Page 34 of The Psychopaths

All because I couldn’t resist touching her, marking her as different from the rest of the Hayes family rot.

“Okay? She’s my stepsister,” I say, forcing dismissal into my voice.

“And your point is? You’re only related through marriage, not blood.”

“Dancing with someone doesn’t mean I’m fucking them.”

“It doesn’t mean you aren’t, either.” He winks.

“Drop it, Lee.” And this time, I let some of my real voice seep through—the tone that makes orderlies step back and doctors reach for sedatives.

He raises his hands in surrender, but his eyes narrow—like he sees something that he wants to investigate or ask about. “No need to be defensive. All I’m saying is you look at her differentlythan you have any other girl. Like she’s a prize to be earned and not some fuck toy.”

Again, if only I could spill the truth to him, but I can’t. I need to finish this and get out before I slip up any further.

“Lilian is nothing to me, not outside of being my stepsister,” I lie, feeling this strange possessiveness to keep what she might or might not be to Aries and me a secret.

“Sure. Whatever you say.” He rolls his eyes and then continues onto something else. “I meant to tell you but didn’t get the chance. Your parents called me. They’re worried you’re spiraling again, thinking about what happened?—”

“They called you?” My voice is definitely not Aries’s now. It’s darker, harder?—

Lee steps closer standing in front of me now with worry in his eyes. “Yeah, last week. Said you’ve been talking about your brother again. The one who?—”

“Died?” I cut him off, and a bitter laugh escapes my throat. “The troubled twin they sent away for everyone’s good? Is that what they told you?”

I close my eyes against the memory.

I’m trying to spend as little time with Patricia and Richard as possible, but that fucking house is where I’m going to get the most answers. And I always have to go when summoned.

Patricia, vapid, stupid even, only concerned with her status...brushed me off when I showed up at the house. Once we were all settled in Richard’s office, I casually mentioned dropping flowers off at Arson’s grave, and I swear you could have heard a pin drop in the silence as they both stared at me.

“Aries?” Lee takes a step forward, then stops as I turn to face him fully. “You’re starting to scare me, man.”

Good. He should be scared. They all should be. I’m this way because of them.

Think of your plan, of the time, bargaining, of the energy spent getting to where you are.

Don’t slip up. Don’t react.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” I say, smoothing my voice back to my brother’s careful tones. “I’m just stressed about all the up-and-coming changes.”

I know he doesn’t believe me. I can see it in his eyes. He’s caught a glimpse of me, the real me, the version that doesn’t match his best friend’s behavior.

“I should get going,” I say, shouldering the duffel bag. “I have a meeting with my father to prepare for the company position.”

The lie tastes bitter—another piece of the life they gave Aries while locking me away. Lee’s scrutiny is becoming dangerous, making me want impossible things. Like genuine friendship. Like someone knowing who I really am.

“Since when do you call himFather?” Lee blocks the doorway, his features twisting with a mixture of disgust and confusion. “You’ve called him Richard since the day he tried to buy your silence about those illegal imports.”

Fuck.Another detail I missed in my research.

“Move,” I demand, and this time I don’t bother hiding my real voice.

“No.” Lee stands his ground, loyalty to his friend overriding his instincts. “Not until you tell me what’s really going on. Is someone threatening you? Is it about what happened with?—”

Snapping, I grab him by the shirt and slam him against the doorframe. For one fractured moment, I let him see me—really see me. Not Aries with his careful control, but Arson with a decade of pent-up rage and pain.

“I saidmove.”

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