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So I can’t look at him. I’m forced to look at Elliot instead. At his playful blue eyes that promise nothing but trouble.
“You tricked me,” I rasp.
“No, no, my love. That’s not true. We tried to let you choose.”
“What?” I twist in Ethan’s hold, but it only makes him tighten his grip. “You didn’t!” I rage, feeling the heat of anger pounding in my ears. “You both made me say—”
“We didn’tmakeyou say anything. We wanted to give you a choice. We shot our shots and wanted to see your reaction. Turns out”—he shakes his head, almost impressed by my reaction—“you can’t choose. You can’t because Ethan was right. You fell for the both of us.”
I go to speak, lips parting to shout like I know so well, but he slams his hand over my mouth.
“No. You don’t get to be angry, Jade. For once in your fucking life, you’re going to shut up and listen. Or I swear, baby, I will shut you up myself.”
When he pulls his hand away, it takes all of me to stay quiet. I fidget, feeling the need to hit back. He gives me time to fight, but I must be getting wiser, because I stay quiet.
He smirks, so proud of himself that I chose to listen.
“You wanted the truth? Here’s the truth; we’ve both wanted you for longer than you could ever imagine. Ethan got you first. Fine. You fell for him. Fine. But it would not be knowing me if you ever thought I’d give up after that.”
His gaze flicks above me, looking into his brother’s eyes. “I can make the two of you do whatever the fuck I want. If nothing can stop me, why would I stop myself?”
“You came to get me all the way from New York, just to prove you can do anything you want?” I hiss.
He throws his head back as he explodes into a terrifying laugh.
His eyes catch mine when he straightens his head again.
“You think that’s all I did, baby? How much more naïve can you get?” Coming even closer, he kisses the top of my head. “That’s why I love you, you know? Because for someone so feisty, so ready to always fight back, I could still control you like a little puppet on a string. It makes me special to be able to do that.”
My nostrils flare when I try to take in a calming breath.
“It started long before that. You want to know everything. Here it is. The man you love so much let you go for a place among the Kings.”
I feel Ethan’s entire body steeling behind mine, and my chest tightens in response.
“What?”
“That’s not the entire story, Elliot,” Ethan mumbles, but shame coats his consonants, making them sound dull rather than biting.
Elliot’s shrugs. “The details are boring. But if you insist. Kay’s dad didn’t want him because he was too weak. Kay saw the way he was bullied at school and didn’t want any weak link in her dad’s crew either.”
He smirks at his brother. “But his big brother helped him. As usual, huh? I told them Ethan was capable of more than they knew. He was already an amateur serial killer back then. Funny how everyone who disrespected you disappeared, don’t you think?” He shrugs. “I knew he had it in him. I told Ethan I’d convince them. That he’d get into the Kings’ crew. He’d finally get the respect he deserved. A place among the gods.”
That’s not true. That’s not true because the direction he’s heading right now…
“All he had to do was break up with you.”
No.
Ethan wouldn’t break up with me just to be part of the Kings.
But heispart of the Kings, isn’t he? And he did break up with me.
“Oh, baby, don’t look so sad. He really,reallydidn’t want to. I had to get in his head to convince him. It took me months. I told him it was the only way he could protect you. How could he keep you safe by being a bullied loser? I told him eventually I’d get tired of you, and he could have you back. I must admit, that was quite a big lie. Ah, here’s something I said that was true; that it was the only pacific way in which I’d try to get you from him. That he might as well get something in exchange. Because what if I had to get hostile? Who knew who I’d hurt? Maybe you.Thatreally got to him.”
“Stop,” I rasp, tears brimming in my eyes. “Ethan.” I try to get some mobility back, but there’s nothing to do. “Tell me he’s lying.”
The silence kills me. I feel like I’m going to be sick.
