Page 94 of Ruthless Redemption

He yells as I charge, launching my fist at his cheek. The impact knocks him backward. He falls. I follow.

I straddle his chest, my hand gripping his neck, the other grabbing the knife from his leg to raise it to his throat. “I told you not to touch her.”

He inches his chin away from the blade, his breathing ragged.

“I fucking warned you.” I press the tip of the knife into his skin, my vision red, my mind violent.

“You’re the one who attacked,” he snaps. “We didn’t come here to fight.”

“Instead, you started a war.” I dig the metal deeper, drawing blood.

“Youstarted it, you trigger-happy motherfucker.” He glares at me, eyes stark, skin flushed. “This is onyou.Youractions.Yourknee-jerk impulse. So what are you going to do? Murder me? Is that what we’ve come to?”

“Maybe,” I snarl. “It’s what you deserve.”

It’s what he’s earned for scaring her.Threateningher.

“Matthew.” Layla’s plea whispers through my rage, her light footsteps approaching.

I keep staring at Remy, devouring his suffering, feeding off his fear.

“Don’t kill him.” Her gentle hand comes to rest on my shoulder. “Use him instead. He can give us information on Emmanuel.”

She’s such a treasure. A fucking godsend in a moment of madness.

“Did you hear that?” I sneer. “My woman just saved your life.”

“Probably because your woman has more fucking brains than you.” His nostrils flare as he remains rigid.

Salvatore groans from a few feet away, regaining consciousness.

“Get behind me.” I shoot Layla a glance and wait until she complies before I push to my feet. I drag her close, one hand on her waist as she stands at my back, the other holding a tight grip on the blade at my side.

Both brothers remain on the ground. Remy clings to his injured thigh. Salvo clutches his head. Both of them sit with knees bent and shoulders slumped. Defeated but far from punished.

“Are you here to take me back to Emmanuel?” Layla asks. “Or just to kill me?”

They don’t acknowledge her. Don’t even wrench their gazes from me to pay her the respect she deserves.

“Answer her,” I demand.

“We’ve already explained why we’re here.” Salvo raises his chin, his eyes hard. “We told you we came to fucking talk.”

“You came with raised guns,” she counters.

“For self-fucking-preservation.” Remy looks to her, finally, with resentment. “After what we’ve done to you in the past, we didn’t think a gift basket would’ve been a sufficient peace offering.”

Peace offering?“What the fuck are you two playing at?” I keep my hand on her, not letting her away from my touch. Not trusting them for a second.

“It’s a long story.” Salvo labors to his feet.

“Find a way to make it short.”

“As if we fucking wouldn’t if we could.” Remy removes his belt and wraps it around his thigh. “A lot has happened since we were kids.”

I tense, not understanding why they need to delve that far in history. “Who’s this about. Me? Or Layla?”

“It’s about all of us, you psychotic fuck.” Remy struggles to stand, the blood on his leg soaking into his suit pants. “We wanted to get away from Emmanuel and thought our long-lost brother might help. I just didn’t anticipate it being in a fucking body bag.”

---