Page 70 of Capitol Matters

I snorted.

“I just wanted to be like you guys,” he continued. “Now, I’m not sure I want that anymore.”

My attention dropped to his hand, tattooed with the same thorny skull I sported. It was a mark people had, and would, kill for. I’d seen that during my time in prison, where I’d been as powerless as my brother was every day. At least in Thorngate, the scales were balanced. The real world was not so fair.

“I never wanted to keep anything from you, Donnie,” I said softly. “Nothing good, anyway.”

We pulled into the Lazy Daze lot. Its red and white edifice was lit by warm yellow lights. The retro vibe might have been cool if it was intentional rather than just outdated and in disrepair after decades of substandardmaintenance.

As much as I wanted to be tucked in my bed, clinging bits of memory forced me to stay put. This hadn’t always been a safe place or a happy one. In fact, I wasn’t sure it ever had.

Eleven years earlier

The beep of the keycard caused me to stir, but I didn’t fully rouse until a hand clamped over my mouth.

Fingers pressed to my lips smothered a shout, and I sucked sharp breaths through my nose as a body slid under the covers against my back. My eyes opened to the sight of Donovan in the bed across from mine. The sheets draped over him rose and fell with his soft snores.

As the intruder curved his body around me, I recognized the musky smell of Avery’s cologne. His hand stayed tight across my face as a whisper rushed past my ear.

“Hope you don’t mind, I let myself in.”

Fear held me stiff as Avery wormed his other arm under my shoulder. It came up in front of me, holding a knife that glinted steely and sharp in the near-absent light. I froze—didn’t even breathe—as the blade angled toward my throat. My head tipped back, straining away from the weapon, but I only succeeded in pressing deeper into the other man’s embrace.

His teeth grazed my earlobe in a pinching nip. “Youknow about the quiet game?”

When I didn’t respond, he poked the dagger into my Adam’s apple and asked again.

“Do you?”

My stifled “Mmhmm” proved answer enough.

“Good,” Avery replied. “Because your baby brother’s sacked out over there, and it’d be a shame to wake him.”

My hands knotted in the covers as sweat began to bead on my skin.

Another prick of the knife drove a grunt of affirmation from me.

“Good boy,” Avery cooed.

My jaw clenched as I focused on Donovan’s form, steeped in blissful sleep.

“Relax…” The word dragged out in what should have been a soothing voice, but it didn’t keep my heart from thrashing inside my chest or loosen muscles knotted so tight I was shaking.

Avery kissed my cheek, and the dagger disappeared, freeing his hand to tug at the waistband of my pajama pants.

Instinctively, I jerked away, but Avery gathered me back up, still gripping my face.

“If you wake him up, I’ll shut him up,” the conjurer hissed. “Got it?”

Slouched in the driver’s seat, I draped onearm across my chest and stared at the neon sign above the motel office door flashing NO VACANCY.

“You ever think about moving out of this dump?” I mused.

Donovan swiveled toward me. “And go where?”

I shrugged.

“The whole gang lives here.” He motioned to the low-slung building. “I don’t think Grimm would like it if we left.”

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