Page 69 of A Twisted Arrangement

“They aren’t kids anymore, Damon,” I say.

He glares at me, brows pulled low. “I know that, but ramming a car?”

“There’s more to this than me taking Bash on a joyride. Shady things keep happening. At first, I thought they were one-offs, but now I think they’re all connected. Scarlet’s asshole ex showed up out of nowhere, trying to get her to go with him. I should have found out how he knew where she’d be. I’m still pissed at myself for killing him too fast. Then there’s the attempt to break into her apartment.”

“You’re just telling us thisnow?” Xander cuts in.

“Tonight’s the first time I’ve had any semblance of a lead. Liam showed up with a video of Scarlet killing her dad. There’s no way a guy like him should have had access to it, so I’ve been hacking his computer since then. I decrypted his files and figured out who sent it to him. That’s who we were after tonight.”

“Fuck,” Damon whispers under his breath.

I continue. “Before the asshole died, he told us that whoever he was working for had eyes and ears everywhere. Whatever this is, it’s not just about Scarlet’s position.”

“So what now?” Xander asks.

“I won’t let her leave my side until we figure this out.”

“We’ll help—” Bash starts, but we’re cut off by two men carrying the bloodstained body down the stairs.

Damon whistles under his breath. “You really beat the shit out of him.”

“You’d have done the same.”

“I fucking did.” Dark eyes that match mine gleam, and for a moment, I regret not cutting off this fucker’s cock.

We put on our gold wolf masks but don’t bother with the hood. There isn’t a single person in there who doesn’t know who we are.

Xander and Bash each take one of the unconscious man’s arms. Our guards aren’t able to follow us into the Vaults. Instead, my brothers drag him through the aisle, leaving a trail of blood. All eyes are on us as they take in the scene. It’s a show of power, one that can’t be mistaken for anything else.

I take the no longer breathing body from my brothers and turn it so it faces the crowd. His back propped against the dais beneath where our throne-like chairs sit.

Blood pools from his mouth, ears, nose. The red slashes from the cuts down his chest are easily seen through his open shirt.

No one steps forward to claim the man, knowing full well they’ll be pinned right beside him.

My brothers take their seats, overlooking the crowd, but all eyes are on me as I walk to the edge of the dais and press my foot into the back of the soon-to-be dead man’s head. “This is a reminder of what happens to anyone who fucks with us. You’re going to wish you had it as good as this guy if you so much as think about coming after what’s mine.”

Chapter 34

Scarlet

The front door opens,and the smell of roasted chicken hits my nose before I spot Matthias. His hair is wet, pushed back from his face, and his brows are pulled low, giving him a sleepy look that doesn’t belong. His attention lands on me, and all signs of wariness vanish without a trace, leaving behind his piercing stare.

“Waiting for me, Little Sparrow?” He steps closer, and I take a step back in a dance we’re both familiar with.

“Hardly.” My breath hitches when the tips of his shoes brush the tips of my toes. There are dark circles under his eyes, and I don’t know why I care, but I can’t help myself from asking, “Tough night?”

“Nothing to worry about.” He tilts his head to the side, scanning me before stepping back and placing the food on the kitchen counter. My mouth waters when he places mashed potatoes and a box of chocolates next to the chicken. He fills two plates with food without asking me what I want.

“I’m not hungry,” I say.

He laughs. “You’re a terrible liar. The guards said you haven’t been eating properly.”

My eyes dash to the window, and I glare at the guard. I take it back—I don’t feel bad for him at all.Tattletale. Thank God he didn’t catch me earlier; he’d have definitely told Matthias.

“What are you looking at?” Matthias’s voice is rough, a darkness filling it he doesn’t normally use on me.

“Huh?” I look at him, then back at the guard. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

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