Page 43 of These Monstrous Ties
He yanks back the zipper on the bag and hauls me out by my throat, crushing my windpipe in the process. Even though I know I shouldn’t, even though I know it’s not how to get out of a hold like this, my hands fly to his fingers, trying to peel him off of me. I’m panicking.
Nicolas has my gun, my knife is in my back pocket, and when Jeremiah slams me against the wall beside the sliding glass doors of the entrance, I see spots.
“What did you say to me?” he asks me, my feet dangling off the floor.
My throat is going to look like a fucking plum when these boys are done with me.
I don’t bother trying to speak. I know I won’t get a word out.
“Jeremiah, it was my fault. I took her.” Nicolas’s voice. And then I see him, behind my brother, reaching out a hand. Like he might actually lay one on Jeremiah. His eyes are wide, and I realize he’s scared. Guards are scattered about the room, Kristof being one of them. He’s watching me with a wry smile. I don’t even get the satisfaction of seeing his bandaged leg. He wears pants that cover it.
Motherfucker.
Jeremiah’s jade eyes are narrowed. He’s wearing a suit, a crisp white shirt under his blazer. In that moment, there’s nothing I want more than to get his own blood all over it. Fuck him.
He lets me go, throwing me against the wall one more time before he does. He turns his back to me, starts to pace, his hands clench into fists.
“What should I do with you?” he asks loudly. No one answers. Nicolas looks relieved he let go of me; his shoulders sag, and his eyes flick to mine, his brows going up, almost like he’s apologizing.
But this is my mess.
I put my hand to my throat, rubbing at my sore muscles and tendons there.
“Kill me,” I answer for him. “It’s what I was trying to do when you dragged me from the asylum last year. Before you and your fucking Unsaints fucked that up. Fucking go ahead and help me out. End it now. I’m nothing but a pain in your ass. I willalways benothing but a pain in your ass.”
He stops pacing, but he doesn’t look at me.
Now Nicolas looks furious. With me. Kristof is leering at me. I’m glad Trey isn’t here. He had told me where Lucifer was. I don’t want him to get the brunt of my brother’s bullshit, too. I wonder where Brooklin is. If she’s getting a full-body massage in her suite on my brother’s floor. I have no idea how she deals with his bullshit. If he’s like this with me, I know he has to be worse with her. He’s ordered her around in front of everyone, commanded her here and there. Once, I’d seen him raise his hand as if he were going to hit her, but he hadn’t.
That was the only time I’d seen them argue.
But that’s because Brooklin keeps her mouth shut. Brooklin is meek. She cows to my brother.
I don’t. I won’t.
Damn him.
“That’s what you want?” he finally asks me. His voice is lowered. But I know that doesn’t mean he’s calm. It means he’s angrier.
“Yep,” I say in mock cheerfulness. “Put a goddamn bullet through your sister’s brain and bury me with the rest of your thugs.” I shrug. “Or burn me. I don’t give a shit.” I sag against the wall, letting my head tilt back, stuffing my hands in my hoodie pockets. I talk a good game. I really don’t care if he does kill me. But I’m fucking tired.
Today has been aday.And considering my life, that’s saying something.
Besides, Lucifer won’t get out of my head. He’s right here. He might have always been right here. He’s withJulie.They have a child. I’m going to kill him.
Jeremiah turns around to face me, finally. He has a smile on his face.
“Okay,” he says quietly. Then he reaches inside his blazer and pulls out a gun. He cocks it, aims at my head. “If that’s what you want,Sis.”
Nicolas freezes. He had been rubbing his hand over his jaw, but now he’s frozen, staring at my brother with an open mouth.
Hell, even Kristof looks uncomfortable, which is saying something. I feel quite sure he would have no qualms about fucking my dead body. But suddenly he isn’t leering at me anymore. He looks like he’s holding his breath, his gaze darting from me to my brother and back to me.
Jeremiah hasn’t faltered.
I haven’t moved. I don’t want to. Let him do it.
I try to dare him with my eyes. I won’t look away. If he’s going to pull that trigger, if he’s going to kill his sister, he’s going to watch my expression. He’s going to stare into my eyes. I willnotlook away. I’ll let him see the complete and totallackof betrayal in my gaze. I always expected it would come to this. Unsaints are unhinged, and he might not be one of them now, but he was bred one. Besides, this hotel has seen enough death, these people have caused enough of it.
