Page 212 of Ruin My Life
The press of his brows as he stares at me.
The wicked glint in the corner of his gaze.
The way his eyes crinkle when he starts to grin.
No.
I know that expression.
I’veseenthat expression.
From the floor of my childhood home. While I bled out, staring into the face of a monster who didn’t bother hidinghis smile as it burned through that red devil mask, branding itself into my mind.
And now, he’s standing three feet away from me.
Smiling again.
“Nothing,” I say quickly, flicking my gaze to Lee. My voice is steady, even as my pulse jackhammers in my throat. “I think we should call Damon. Tell him what we’ve found.”
Lee nods, already pulling his phone from his pocket. “I’ll text him. See if he’s finished with Matthias—”
“He will be by now,” I cut in. Matthias will have seen my email by now. I’m hoping that means their meeting ended earlier than expected and he’s on his way back as we speak. “I can call if you want. I don’t care if I interrupt.”
I slide my phone from my back pocket and go to dial—
But Connor grabs it from my hand like a hawk snatching prey from the ground. He lifts it out of reach, toying with it between his fingers.
“Come on, Brie,” he says, his voice suddenly sounding amused. “You started this little fire, and now you’re gonna piss on Damon’s meeting with half a clue and a gut feeling?”
“Con?” Lee asks, tension tightening his voice. “What the hell are you doing?”
Lee takes a step forward, but I catch him with my arm, stopping him cold. Not because I want to—but because I’ve seen that look before.
The smirk. The gleam in Connor’s eye that saysI’ve already won.
Connor’s grin deepens, dripping with malice. “There she is,” he coos. “The infamous Black Rose. Took you long enough to put it all together.”
And then—he lets my phone fall.
It hits the kitchen floor like a gunshot.
Connor doesn’t even flinch. He brings his boot down and shatters it beneath his weight, grinding the screen into dust.
“It was you…” Lee breathes.
Connor turns his head lazily toward him. “You were always a sweet kid, Lee. But sweet doesn’t survive long in ourworld,” he taunts. “Haven’t you heard the saying,keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”
Lee’s eyes go wide. “But… why?”
Connor laughs—low and cold and furious. “Jesus, you really don’t know?” He shakes his head. “You’ve all been so focused on protecting Damon, you never stopped to think whohefailed to protect.”
“Damon is supposed to be your brother,” I snap. My voice comes out sharper than I planned, but I don’t regret it.
Connor’s expression darkens instantly.
“The day he let them kill my sister, any chance of brotherhood between us died with her.”
I freeze.
