Doesn’t matter. The pain, the humiliation, I’ll deal with it later.
For now, my stupid, spoiled, immature brother and I need to talk. And by talking, I mean I’m going to give him a rude wake-up call.
“No,” I growl. “You’re the bitch.”
His eyes fly open.
“Yeah, you heard me, Barclay. B-I-T-C-H, bitch. That’s what you are.”Crackand no, I don’t care. Let him hit me. I can takeit. “Being a bully doesn’t make you strong. Chasing Duncan away by threatening him, kidnapping your sister, burning down their house—none of it makes you a big man. It makes you an asshole. A violent criminal. A bitch.”
Crack. Crack. Crack.
At the final slap, his watch grazes my cheek, breaking skin. I feel blood dripping down my cheek.
“Bitch,” I hiss, refusing to crumble in front of him.
Barclay raises his hand.
“Hey, man.” That’s Jayden, coming to Barclay’s side to stop him. “Take it easy on her. Can’t you see she’s bleeding?”
My lips pinch, anger hot and fiery in my lungs.
Seriously? He’s deciding to grow a consciencenow? This bastard held me down while his cousin took a swing at me.
“By the way, losing our business. Our savings…” I seethe. “Trying to sell your sister like some kind of commodity, that also makes you a bitch.”
“Elowyn, wait a second.” Victor takes Barclay’s other side, scratching the back of his neck. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
I only glower at him.
“Badly.” Red stains his cheeks as he corrects himself. “We’re here for Duncan.”
Anger builds up inside me. It’s snowballing, growing bigger and bigger by the second. Whether it’s a result of years of abuse or the confidence from Duncan’s love, it makes no difference.
I’m fuming.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you punched me.” At least Victor has the decency to look ashamed at my accusations. “What the hell does knocking a person out and kidnapping them sound like to you? A misdemeanor? Huh?”
“You’re mad at the wrong people.” Barclay’s eyebrows lower. “The man you whored yourself to, where was he when you needed him?”
“Working,” I shout, tasting blood as a drop trickles past my lips to my tongue. “But since you’re not familiar with the concept, let me explain it to you?—”
Crack.
Jayden begins to pace, mumbling to himself. Victor offers me a pitiful look.
“He isn’t working, you idiot. Victor here was Duncan’sclient.” Barclay’s face goes red, his temper getting the better of him. “We sent him far, far away, but you know what?”
My stomach churns. Bile creeps up my throat, thinking they set fire to the building where they were supposed to meet Duncan.
And I sent him there.
I might’ve killed him.
Wait, but they said they were here for Duncan.
Or maybe Barclay is manipulating you. Again.
Where’s Duncan?
