Page 9 of Theirs to Crave

I focused on the movement, letting everything else fade away.

Open.

Close.

The engines stuttered again, and I forced myself to breathe.

Open.

Close.

I distantly registered the sounds of the others talking, and a part of me knew I should check in, see if anyone was seriously hurt, but I just lay there, my lungs following each spread of my brother’s fingers.

“I’m getting us out,” Mariano whispered. At first I thought he was talking to himself, but then he turned his head to look at me. “I don’t know how. But I will. We’re not dying in a cage. I swear it.”

I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the burn in my eyes from pouring down my cheeks. I wanted to look away, to crawl back into that place where nothing mattered, but he held me there. My teeth clamped onto my lip, my throat aching with the hopeless wails I held in.

Mariano pushed up onto his side, staring fixedly into my eyes. His face was rock hard. “Lo juro, mi hermana.”

All the things I wouldn’t—couldn’t—say battered at me, fighting to pry my jaws open. Instead, I closed my eyes and nodded. I would try to believe it.

“This is all your fault.” Logan’s vicious snarl was jagged like broken glass, a menacing hiss that cut through our little bubble and carved past the dissonant hum of the engine.

My gaze shot up to find his white-knuckled hands gripping Cassandra’s upper arms, his snarling face inches from hers. She curled her body away, pushing against him, but he held her fast.

“You stupid bitch,” he hissed. “You can’t do anything right, can you? Just can’t help yourself. Batting your eyelashes at my mother, embarrassing me in public.” His voice rose, becoming a high, whiny falsetto. “Oh no, Marge, I think Logan’s had too much to drink! I should drive, don’t you think?!” He shook her roughly, dropping back into that ugly growl. “Always sticking your damned nose into my business. Ruining my fucking life.”

“No, Logan, I—”

He cut her off. “You’re fucking worthless.Worsethan worthless. Do you think we’d be here if I’d been driving? No!” He was shouting now, his face red and wild. “I’mnot incompetent, unlikeyou!”

Cassandra’s toes barely touched the ground now, her feet flailing for purchase as silent tears ran down her face.

“Hey, man. Just breathe, she—”

“Let her go, asshole, or I swear—”

“Logan! Stop!”

“You don’t want to do this—”

He didn’t seem to hear our shouts, abuse spewing from his mouth like pus from an abscess.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trembling. My stomach was a roiling mess and my legs twitched, wanting to run. Every cell in my body strained to go to her, to help, but at the same time, all I wanted was to get away, to hide. I could do neither. I could only witness and beg for it to stop.

“You know,” Logan mused, icy disdain slipping over his expression in a lightning-fast mood swing that sent a chill up my spine. “I only kept you around because your father was a senior partner.” He pulled her closer and brushed the hair from her face in a cruel imitation of care, his fingers digging into her chin when she tried to pull away.

His eyes were feverish with excitement as he cooed at her. “Can’t upset Daddy’sprecious little princess. But that doesn’t matter now, thanks toyou. So, I guess this mess isn’t a complete loss.”

Logan ate at her face—punching her with his mouth in an act that had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with power. Cassandra tore her face away, choking, and he snatched her back, his fingers tangled in her hair.

His teeth shone with wild laughter when she whimpered, struggling. The smile stayed in place as he licked his lips and softly murmured, “I’m not stopping when you cry this time. I’m not stopping at all.”

Mariano—who’d been pacing like a tiger along the front of our cell, muttering threats under his breath—lost it. He screamed at Logan, flashes of electricity shooting out with each pound of his fists against the cage door. The acrid scent of ozone and burning flesh filled the air, but my brother didn’t so much as flinch.

Logan’s head whipped to him, and the smirk that twisted his lips grew darker. Without warning, he spun Cassandra around, jerking her back to his front when she stumbled. “What’s wrong? Do you like the little bitch? She’s not really up to my standards, but anything’s gotta beat fucking your sister.”

The others were shouting too, beating at the walls in a shower of sparks and wretched distress.

---