Page 264 of Quinlan

“Together.” He covers Quinlan’s palm with his. They share a smile I could never forget. A smile I’ve been dying to see on Liam’s face.

They turn to us, and Rome and I know what to do.

More flames curl across Aria’s shoulders, arms, and her clothes and flesh. The ropes burn. The chair burns.

All of it will be gone soon.

Our job is done.

“Dame,” Liam says.

“Yeah?” I tilt my head, hands and Zippo in my pockets.

“You had a plan.” He jerks his chin at the man behind me. Quinlan’s quiet, studying my expression. Seeing through me. “For him.”

I did have a plan.

I planned to hurt him by kidnapping his little half-sister. Torturing his soul before I put my hands to his flesh. Carving his skin. Sinking a knife to his flesh. Pulling his heart out like he tore out mine when he tortured Jagger and Laurel and made me watch. All the days I wasn’t home to save them. All the times he cut me.

Thatwasthe plan.

My blood still sings at the prospect of cutting him until he dies. My fingers still itch to grip the handle of the knife.

I’m the same bloodthirsty motherfucker I’ve been for over twenty-three years.

Unless Quinlan has other things in mind.

She could ask me to call everything off. Or worse. Tell me she wants to leave so she wouldn’t have to witness me killing him.

That wouldn’t make me change my plans. No, I refuse to believe it would. Rex is dying tonight.

For what he did to Jagger. To Laurel.

To me.

Most of all, to Quinlan.

Rome’s hand isn’t on my shoulder anymore. The smoke from Aria’s body isn’t as suffocating. Liam’s heavy attention is light. Barely there.

My mind is clearer, yes. I can think.

Quinlan has been begging—no,demanding—that I let her out. That we kill Rex together. Hell, she broke out of our apartment to get the job done herself. Except this isn’t a hypothetical situation anymore.

This is her half-brother, after all.

She could be repulsed by what I’ll do to him.

Will you?

Quinlan’s gray eyes stare at me, emotion flashing through them.

This is the moment I open my fucking mouth. Ask her to join me.

The moment I pick the sharp knife off the table, order Quinlan to grab hers.

Fuck, I’m a prick for wishing she’d stand at my side. I’m a bastard for wanting her to tell metogetherbefore we kill him.

Quinlan said that to Rome, then Liam.

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