Page 69 of Cruel Revenge

I thought things might be evolving between us, that maybe this thing between us wasn’t so fake anymore. At least, it isn’t for me.

Stupid, Skyla. Real stupid to fall for him. You should know better.

And I should! But it still happened.

I swallow my hurt down.

I guess as soon as this arrangement ends, it will always be just me against the world as always.

Joshua settles back into his seat, but there’s still a deadly energy seeping through his pores. It seems to fill every corner of the van, sucking the oxygen from the air and making it hard to breathe.

This darkness, it calls to me.

But even if things were different between us, if he felt the same way I do, he’d never be able to accept the true me. My darkness would swallow him.

What if in time, he can learn to accept me, to understand the darkest parts of me?

More likely, he’s going to react the same way everybody else does. He’ll see those parts of me, and he’ll run and hide. Pretend that it doesn’t exist in the hopes that it will eventually go away.

No. He can never know. Not that it matters, since for him this is still nothing more than an arrangement, anyway.

Aiden rakes a hand through his hair. “I wanted to talk to you about the Zoe problem, not sit here and argue with you.”

“Then stop accusing me of doing shit I didn’t do.”

Joshua rolls his eyes, leaning his head against the window. “I don’t know why I have to be here for this.”

I don’t know why he’s here for this either. Usually, Aiden tries to keep big discussions limited to family. He doesn’t like having too much information spread.

Aiden’s gaze cuts toward him. “Because Zoe Esposito has been dropping bodies at my doorstep, and now I have to tell two women that they’re widows. And the third man is yours.”

“Fuck.” Joshua’s jaw works overtime as he grinds his teeth. “Who?”

“Don’t know. Andrew picked up the body this afternoon, though. Said he was going to call you.” Aiden arches an eyebrow, looking like a haughty bastard in the middle of a pissing contest.

Joshua looks at me, mischief in his eyes. “I was otherwise occupied, and he didn’t leave a message.”

Aiden starts gagging. “That’s fucked. I could live my whole life without knowing my sister has sex. You realize that, right?”

The smug smirk is the only answer he gives Aiden.

“Boys, we don’t have time for the two of you to do this either.” I lean forward to look at Aiden’s phone as he pulls up video footage of Zoe close to the family house. “Is there any evidence of her on the property?”

“Nope.” Aiden slides the phone away. “But it was her. She carved her initials into their foreheads. I don’t know what the fuck it is with this family and branding people.”

Joshua looks mildly interested. “I didn’t know the Rinaldos brand people.”

“And you still don’t know,” Aiden snaps. “Got it?”

“Fine.” Joshua smirks and looks at me. “I could brand you.”

I glower at him. “Do it, and I’ll force feed you your own balls.”

“Kinky.” He laughs.

When Aiden makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat again, Joshua turns his attention to my brother.

Aiden tilts his head back and looks up at the ceiling. “It’s like I’m running a fucking circus.”

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