Page 127 of A Twisted Arrangement

The plan is simple. The three Everette brothers stay in place until Damon comes and gets them. That way, no one gets accidentally blown up during the rescue mission. If all of the Everette brothers don’t survive, none of them will forgive themselves. I may not be directly responsible for them being captured, but it’s my responsibility to fix what my family started.

Everything was on track until that stupid guard walked in with the key.

Matthias loomed above me, grip cutting off my air, and for a second, I believed I deserved it. His voice cracked as he begged me for a reason I would deceive him. Because from his angle, there was no other way to look at it. I couldn’t give him the key,and explaining wasn’t an option at that moment, which left him breaking apart. Even with all the reasons to kill me, he still let me go, and my heart cracked at the revulsion in his eyes as he spewed his hate at me while demanding I leave.

It’ll all come to light soon, but I will never forget the way his face cracked above me.

The first explosion rocks the castle, sending me hard against the door. I’d been careful to give Damon our exact locations to guarantee we wouldn’t be accidental collateral in his invasion. I wait patiently for the four planned explosions to go off before pushing open the concealed door that had kept me out of sight. I needed to get into position; I have my own tasks to complete in order for this to be a success.

“You fucking cunt! I know you did this.” Christopher grips my shoulders and slams my back against the wall, knocking the air out of me. I’m wheezing for breath as pain radiates along my shoulder blades as they dig into the wood paneling. Shock rolls through me as I’m slammed repeatedly, my skull connecting with each one. I dig my nails into his forearm, blood dripping from the wounds, but nothing I do slows him down. My feet connect with his shins, but he’s too enraged to register the pain.

I hadn’t accounted for him being in this room. He should’ve gone to fight by now. I’d miscalculated just how much of a coward he is, and now I’m going to pay for it.

“Fuck you!” I grit through clenched teeth as I fight through the fog rapidly taking over and spit at him. It’s thick as it rolls down his face.

This time, the connection with the wall is hard enough to make my vision go white. Ice fills my veins as the realization overtakes me.

I’m going to die here.

My body buzzes as I slowly lose the battle and accept that my brother’s going to kill me. Not that I can blame him. I fullyintended for him to die tonight. I can only pray that Damon’s more successful than I am.

A loud bang ricochets through the room, and warm liquid splatters my face, soaking my dress. I blink at Christopher’s half-missing face. He stands there like his body doesn’t realize it’s dead for several seconds before crashing to the ground.

“You alright?” Damon’s beside me, checking my wounds, his brows pinched together as he takes me in.

My heart thunders in my chest. He’s just bought me the time I desperately need. “I’m fine. Go do your job.”

He looks me over one last time before releasing me and handing me a gun. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“Yell at me after.” I sway on my feet but catch myself before I can fall. Nothing’s going to stop me from completing what I have to do.

We both exit the room, but when he turns to where his brothers are being held, I continue down the hall and out the back door leading to the helipad. Rain beats down around me, soaking through my clothes, but I don’t feel the cold. Not when my prey’s standing in front of me.

“I knew you’d be here,” I yell above the whooshing sound of the helicopter blades cutting through the air. There was no way my father would let himself be caught here.

He freezes in place as I raise the gun and point it directly at his chest. The pilot looks away as if he knows to stay out of this.

“Honey, you’re hurt. Just put the gun down, Scarlet. We can sort everything out. You don’t have to marry anyone you don’t want to, I promise,” my father says, voice placating me, but even with death pointed at him, he still can’t hide the condescension. I’ll never be anything more than a tool to grow the family’s influence for him.

“Oh, this?” I pull at my damp shirt. “Don’t worry. The blood’s not mine.” I hate this man more than anyone in this world, so I smile and say, “Your son made quite the mess when he died.”

My father lurches forward but stops himself when my finger loops over the trigger.

“You should be proud of me,Dad.” I sneer the last word and take a step closer. “I’m the reason this is all falling apart. You, of all people, should appreciate that level of scheming. I learned it from you, after all. I contacted Damon and told him where we are. I timed the guard’s schedule and knew exactly when security was at its most vulnerable.”

“Ungrateful bitch,” his voice booms, but I no longer cower beneath it. This time, I’m the one with the power.

“Ungrateful? Ungrateful for what? For you beating me? Controlling everything I do? Locking me up in this gold-plated excuse of a prison? No?” I raise a brow, moving even closer until there are only a few feet between us. “Oh, should I be thankful that you sold me to some perved-out fifty-year-old man? Tell me,Daddy. Did you get a good deal?”

“I’m unarmed. You can’t shoot me.” His voice trembles, his body visibly shaking.

“Says who?” I shrug and squeeze the trigger, watching as red blooms from his chest. I’m near enough that his blood soaks my dress as I loom over him, firing round after round, not trusting a monster like him to be dead.

In the end, no matter how much pain he’d caused, he’s only a man, and men can be killed.

I fire one last shot before turning around to see Damon and his two youngest brothers wide-eyed, gaping at me. My breaths come out hard as I struggle to regain my composure.

It’s over.

---