Page 25 of The Psychopaths

“Then make sure she doesn’t see through me.”

Shame creeps into his features when he looks away.

With a curiosity that cannot be ignored, I survey him. “What did you do to her? I’m guessing nothing good if you’re wearing a look of shame like that for the first time in your pathetic life.” He refuses to meet my eyes, as if the truth is too ugly to face. “The way she looks at you. With this deep, unbearable hunger.” I’m taunting him, waiting for the moment he gives in and confirms what I already know. “Wait, you don’t feel the same way about her, do you? That’s what it is, right?”

“It doesn’t matter. Leave her alone. She has nothing to do withus.”

“You keep saying that, but you’re the one in this cell, and I’m the one outside of it, walking around pretending to be you. It wouldn’t take much effort to have her beneath me.”

“Don’t,” he grits out through his teeth.

“Then tell me what you did.” I lean in closer. “Did you fuck her, use her, break her heart, and discard her like garbage? Give me your worst, and remember, I know what you’re capable of.” I shift to keep an eye on his face. His nostrils are flared, and his brows are drawn low and tight.Bingo.“Sorry, did I touch a sore spot? Lilian must’ve done a number on you.”

“Don’t touch her.” Aries’s voice is eerily calm.

“Did you fuck her?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean? Don’t you want me to know if she’s a virgin so I can ensure she’s prepared properly? Got to know if I can fuck her hard and fast or if I’ll need to take my time.”

“She’s not yours to claim!” He surges up off the floor, his lips pressed into a thin line, anger rushing off him. Nail into the coffin. There is no way he isn’t interested in her. No, he wants her just as badly as she wants him. Too bad neither of them will get what they want.

“She’s not yours either, and from where I’m standing, it looks like I have a much better chance of claiming her. Sleep well.” I grin and slam the door over the food slot closed.

Let him sit on that for a bit.

My quarters is the only finished section of the warehouse—the one place that’s mine, not designed as part of the revenge. I built it with my own hands—drywall, electrical, plumbing—with skills learned in the institution’srehabilitation program. Ironically, they taught me how to build while breaking me down.

I strip off the rest of Aries’s clothes and step under the shower’s scalding spray. I need to wash off the stink of his life, his privilege. There won’t be any washingheraway.

Lilian.A delicate name for a girl who’s anything but. I can see why my brother was so interested in her. I’m curious to know to what degree? Sex? Making out? She had claimed they kissed, but I don’t get the impression noble Aries let it go any further than that.

I press my forehead against the cool tile, letting water sluice down my back. The scars there are nothing but reminders of restraints,treatments,all of the fights. I’m taken back in time to the nurse who loved to cop a feel, of the other nurse who took my virginity when I wasn’t in a position to say no. It paid off in the end...she did help me get free after all.

My cock hardens despite my attempts to focus. It’s not supposed to be this way. Lilian is a pawn. Another way to hurt Aries. A loaded weapon to be used at my disposal. I tell myself these things, but I don’t believe them. If only I could forget the feel of her waist beneath my hands. The slight catch in her breath when I pulled her close.

It’s only because she thought I was him.

It felt good to be seen, to be wanted, to have someone look at me like they gave a shit. Even if the only person she saw when she looked at me was Aries.

Fuck me.

I shut off the water with unnecessary force. Lilian is a complication I don’t need. Hurrying from the shower, I dry off and get dressed in a pair of sweatpants before I move to my planning table and spread out the surveillance photos.

Aries’s face stares back at me from dozens of angles. He’s the reason we’re here, the target of my revenge, and still, my eyes gravitate to the few images of Lilian I have.

She’s a threat. A fucking complication. She needs to be eliminated so the plan can be carried out without a problem. But the thought of harming her, of hurting her, makes me sick to my stomach. Never mind how angry realizing that makes me.

I try to refocus my attention, staring at the blueprint of Aries’s office at Hayes Industries. The one he, I, haven’t even claimed yet. The one Father hopes Aries will occupy permanently one day. Phase two of the plan involves getting inside and accessing certain files before the old man can destroy them.

Evidence of what they did, not just to me but to others. The safety deposit box key is still in Aries’s desk at the Mill House. I’ll need to retrieve that before anyone notices he’s missing.

Lilian’s pretty blue eyes flash in my mind, along with the hunger there that sparked a raging inferno of emotions that I hadn’t ever felt before. I slam my fist against the table in frustration, the action causing papers to fly everywhere. This isn’t part of the plan. Lilian was supposed to be peripheral damage, collateral in my war against the Hayes family and my brother.

Not...whatever the fuck this is. Someone who sees me. The real me.

Emotions have a habit of causing missteps, and one mistake could cost me everything. I grab a bottle of whiskey from the shelf, remove the top with my teeth and bring it to my lips. The burn does nothing to erase the memory of her scent, that mix of expensive perfume carrying notes of vanilla with hints of caramel. Then there’s the way she felt in my arms during that dance. Fragile but unyielding.

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