Page 121 of A Twisted Arrangement

“You’re an idiot.” She scrambles up, shutting the bookcase behind her milliseconds before her brother’s face appears in the door.

I crank my chain, covering the sound of her hiding spot clicking shut just as the asshole walks in.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to see this. Matthias Everette on the ground, helpless at my feet,” Christopher says, careful not to come within reach.

A slow smile curls the corner of my mouth, daring him. “Why don’t you come closer, and we’ll test just who’s helpless.”

“No need for that. You’ve lost, and as soon as we get Damon, you are all going to die slow, painful deaths.” He picks at his nails. “Your little brothers are pretty close, aren’t they? I’ll be honest, I’ve never understood the appeal of sibling friendship. I thought of killing them together, but don’t you think it would be more fun to have the one watch as we dice the other one up? Like a two-for-one torture.”

I crash forward, held back by my collar, foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. “Do not fucking touch them.”

“Who’s going to stop me?You?” He smirks, and I want to rip it off his face. “You’re all tied up at the moment.” He looks down the hall. “You know what? I bet you’re close enough to hear them scream.”

Steel digs into my throat, the dull edge cutting into my skin, and blackness crowds my vision as I press forward, desperate to get close to him.

Christopher laughs. “I am so happy I got to see you like this. The great Matthias Everette. Nothing more than a mindless bitch.”

“Boss, we’ve got a problem.” A guard enters the room, a crisp gray uniform shirt tucked into black pants. He looks more like a rent-a-cop than a threat. He doesn’t make eye contact with me. Even tied up, I can feel his fear, practically smell it wafting off him like the animal they’ve made me.

“I’m fucking busy.” He gestures for the guard to leave, but the man doesn’t budge.

“It’s your sister, boss. She’s trashing her room.”

Christopher looks up and to the right, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. He turns and looks at me. “That cunt’s going to regret distracting me.”

My heart thuds in my chest. The only thing replaying in my mind is I can’t let him get to her. Not when he’s like this. Not when he’s clearly still raging to hurt someone.

The sacrifice is easy. I’ll gladly take the pain if it means she doesn’t have to feel it.

“Pussy.” I let disdain and challenge drip from my voice. “You always were a little bitch.”

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” His eyes are wide on me, the whites visible on all sides. He looks rabid.

Good, that’s how I need him. I can’t let him control his emotions. I want them all directed on me.

“I called you a pathetic little bitch.” I spit, and it lands on his cheek.

The thread holding Christopher together visibly snaps, his face twisting in rage. His fist comes flying, crashing into my cheeks. Pain radiates through my skull, making my ears ring.

I smile, letting the blood show on my teeth. “That all you got?”

The next punch lands right above my eye socket, the force rocking me back, followed by a kick to the stomach that has me hunching over, unable to breathe.

I force myself to stay upright on my knees. I need to stretch this out as long as possible if I’m going to succeed in taking the heat off Scarlet.

He lands hit after hit until his blows finally slow, the strength leaching out of him. I’m lucky he’s so fucking weak, clearly not trained to do lasting damage. No…why would he be? His victims are always weaker than him.

My forearms slam onto the ground, catching me before I face-plant headfirst. Blood pools beneath my face, running from my nose and mouth. It takes several breaths to find the strength to look up.

“You are going to regret this.” Christopher wipes blood off his knuckles. They’re split open from connecting with my bones. I have to hide my smirk at the fact that more than one of them is sunken in, a sure sign that he broke them.

His face is ruddy red, chest rising and falling as he tries to regulate himself. He looks worn-out when he tells the guard, “Deal with my sister. I have somewhere to be.”

I nearly snort, knowing he’ll be going directly to a doctor to protect his precious hands. Like I said, pussy.

Those blue eyes, so similar to Scarlet’s, stare back at me. “I’ll be back, asshole. I’m going to drag this out nice and slow.”

“Looking forward to it.”

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