn’t let either come true.

The smile on my face hurt. Rosabel screamed harder. Kaid’s magic was underneath her skin, torturing her. I chained her to that chair myself. I made sure she wouldn’t be able to escape it myself, while my brothers watched. Igaveher to them because I knew that I couldn’ttake her away, couldn’t protect her.

And that wasmytorture.

No matter how she’d betrayed me,thiswas monstrous.

No matter that she’d served me to the IDD,thiswas a different level.

And I kept on smiling, because this was the only way I knew how to save her life.

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