“You little shit.” Blood trickled from the corner of Craig’s mouth where his teeth had cut the inside of his cheek. “Just like always, fighting back when you should know better.”
Zack’s arm screamed in protest as Craig wrenched it behind his back, forcing him face-down against the floor. Splinters from the broken table dug into his cheek, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth where he’d bitten his tongue.
“You want to know the truth?” Words tumbled out of Zack before he could stop them, fueled by pain and fear and years of bottled rage. “I hate you. I’ve always hated you.”
Craig’s weight pressed harder, knee digging into Zack’s lower back.
“Every single day of my life, you made me miserable.” Tears burned at the corners of Zack’s eyes, but he kept talking, voice rising. “You bullied me, beat me up, made me feel like I was worthless. And when Mom and Dad tried to stop you, you killed them.”
Pressure on his arm increased until Zack was certain something would snap.
“You’re a monster.” The words came out broken, half-sob and half-snarl. “You ruined everything. Destroyed our family. And for what? Because you couldn’t handle being told to stand on your own two feet?”
“Shut up.” Craig’s voice dropped to something dark and deadly. “Shut your fucking mouth.”
“I wish you’d died instead of them!” Zack’s entire body shook, from fear or fury or both. “I wish it every single day!”
Metal pressed against his ribs, sharp and cold through his shirt. The knife’s point dug in just enough to break skin, and warmth spread across his side.
Zack’s heart thumped so hard he thought it might burst through his ribcage. This was it. This was how he died, on the floor of his own apartment, killed by the brother who’d tormented him his entire life.
At least he’d finally said it. Finally told Craig exactly what he thought of him.
The front door exploded inward.
Wood splintered with a deafening crack, the lock mechanism tearing free from the frame. Colton filled the doorway, eyes blazing with something feral and terrifying. No warning, no hesitation. He crossed the apartment in two massive strides and his fist connected with Craig’s face.
The impact sent Craig flying backward off Zack’s body. He crashed into the entertainment center, DVDs and books raining down around him, but somehow kept his grip on the knife.
Zack gasped, dragging air into his lungs in painful gulps. Rolling onto his side, he pressed a hand to his ribs where the blade had cut. Blood seeped between his fingers, warm and sticky, but the wound felt shallow instead of deep.
Craig staggered to his feet, face already swelling where Colton’s fist had landed. Instead of running, instead of showing even a shred of self-preservation, he raised the knife and lunged at Colton.
Everything slowed down.
Zack watched his brother charge toward the man he loved, watched that serrated blade arc through the air aimed at Colton’s abdomen, and his entire world contracted to a single point of absolute terror.
Not for himself this time.
For Colton.
“No!” The scream tore from his raw throat as Zack rushed forward, desperate to stop his brother.
Colton moved like liquid violence. One hand caught Craig’s wrist mid-swing, stopping the knife’s momentum completely. His other hand came up, fingers wrapping around Craig’s throat. For a heartbeat, they stood frozen, Craig’s arm extended, Colton’s grip unbreakable.
Then Colton twisted.
A sharp crack echoed through the apartment, final and absolute. Craig’s body went slack, the knife clattering to the floor as his fingers released. Colton lowered him down almost gently, laying the corpse on the hardwood with careful precision.
Silence crashed over everything.
Zack couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t process what he’d just witnessed. His brother—the monster who’d killed their parents, who’d just tried to gut him—lay motionless a few feet away, head at an angle that made Zack’s stomach turn.
Dead.
Craig was dead.
Relief and horror warred inside him, tangling together until he couldn’t tell which emotion was winning. Part of him wanted to cry. Another part wanted to laugh hysterically.
