âRYTHâ¦
Nick called.
The heavy thud of steps drew my focus. She was pissedâ¦
Not that I wasnât expecting it. I shoved the controller to my desk and rose from the chair as she rounded the landing.
âGet the fuck off me, she barked.
A damn hurricane tore into my room, snarling, her eyes wide, and her hands flailing in the air as she screamed at me. I caught that weak-ass prick Gioâs name, then something about it being convenient, whatever the fuck that meant.
But the entire time my little sister stabbed me in the damn chest with her finger and screamed up in my face, all I thought about was fucking her.
âYou fucking beat him bloody!â she roared. âHe walks with a goddamn âHeâs lucky heâs walking at all,â I answered coldly. âHe has Caleb to thank for that.â
I could still see the blood on my hands, still hear his whiny goddamn pleas. He thought he was fucking safe hiding in Lazarusâ shadow, thought he was untouchable. When it came to Ryth, no one was safeâ¦
âYou couldâve killed him!â She was working herself up.
She wanted to hit me.
Iâd let her, too.
I lifted my gaze to Nick, who just looked at me with a pained expression and shrugged. His hair was a damn messâ¦
My brows rose as I narrowed in on her. The way her shirt was wrinkled, the way her breaths deepened. I stepped closer, making her pull her hand back.
âYou look pissed, little sister,â I murmured. â
She flinched, and her breath was snatched away for a second. Then those perfect lips curled in a sneer. âYou bastard.â
Her venom made that in my chest flutter. âNow you get it.â I stepped forward as Nick closed my bedroom door.
Her fucking mom was still here, still feeling If she was gone, Iâd have her daughter on the floor in an instant, her knees parted and her pussy filled. I swallowed a flare of jealousy. I wanted my fucking fill too.
I licked my lips as she stumbled backward and smacked into my brother. That flare of anger met a flicker of fear. I caught the flare in her eyes. She flinched when I lifted my handâ¦
âI am a bastard,â I said carefully as she glanced behind her, moving to the side until she hit the wall. âI am a mongrel, and a bully. I am a ruthless piece of shit and a goddamn animal.â I stopped right against her, forcing her against my chest. I didnât give her room, didnât give her airâ¦
Suffocating.
Buried.
Howling with desire.
Thatâs how she made me feel.
was the fucking beast she triggered. The one whoâd invaded her goddamn room and stolen her panties. The one whoâd driven his fingers into that sweet little cunt under the table with our parents just a few feet away. The one who wanted to see her ruined by meâ¦and my brothers.
So fucking ruined.
âSo you better get your pretty head around that, little sister. Because when it comes to family, thereâs nothing and no one I wonât destroy.â
She stiffened, then tilted her head until those blue eyes met mine. The primal urge to protect her corrupted me. My hold slipped, there was no stopping the fall. Because I was falling.
âStay away from him,â she warned. âThereâll be no more bloodshed, do you hear me?â
âAs long as he stays away from you.â
She flinched and swallowed hard, then shoved me away. âLet me out.â I moved away, letting her go.
She shoved Nick to the side, yanked open the door, and was gone with the thunder of her steps.
I stared at the open door, listening to her.
Sheâd calm downâ¦
Either way, she was safe. Thatâs all I cared about. Nick met my gaze, giving me a wounded smile before he left. Her bedroom door slammed with a Loud enough to let everyone in the damn house know she was pissed.
I clenched my jaw, then turned.
She thought her precious little boyfriend was hurt.
But she didnât understand.
It had been a message.
One received loud and clear.
I glanced at the monitor and found that the game was stuck and I was dying over and over again. I stepped closer and hit the button, killing the damn thing cold. I couldnât play, not all fucking day. Iâd been waiting for her to come home, waiting for her to explode.
Now that she had, I needed to run.
I grabbed my sneakers, yanked them on, and strode down the stairs and out the door. By the time I hit the end of the driveway, that unmerciful anger was back.
She was safe.
She was protected.
Thatâs all that mattered.
I turned my head, pushing into a jogâ¦trying my best to ignore the gray fucking Audi following me in the distanceâ¦and the Rossi hitman behind the wheel.