Page 48 of Beautiful Agony

I stroke my thumb across her knuckles, feeling the familiar weight of her engagement ring. "Are you sure about this,zvyozdochka?"

"I am." She straightens her spine, though I can see the shimmer of tears in her eyes. "I need to make sure they're safe." She swallows hard. "Even Freddy."

I want to argue that her worthless stepbrother doesn't deserve her compassion. But I know better than to voice that thought. Instead, I lift her hand to my lips and press a kiss to her knuckle before we both step out.

The wooden steps creak under Lacey's feet as we approach the front door. She turns to me, those amber-flecked eyes searching mine.

"Wait here," she says softly. "It's probably best if you don't go inside. Less chance of spooking Freddy."

I nod, though every instinct screams to follow her inside. "I'll be right here if you need me,zvyozdochka."

She squeezes my hand before pushing open the door. The stench hits me immediately—stale food and neglect thick enough to taste. The sour odor of unwashed dishes mingles with something else, something that reminds me of desperation and decay.

"Dad?" Lacey calls out, her voice echoing in the musty air. "Are you home?"

Thundering footsteps from above, and thenheappears on the stairs.

Freddy Huang.

Even without ever seeing a photo, I know it's him. The same bastard who made my wife feel like an outsider in her own family. Who pawned his mother's jewelry. The same useless piece of shit who stole his father's medication.

He freezes mid-step when he spots Lacey inside. Recognition flashes across his face and then twists into a sneer, as if he's got anything to be fucking proud about.

My hands itch to wrap around his throat.

This parasite dared tell my Lacey she didn't belong, when he's the one who disappointed his family at every turn. But I stay rooted in place, watching him through narrowed eyes, wishing he'll give me an excuse to beat him to a fucking pulp.

From inside the house, I hear Freddy's voice as he approaches Lacey.

"Thought you left for good," he says. "What the fuck are you doing back here, LaceyMcKinney?"

The way he spits out her name makes my jaw clench. Through the doorway, I watch him descend the rest of the stairs, his gut hanging over his belt.

"Where's Dad?" Lacey asks, her voice steady despite the tension I can see in her shoulders.

"Oh, here we fucking go." Freddy throws up his hands. "Come to lecture me again? Dad's fine, no thanks to you."

"Listen to me," Lacey says, taking a step forward. "We're in danger. There are people?—"

"We?We'rein danger?" Freddy cuts her off with a harsh laugh. "There is nowe, Lacey. You made that clear when you fucked off six weeks ago to fuck your way through Paris."

"That's not what happened!"

"No?" Freddy cocks his head. "Pretty sure that's what you texted Megan. What did you say? Oh yeah, something about blowing your honeymoon budget on a self-pity journey of discovery? Guess that banker finally woke the fuck up about the kind of doormat he was about to marry."

"I didn't come here to argue with you!" Frustration creeps into Lacey's voice. "If you'd just listen?—"

"I don't need to listen to shit from you!" Freddy advances on her, his face reddening. "You're not even part of this family!"

I see his hand rise before Lacey does. In a heartbeat, I'm through the door. My fingers lock around his wrist before he can complete the swing, and I slam him against the wall hard enough to rattle the family photos on the walls.

"Touch her," I growl in his ear. "And I'll break every bone in your pathetic body."

The color drains from Freddy's face when he sees me. His eyes dart between me and the door like a trapped animal.

"I-I'll have your money," he stammers, hands raised. "Just need another week, I swear to God?—"

Pathetic. I release my grip and he crumples to his knees, groveling. My lip curls in disgust. This sniveling coward dares to lecturemyLacey?

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