Page 191 of Glutton for Punishment

He just laughs maniacally.

“I always knew you were my favorite, brother,” Maylo says, still grinning even as I tighten my grip on his windpipe.

My arm stays locked against his throat. I don’t ease up on him. “What is wrong with you?” The words scrape out rougher than I intend. “Don’t you care? This is your bond.”

His expression flickers. I press harder, and the words come through my teeth. “Do you have any concern about what happens to her?”

Maylo’s eyes sharpen. Something dangerous passes through them. “Don’t you dare question my love for my stormcloud,” he hisses.

He breaks my hold with a sudden, effortless twist; the motion so fluid it’s like I never had him pinned at all. I stumble back half a step as he draws a sharp breath and straightens, rolling his shoulders.

Atticus starts towards him in fury, but I lift an arm to stop him. I close the distance between us, my teeth grinding together.

“Then tell me. Tell me where she is. I know you know things. Like last year when you cut my hand knowing the bond would complete.”

I can see the conflict behind his eyes.

Good.

That means I’m not completely off base, even if it sounds crazy.

Maylo exhales slowly through his nose. “I can’t,” he says, strained. “It would ruin everything.”

My fists clench at my sides. “Tell me what you mean.”

He shakes his head, and I see the crazy creep back into his eyes.

“He said we have to wait,” Maylo mutters, almost like he’s talking to himself now. “Everything happens when it’s supposed to. He promised she’ll be fine. We have to wait. We have to listen.”

I don’t have time for this nonsense. I snap. The wall beside him takes the hit as my fist drives straight into the drywall. It caves, plaster and dust exploding outward in a sharp crack that echoes through the hall.

Maylo doesn’t even jump and instead moves to check the hole.

“Maddox,” Atticus says, “someone’s coming.”

One of mine rounds the corner, breathing hard, like he’s run here the entire way here.

“Maddox,” he says, straightening, ignoring the mess and my bleeding knuckles. “They’ve made contact. We know who has her.”

He holds out his laptop, and I snatch it away without thinking. A photo loads on the screen and dread soaks me inside out.

The photos show the person knocked out and tied to a chair with ropes. There’s a black bag over her head, but I know her.

I spent hours studying her while she slept, my borderline obsession over my bonded. I know Arwen’s body like I know the sky is blue.

That’s her.

My fingers tighten around the edge of the laptop hard enough that the casing creaks.

Just one line of text beneath the image.

‘Come and get her.–V’

Cold, absolute clarity that wipes everything clean. Then the fury hits.

Something inside my ribs detonates and leaves nothing but white noise and violence behind it.

“Vex,” I growl.