Page 1 of Ruthless Vengeance
Chapter One
CLARA
I can’t breathe.
Somehow, my brother is standing in the doorway of my cell when he is supposed to be in prison.
His hands are stuffed into his pockets, the dim light from the hall casting his body in shadow. But it’s him.
“Ben,” I whisper, not quite believing that he’s real.
Ben steps into the room, and as the light slowly reveals his face to me, my blood turns cold in my veins.
It’s been years since I last saw him, and yet somehow, he still looks exactly the same, except for his sandy-blond hair, which has been cropped short, almost to the skin.
He even wears the same smirk on his lips that has my skin breaking out in goosebumps as he takes in the sight of my half-naked body, curled up and trembling on the old, stained mattress.
I think back to the incoming call I received just before Marco brought Zoe and me to Alio’s cabin.
Was it Ben calling to say he was getting released early? Or was it for another reason?
I guess I’m about to find out.
“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper, though that might have something to do with the lack of water I’ve had over however long I’ve been locked up in this cell for.
“Nice to see you too, sis.” His voice is colder than I remember.
I stiffen, my nails digging into my palms as I force myself to stay seated on the edge of the mattress. I don’t trust myself not to lunge for him, and that will only end badly for me. Even after all these years, I still haven’t forgiven him for what he did to our mother, and I’m not sure I ever will.
Ben tilts his head, an amused expression on his face, as he leans in the doorway to my room.
“You’re supposed to be in prison.”
Ben shrugs before pushing off the doorframe and stepping further into the room, his boots scuffing against the dirty floor.
“Yeah, well…I got out.”
I frown.
I might have refused to attend Ben’s sentencing in person, but I made sure to look up his parole information for when he eventually did get released. I wanted to be prepared for the reality that he might track me down once he got out, so I know that he had at least another decade to serve inside.
“Got out?” My heart hammers in my chest. “H-how?”
None of this is making sense.
“You should be grateful. This place is three times the size of the cell I was kept in.”
His green eyes flick to mine, and my breath catches when there is nothing but pure, undiluted loathing in them.
“What the hell is going on, Ben?” My palms start to sweat.
“I escaped.” Ben shrugs once again as he tucks his hands into his pockets. “I’m surprised you didn’t see it on the news.”
He escaped?
I almost laugh at how insane he sounds.
Inmates don’t justescapefrom prison, not unless they have help from people on the outside…
