Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Just behind this door,” Carl says, leading us farther. The music is only a low thumping behind walls, and I don’t even know where all this is headed, because this woman is a witness in the making. We can’t have her here.
An ugly thought rises in my blackened heart. What if this is some elaborate revenge by Nico? What if he brought me here, pulled me into this fucked-up situation, so that I suffer? What do I really know about his cruel, twisted mind?
If he wants to go through with this threesome, could I sit in a corner and watch? Not only would I be watching my brother have sex, which, barf, but also Nico with someone else? What kind of fucked up punishment would that be? Watching the man I lo—
“No, this won’t do!” The dancer giggles in Nico’s arms and before I know what’s happening, she pushes up my mask. “If you’re watching, I want to see your face. Aw, you’re a cutie!”
But my heart turns into ice as I turn my gaze to my brother and our eyes meet.
Chapter 23
Nico
Fuck.
Double fuck.
It happened so fast I couldn’t stop her, and now here we fucking are. My heart is a boulder in my chest as I let the dancer down to the floor.
“That’s my brother,” Carl says. He’s sobering up fast, his gaze drifting between Blake and me. I’ve no doubt that he’s assessing my size.
The poor girl has no idea what’s going on and makes a face at him. “Ew! Carl! What the fuck?” She steps back from us. “That’s far too fucked up for me. What next? Is he your cousin or something?” She points at me, but all I’m wondering is whether Carl has a weapon on him, so I stand a bit closer to Blake, just in case.
Carl frowns and grabs her by the wrist. “What? I had no idea he’d be here.”
The dancer twists her hand away and takes a step toward the door, her earlier playfulness gone. “Are you really trying to convince me you didn’t recognize your own brother because of some stupid mask? Give me a break. I’m kinky, but not into some incest shit,” she says and strides out, not bothering to spare any of us another glance.
Carl keeps his eyes on me, aware that I might be a predator. “B-Blake. Where have you been? What is this? Who is this?”
Okay, so he’s playing dumb. Fair enough. It gives me time to count the clicks of the woman’s heels. The farther away she is, the better. Preferably, I want her back in the smoking room before I act.
Blake, who’s been stiff as an aging tree, suddenly comes back to life. He shuts the double door and leans against it, staring at his brother in a silence so intense I swear I can hear his heartbeat. “You… seem worried,” he says flatly. “Distracting yourself with all that music and sex.”
I make note of the smaller door on the other side of the opulent bedroom furnished with heavy wooden furniture someone polished to perfection. It’s either an exit, or just a bathroom, but when Carl takes a step back, I’m thinking it could be his planned way out.
But no matter the painful rift between me and Blake, I make sure I’m close enough to protect him. This boy might have cut my heart into paper-thin strips, but even as a puppet with a void in its chest I won’t let anyone hurt him.
Carl spreads his arms, appearing so shocked I almost believe him. “What? Of course I’m worried! You haven’t returned any of my calls. But the party was already planned. You knew about it so I actually hoped you might show up. Come give me a hug!” he says and steps forward, about to grab Blake.
I don’t hesitate. I stand between them like a wall so fast Carl bounces off me.
“Stay back,” I say, but my voice dulls in surprise when Blake places his palm on my back and lets it rest there, fueling me with the warmth of his body.
Carl tears his mask off in time for me to see his features twitch. He’s handsome, I can give him that, but there’s a predatory edge to his square face, and as he watches me from under his brows, tense like a trapped animal, I itch to grab his neck and be done with it.
Do I want to play with him? Do I want to see him suffer? Absolutely, but every breath he takes means that Blake continues to be threatened by his very existence.
“Who the hell is this guy, and why is he barking at me, huh?” Carl asks, looking right past me.
The air grows denser with each passing second, but when Carl leans forward, as if he’s about to grab Blake, a soft voice resonates behind me like a bell.