Page 269 of Quinlan

The look of confusion on his bleeding, disgraceful face lasts for one second.

“Blake?”

“Shut up. Don’t you dare say his name.” Quinlan’s knife goes into the open wound in Rex’s arm, into the one Liam gave him. “Tell me why.”

I move around him, coming to stand next to her. Liam and Rome are around us, the three of us touching her. Grabbing her. Protecting her.

Rex wouldn’t get up to hurt her, no. Whatever she hears, though, might hurt her. He’ll do his best to break her.

I’d kill him before he manages to do that.

Rex’s blood is only the appetizer. I’m hungry for more.

I’d have killed him by now. Put an end to his filthy mouth and the pain he’s about to unleash on Quinlan.

But I won’t take this from her. The closure.

“Why should I tell you anything?” With each word, blood splutters down his chin. His bare chest. She releases her grip on him, wiping her hand on his chest where blood hasn’t reached yet. “I’m going to die tonight. You’ve made my life a living hell over this last month. Might as well go out while I make your life a nightmare. Your parents will never tell you anything; we both know that. So no. I’m not talking.”

Oh, boy. His taunting is like a meal to a starved man.

“You got that right.” I shove two fingers into the gaping wound in his cheek.

The one our brave Quinlan is responsible for. I sink the knife into his shoulder, then add two fingers to the party, pulling on the flesh of his cheek. Tearing it wider. Huffing a derisive laugh at his agonized howl.

“You will die here.” The corners of the gash on Rex’s cheek rip wider. The sound is obnoxious, and he wails at the pain. I regret nothing. “Sure, you can be the monster you’ve always been. You can keep being an asshole to Quinlan. Go right the fuck ahead.”

Quinlan wraps an arm around my waist. Squeezes me.

How did I ever think she’d be against this?

I’m not a believer. Lost my faith over the nights and days of pain and guilt I spent in Rex’s home. But fuck, God, thank you for this. Thank you for her.

Or maybe thank you, universe?

Whatever.

When she holds me like that and I have my two best friends at my side, I don’t care about any-fucking-thing.

His skin falls like red curtains when I release him. I wipe my hands on my pants, looking at him.

Technically, I’m done. I got what I came here for.

Unfortunately for him, he messed up.

He had to fuck with Quinlan.

No. one. Fucks. With. What’s. Ours.

“I’ll be here. The four of us will.” I stick my thumb up, motioning to the people behind me. “We’ll stop the bleeding in your thigh. Wait it out, you know? We can stay here for months. Remove patches of skin one by one. Take our sweet time with you. We’ll tend to your wounds. Keep them from festering.”

I lean forward until I’m everything he sees. Until I stare into the eyes that used to scare the ever-loving fuck out of me.

Now, they’re nothing. Now, one of them bleeds out. The other has fear written all over it.

“Yes, Rex,” Quinlan spits out his name. Her cheek is warm next to mine. “Because who’ll come looking for you? Mom and Dad sure won’t. Their doctors won’t, either. I’ll contact them myself. Say you’re on avacation. Maeve will be happy to get rid of you. You’re a liability, remember?”

His eyebrows shoot up on his pale, sweaty forehead. He fights the pain. His surprise, that shit he can’t hide.

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