Page 64 of Power of Shadow

Two steps away from him is Eli, smiling from ear to ear, though his smile is ominous. He stands bent over, a gun in his hand. A gun that is aimed at my sister.

Zoe’s sitting on a chair. Her hands are bent backward and probably tied. She has gray tape over her mouth.

She's wearing her pajamas, which means those bastards dragged her out of bed. Her enormous eyes tell me the whole truth right now.

She’s terrified.

So much for protecting my little sister from bad things. Of course, I know it’s not entirely possible, but I protect her as much as I can.

My breathing quickens again. This time, it’s not from arousal but from rage.

I stare at the smiling Eli, trying to pull my hand out of the grip.

“You’re already a fucking dead man, you know that?” I growl at him, baring my teeth like a wild animal. Immediately afterward, I yell at Ryker, “Let me go, for fuck’s sake.”

“Don’t do anything rash, baby. Your sister’s in no danger.” Ryker tries to calm me down.

“No? You almost fooled me with your schemes!”

In anger, I turn to Ryker, intending to punch him, but he predicts my plans. Grabbing my wrist, he spins me around again, and traps me in his arms.

And to think just a few moments earlier, I’d let this man dip his fingers inside me! I can’t believe I let myself be tricked like that.

Eli’s loud laughter enrages me even more. “So much aggression. Ryker, your girl has sharp claws. Maybe I should—”

“One more word, and I’ll make sure you end up at the bottom of the ocean,” the man behind me interrupts. To me, he whispers, “Let me explain something, my Little Killer.”

“Little Killer? Little Thief suits her better.” Eli continues to provoke me, and I don’t even want to know how he can hear Ryker’s words.

If they expect me to be a submissive kitten, they should think again. With all my strength, I lean back and hit Ryker in the face with the back of my head. I don’t hear the crack of broken bones, but I hope I’ve damaged his beautiful face. I want to see blood on his skin.

“Let her go, Eli,” I order, furious. Despite my efforts to break free, Ryker’s arms tighten even more, though his curses under his breath give a little satisfaction.

In a second, my heart leaps into my throat and my body freezes. I hear Eli’s gun being cocked, and my sister’s terrified cry pierces the air.

First, my gaze focuses on her eyes, streaming with tears, and then on the man whose days are numbered.

“Now is when you tell your sister that if she doesn’t stop, it will all end badly,” Eli says to Zoe with a broad smile. “Can I count on you, sweetheart? I can take the tape off your pretty little face and you won’t scream, am I right?”

Zoe nods in agreement. Eli grabs a piece of gray tape and pulls it off, not caring that it hurts my sister.

“Who the fuck are you?” she says, trying to look fierce. Her wild eyes wander over every man in the room.

When her eyes rest on me, I sigh. “The one who doesn’t care is Theodore Banning.” I nod to show who I mean.

“Theo. No one but my father and stepmother calls me Theodore.”

Although he’s speaking to me for the first time in my life, I instantly sense that there’s bad blood there. “Well, apart from his problems with his mommy and daddy, Theodore is a pretty nice guy.”

His blue eyes harden.

“The nice guy behind me”—I tilt my head back again and this time hit his jaw—“is Ryker Elliot. He thinks he’s a big bad wolf, but he’s really a sweet puppy.”

Zoe just blinks at the way I introduce the guests.

“And that dead man behind you, sis, though he’s still alive, but not for long, is Elijah Montgomery. He enjoys suffering, so I’ll take care of him first and then those two.”

Warm breath brushes my neck. Ryker is laughing at me. “I see you have a knack for winning people over.”