Page 169 of The Forbidden Note

It’s because he’s been waiting for an excuse to bash someone’s head in.

My crazed expression is a mirror of his.

Damn.

We really are the lunatics of the group.

My eyes return to Hall who’s swaggering toward us like he’s filming an eighties mobster movie. His finger is on the tip of his knife, flicking it like it’s skin and bones. The moon glints against the dangerous edge, dispensing light all over our faces.

“Where’s the rest of your stupid crew?” Hall grinds out.

The answer is ‘not coming’.

Neither me nor Sol had time to tell anyone we’ve been ambushed. I really wish there was such a thing as twin telepathy. But there’s no way to let my brothers know we’ve been cornered. They’re in the van with the girls, driving far away from this mess.

We’re on our own.

“Why?” I smirk at Hall’s hired hands. “Did your friends want our autographs?”

Hall throws his head back and laughs. “I forgot you’re the funny one.”

“Wrong. I’m the one who beat your face to a bloody pulp last week. Remember that?”

Hall snarls, his face twisted and dark. “I’m going to take you down, Cross.”

I smirk.

“You Kings think you rule Redwood. But guess what. You don’t. Not anymore. I’m taking over now.”

I notice his goons closing in around us, forming a circle that we can’t break out of.

Sol and I inch together, our backs thumping into each other.

“Scared?” Hall laughs.

“Just wondering how much of your daddy’s money went to mobsters.”

“Come on, Zane. Did you think you could dislocate my jaw,” Hall moves his chin back and forth, “give me six stitches,” he indicates the scar beneath his eye, “and just… what? Skip off into the sunset? You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

My smile inches up. “I know exactly who you are. A filthy pig who squealed and wiggled right there on the back steps of Redwood. Remember, Theo? How you begged for mercy? How you peed your—”

“Shut up!”

“The other eye looks a little lonely. Come here. I’ll give you a matching scar.”

Hall’s face turns red and he charges at me. I twist to the side, dodging the knife and grabbing his arm. He’s much scrawnier than me and I use his own weight against him, taking advantage of his wild movement.

My shoulder smashes into his chest and I twist his arm painfully. Hall bawls out like a lamb about to get its head chopped off. I try to displace the knife while he’s trapped against me, but something heavy smashes into the back of my head.

I lose my grip on Hall and stumble to the side drunkenly. My skull ricochets with agony. White-hot blitzes of pain accordion down my spine all the way to my toes. My legs lose their strength and one bends of its own accord as I struggle to get my bearings.

Through the corner of my eye, I see Sol. He’s being cornered by three of the thugs. Arms windmilling, he punches one in the face and gets two blows in return. He’s putting up a valiant fight, but there are too many of them. He’s going to run out of steam.

We need an advantage, but there’s no time to find one.

Hall and the thug that hit me attack me together. I step back and throw a punch at the thug since he presents the bigger threat. I hear the zing of Hall’s knife behind me.

I jump away, but the tip slices me in the side. Scrambling around, I block Hall’s second attempt and shove my shoulder into his chest, driving him backward.

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