Page 132 of Owned

“Oh, but I think it does,” I said. “You know something. I can feel it. You’re a shit liar, Valen.”

Bastian loomed at the edge of the confrontation. He enjoyed it when we argued. His hatred of Valen had always been the keen edge of a knife. The only time he didn’t resent Valen—the only time they weren’t in competition—was when we were with Avril.

“Spill it,” Bastian hissed. “You know something.”

Valen’s jaw twitched.

“She asked me to help her escape,” he said.

“What?” Bastian’s shout echoed in the room, and before I could stop him, he’d pinned Valen against the stone wall with his arm across his throat.

Valen didn’t fight back, but his hands were set on Bastian’s arm to keep him from cutting off his air supply.

“What?” Bastian shouted in his face.

“She asked me to help her escape,” Valen replied through gritted teeth. “So I did.”

“Get off him,” I snapped. “It’s not going to change anything.”

Bastian let out a strangled growl and stepped away, and Valen coughed and rubbed at his throat.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Valen while Bastian paced behind me. “Tell us what you did.”

Valen shrugged. “I put a motorcycle in the forest for her— I taught her to ride and told her I’d find her.”

Bastian’s face was red.

“Were you going to fucking tell us?” he choked out.

Valen glared back at him. “What does it matter?”

“Were you waiting for her?” I asked.

Valen nodded. “She never came— I found the bike in the woods.”

“Fuck!” Bastian unleashed a smoking projectile at the wall and mortar dust and chunks of stone rained down as the floor vibrated under my boots.

“Get your shit together,” I snapped at my younger brother. “You’re not helping anything. Lucian can’t find out—”

“He’s a fucking traitor,” Bastian said through gritted teeth.

Regret was nowhere to be found on Valen’s face. I didn’t blame him.

Maybe the anger that filled my chest had a different source. Maybe it was because Bastian and I hadn’t been able to enact our own plan fast enough. She’s chosen Valen’s plan instead.

We’d offered her power.

He’d offered her escape.

Freedom.

Fuck.

I stepped forward and stabbed my finger into Valen’s chest. He met my glare without flinching.

“When we get Avril back— We’ll deal with you.”

I meant it as a threat.

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