Page 35 of Forging Darkness

Steel shoves a hand in his hair. “We should have seen this coming.”

“Yeah,” Sterling agrees. “They’re all over us like flies on poop.”

“Ew. Real classy, Sterling,” I say.

He grins showing off as many teeth as possible. “That’s me. Classy to the core.”

“I can think of a few other words to describe you.”

“Handsome? Charismatic? Irresistible?”

I smash my lips together. Do. Not. Laugh. Encouraging Sterling’s bad behavior is never a good idea. He’s like a toddler sometimes.

“Something like that,” I answer as soon as I’m confident I won’t crack a smile.

“Just as I expected.” He slides up next to me, casually wrapping an arm around my shoulder and herding me toward the door. “Now, let’s get going. I won’t even tell you where Greyson was pinched. I’m sure he’s going to want to relive that experience with you.”

“Leaving so soon?”

Sterling and I freeze. A low growl rumbles behind me.

I shift my gaze toward the alleyway. I know we came here to find her, but a shockwave still boomerangs around my gut when my eyes land on Silver.

“It’s actually her.” I don’t think Sterling is even aware that the words leave his mouth. Up until now he’s only beentoldhis sister is alive. Witnessing her on a video doesn’t compare to seeing her with his own eyes.

“Hey, is that my little bro? Long time no see, kiddo.” The click of Silver’s heels creates an eerie echo as she saunters forward, cutting the distance that yawns between us.

Bold move.

“Silver?” Sterling brushes past me, looking like he’s in a trance.

Silver throws her arms wide as if waiting for an embrace. “In the flesh.”

Sterling doesn’t make it another two zombie-like steps before Steel rushes past him in a blur, colliding with Silver even as her arms are still raised. He smashes her back into the building opposite the club with such force I swear the ground vibrates. Brick dust sprinkles down on the both of them.

The hit shocks Sterling out of his daze. His eyes harden as he stomps over to his brother’s side. I follow in his wake.

Steel traps Silver against the alley wall with his forearm shoved against her neck, and a wicked, gold-handled dagger pushed against her side. He bares his teeth in an inhuman expression of anger. His beast side is extremely close to the surface and I can’t be sure he isn’t going to take a vicious bite out of her.

Silver is suspiciously calm. A secretive smile lingers on her lips, despite her compromising position. Her hands lift in the universal sign for “I mean no harm.” When Steel presses his forearm harder against her throat, she only tips her head back farther.

I cast a glance around. Something isn’t right. Steel and Sterling are too distracted by Silver’s arrival to think clearly, but I don’t suffer from that same affliction. I case our surroundings while Steel and Sterling interrogate their sister.

“Who are you working with?” Steel’s words are barely intelligible above the growl in his voice. “We know you didn’t stage the kidnapping on your own.”

There’s a garbled noise. I glance behind me to see Silver pointing to her throat. Steel lets up enough so she can wheeze out a few words.

“Is this really necessary, big brother? I’m obviously not fighting back.”

“Don’t call me that. You’re not my sister. You’re just the thing that killed her.”

Silver’s exaggerated eye-roll may have been funny under different circumstances, but her blasé attitude only makes the fine hairs on my body rise.

“We’ve already been over this. Iamyour sister, but I can understand your need to stay steeped in denial. Accepting that you’ve been lied to all your life by people you were supposed to trust has gotta burn.”

“Cut the crap and just tell us what you know or Steel’s blade is going to get real friendly with several of your organs.” Steel twists the dagger after Sterling speaks. A spot of blood blooms on the white fabric over Silver’s ribs.

“Ow. Uncalled for. As a matter of fact, I’d love for you to meet the boss. All you had to do was ask.” Her gaze slides past the pair to me, and our eyes connect. The grin ratchets up on her face, and she winks.

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