Page 232 of Red Marked

“I’ll kill her,” he snarls. “I swear to fuck, I’ll kill her.”

The steel bites into my skin. Blood runs down into the collar of my T-shirt. I feel it warm and sticky.

Flint

This prick is unhinged.

I should never have taken the time to send messages to both Rift and Magma.

It looked like Star had everything under control. Like I had time. Turns out I was wrong, and if anything happens to her, I will never forgive myself.

“I’ll kill her,” he snarls. “I swear to fuck, I’ll kill her.”

I’m two steps into his kitchen, and there’s a knife at her throat. Jett’s eyes are wild.

“Back off!” he shouts.

I do as he says.

Scales are coming up on Star’s forearms. Silver, spreading from her wrists toward her elbows. Her hands are locked around the arm that’s holding her.

“Don’t you shift.” He drags her tighter. “Don’t you dare, Star. I’ll cut you before you’re halfway there. You know I will.”

“O-okay.” Her voice cracks. “I won’t.”

The scales stop spreading. They pull back but not all the way.

“What have you done?” He’s talking to her, but he’s staring at me. “What did you do, Star? Why is he here?”

She whimpers. I see both fear and anger in her eyes.

“There’s no way this ends well.” Jett isn’t talking to either of us now. “No way. No way.”

Shit.

This can go sideways fast.

If he panics, he might do something stupid.

“It’s okay,” I say. “It’s fine.”

“It isn’t fine.” His voice rises. “Why did you come here? Why? I’m going to have to kill her now. I love Star, and you’re going to force me to end her, and it’ll be your fault. Do you hear me? Yours.”

“No one is killing anyone.” I hold my hands up, palms out, where he can see them. “Nobody.”

“I can’t be exposed. I can’t!” He shakes his head. “I won’t…no.”

“Jett sent me the email.” Star gets it out fast. “All those years ago. It was him!”

The email.

I frown as realization dawns.

It was him. All this time, it was fucking him.

“Shut up! Shut up!” He digs the knife in, and she winces, and blood wells along the edge of the blade.

I make myself stay where I am.