Her smile fades, and her eyes go wide, as if she’s been caught in a lie. But she recovers quickly and just glares back at us.
“It’s nothing,” she stammers.
“That is not fucking nothing, Myssa,” Knox snaps. “lift up your shirt right now,” he demands pointing at her stomach.
“Shhhh, damnit, Knox, don’t make a scene. It’s not a big deal.” She slaps his arm away.
“Fuck that, show us,” he says, his eyes blazing.
“No, Knox,” she says stubbornly.
“Myssa, please?” I calmly ask.
She sighs and reluctantly pulls her shirt up.To our horror, there are bruises and small cuts all across her abdomen, like finger marks.
“Who did this to you?” Knox demands, examining closer.
Pulling her shirt back down, she seems to hesitate before giving an explanation. But Knox and I look at each other. We know exactly who did this.
“Well see, I…”
“Stop,” Knox says. "I know you too well, and I know you are trying to spin this to be not a big deal.“Damnit, Myssa don’t lie to us.”
She sighs in defeat and avoids meeting our eyes, which just furthers our suspicions. Her voice is a whisper as she confesses what we feared. “I had a run in with Jasper last night.”
“Fuck,” I say, wiping my hand down my face.
“That’s it, Myssa,” Knox says sternly. “This is not up for discussion or debate. You are staying with one of us.”
“She can stay with me?” I say before thinking.
Her head snaps up to me.
“I renovated the loft on the top floor of the club. I have two bedrooms and plenty of room. I can pick you up before I go to the club, and I’ll let you in. I’ll get you a spare key, and then if you want, you can come back down to the club?” I say.
I can see she’s reluctant to say yes.
“Guys, this really isn’t necessary.”
“The fuck it isn’t,” Knox says.
“Are you two done?” she huffs, squaring off with her arms crossed.
“I don’t need to stay with anyone I can handle myself. And this is exactly why I didn’t tell you, Knox, because your overbearing brother mentality kicks into overdrive. He’s just fucking with me. I can handle it,”
“No, Myssa, you can’t handle it. You have no idea what he’s capable of, or how fast you can get lost in that world. It’s not safe,” he argues.
“I understand what you're saying, Knox, but I made it back before he could do anything else, I did,” she adds, firmly pointing inward.
“By myself, without you or you.” She nods up at me, throwing me into the argument.
“What happens when you can’t? We don’t even know what his plan is with you, and that is a dangerous spot to be in for us,” he says with a look of concern.
It’s half true. We know what he’s been up to, and it’s clear with Myssa being able to transfer like she does that Jasper is on to her being an Original. But I have a feeling she’s a part of his bigger plan.
“I’m pretty sure I have put the puzzle pieces together,” she says. “He wants my soul, and he is using Nik to get to me. And for some ridiculous reason, he just keeps taunting and playing with me,” she says, clearly exhausted.
“He’s been doing this for months, Knox—not days, but months. It’s the same thing over and over, and the only new thing is, he can touch me now. Six fucking months. I have kept this to myself and kept alive just fine.”
