I frown at him, not interested in anything he has to say.
“River was already with him, you see. He actually had called me to tell me the address. I was out on some back road, looking for the turn that would take me to him. I had been drinking a lot.”
My heart skips in my chest as he continues. I’m not sure what he is playing at, but it isn’t funny. Still, I cling to his words.
“I swerved. Some stupid kids were in the road or beside it. Whatever. That’s beside the point. When I swerved, I hit something. And do you know what I hit?”
My eyes are wide now, mouth gaping open.No. Impossible.All of the pieces of that night fall into place. The memory of the shadowy figure racing off into the woods—it was long and thin, not bulky. The voice that had cursed, I later recognized when Snake turned up, but I couldn’t make the connection. My head is spinning out as it all comes together.
“That’s right. I killed that girl that night. And I got away with it too. I just thought you should know, little brother. You know, before I kill you.”
“Wait. But you told them you witnessed me leave the house in that stolen car, drunk as piss. You stood up before the entire court and told them you believed I was guilty and should spend the rest of my life rotting behind bars.” My rage meets an all-new high, one I’ve never felt. I slam my hand down hard against the wrist of his hand holding the knife, and the blade nicks my skin, but I am too far gone to care about the pain. The knife falls from his grasp, and I reach out, taking him by his collar with both hands and shaking him hard.
His head lolls back as he laughs. “I know. It was brilliant, huh?”
I look at his face, searching for any hint of remorse, but there isn’t any. Avalee’s voice enters my head as thoughts of beating Snake senseless cross my mind, and I release my grip. “You’re garbage. You aren’t worth getting locked up again over.”
Snake straightens himself, reaching for his neck to massage where the collar rubbed him wrong. “Maybe I won’t kill you yet. Hear me out, and all of this can go away.”
I look at him in disbelief. “You think, after all this, I will still help you with whatever it is you two are up to?”
River rolls over with a grunt, coming back to his senses. His leg wound isn’t as bad as my first assessment, but he still writhes in pain and reaches down to clamp his big, meaty hands around the cut.
“It’s either that, or one of my guys outside takes your pretty little friend for a ride,” Snake says.
My blood goes from boiling hot to icy cold as I stalk over to the French doors and peer out. Avalee and Stormy aren’t anywhere in sight, and I round on Snake, storming back to him. “Where is she?” I yell.
“Like I said, help us, and you won’t have to worry about us bothering you ever again.” Snake smiles, his voice muffled by the hand clamping his nose, and the swelling is already starting around the appendage.
I have to steady myself. The mix of rage and uncertainty leaves my head spinning so fast I almost lose my equilibrium.
“What do you want?”
“There we go,” Snake says, still pinching his nose with one hand and gesturing with the other. “See, that didn’t have to be so hard, little Ruin.” Snake goes into the kitchen and unwraps the cinnamon rolls I’d made for Avalee and me. He rips off a paper towel from the holder by the sink, stuffing two wads in his nostrils, and then, without washing his blood- and snot-covered hands, pokes a finger into each roll until he lands on one to his liking.
The front door opens, and in comes someone I don’t recognize, with Avalee fighting him. Stormy is yapping from somewhere out of sight, and the guy holding Avalee has clear bite marks on his forearm. The sight brings only a moment of satisfaction, but I’m placing a target on the man holding her. If he tries anything, I will not stop until I have beat them all to bloody pulps.
“Avalee,” I call out. She glances up at me, the terrified woman from the bed gone and replaced by a very pissed-off Avalee—there’s that spitfire sass I remember.“Are you okay?” I ask.
She struggles in the man’s grip but nods. “I will be even better if this moron would let me go already. Where am I going to go, you big buffoon?” He lets her drop to the floor, and I count that as strike three for the nameless goon.
“Enough,” Snake says. “All I want from you is the deed to our daddy’s land. You know how much money we could make selling those acres? Like I said before, it will be enough to set us up financially. You know, after I pay off a few debts and dues, of course,” he says, chuckling and looking at the man hovering over Avalee.
The man doesn’t seem to return the humor, and I realize he is not working for Snake, but rather is here to ensure Snake is successful.Who the hell does this idiot owe now?I wonder. My head is still reeling from the revelation that Snake is behind everything. For once, I want justice to play out in favor of the good guys. Avalee says I am a good guy, so I send out a little request to the universe for help this one time and then turn to the man by the door. I haven’t forgiven him for holding Avalee against her will, but maybe I can use him to get rid of my two brothers for good.
“Hey, big guy, what’s your name?” I ask him.
He tilts his head at me, his man bun staying in place as he does. Honestly, as muscular as he is, he looks as if he could give Momoa a run for his money. “Carter,” he grunts.
I nod at Carter. “You work for Snake or River?”
He sniffs and spits out the door. “Neither.”
Just as I suspected.
“And is your boss expecting money from this little transaction?” I ask, pointing between myself and my two half brothers.
Carter nods. “Yup. I’m only here to make sure they get the deed and don’t try to skim off the top.”
