Page 73 of ’Til You Break

“Good.”

He presses his gun harder against Marv’s head before looking at his brother.

“Ever wonder if twins look the same on the inside as they do on the outside? I have. And if you don’t come out from behind there... We’re all about to find out.”

Knowing Vik isn’t bluffing, the twin slowly stands and circles the island. He keeps his gun raised, even though he doesn’t want to shoot while Marv is under Vik’s control.

“What exactly do you think’s going to happen here, son?” Scarface asks, a twisted gleam in his eye.

“I’m going to kill you,” Vik says.

“That so?” Scarface flicks open his lighter. A thin blue flame dances above it.

“But first, you’re going to tell me why you killed my mother.”

Scarface laughs. “It wasn’t about your mother. It wasn’t even about your family. We came for something that ended up in the wrong fucking house.”

“The package.”

“Your old man got something that wasn’t meant for him. We were sent to get it back. Your mother got in the way.”

“Need I remind you you’re standing in a pool of gasoline? You’re outnumbered. Outgunned and outplayed.”

“Am I?”

With a flick of his wrist, Vik swings his pistol towards Scarface.

He fires two shots. Aiming low, Vik catches Scarface in the leg. He collapses to the floor screaming.

His revolver lands beside my chair and the lighter flies from his hand.

The free twin opens fire at Vik, but in his panic, hits his brother in the shoulder instead. Vik kicks Marv forward and away, before ducking behind one of the giant pillars that support the roof.

In the chaos, I struggle against my bonds again. Because I’m turned away from the commotion, I don’t see the fire start. But I do feel the heat engulf the room almost instantly.

I drop as low as I can, desperate to stay beneath the thickening smoke. I rock the chair from side to side until one of the legs buckles and I crash to the floor. The backrest splinters on impact, and I yelp as a jagged shard slices into my side. It is not deep enough to stop me, but it hurts like hell.

I free myself from the ropes and seize my chance to grab the gun Scarface dropped after being shot. It’s a revolver with a barrel so short there’s barely anything left of it.

“Hannah?” Vik shouts over the crackling fire.

He’s crouched behind the pillar, shielded from the twins but still able to see me. He leans his gun around the edge, firing blind to keep the remaining twin pinned down without exposing himself.

“I’m—” I roll onto my stomach for a better view and see the second twin charging towards Vik’s pillar.

The words die in my throat. Surrounded by the growing fire, the twin barely looks human. Just rage embodied. Just violence. And he’s charging straight at Vik.

As with so many times before in my life, my body moves before my mind can catch up. My chest tightens, but I raise the revolver and pull the trigger.

The recoil nearly smashes it back into my face. The twin stumbles. One hand flies to his chest and the gun slips from the other.

He collapses beside his brother. The flames swallow them both.

I look at Vik. He’s shouting something, but I can’t hear him. My mind is still trying to process what I’ve done, while adrenaline drowns out everything else.

He reaches me a second later.

“Hannah, you need to get out of here. The fire’s spreading.”