Just when I think I’ll faint, the flow stops. I cough, spluttering on all the water and dragging it and air in through my mouth.
My hair and clothes are soaked, the droplets forming a pool on the ground.
Once I’ve gotten enough air, I burst out laughing. “That’s all you got? What are you? A fucking amateur?”
“I wouldn’t provoke him if I were you.” Eli speaks in a tone that I would believe intends good if I didn’t already know that the motherfucker left his soul in his mother’s womb and was miraculously born without one.
“If you’re going to torture me, do it properly and draw some blood. This isn’t some kid’s game.”
Creighton—who was the one grabbing my shoulders all this time—releases me and stalks to the door without a word.
“Where are you going, punk?” Eli asks.
“Out. I’m bored.” And then he leaves as if he was never there.
“Fucker needs his head checked,” Eli says with fake sympathy.
“Shouldn’t you set an example and do it first, E?” I taunt with a grin.
He merely stares at me blankly.
“Here’s how it will go.” Landon drags his club on the ground, creating a screeching, annoying sensory sound, and keeps the rhythm as he speaks. “Once we’re done with our little get-together here, you’re going to nurse your wounds, then text my baby sis that you no longer want her, and you’ll be brutal about it. I want you to make her hate you so it’ll be easier for her to forget you.”
“Question.” I interrupt in a super-serious tone. “I would’ve raised my hand, but they’re bound. Unless you want to change that?” When he keeps dragging his golf club on the ground, I continue. “Doesn’t hurt to ask. So my question is, would that plan work if she already hates me?”
“That’s a damn good question,” Eli agrees.
“Thanks, man.”
“Doesn’t matter what she feels for you now. I’ll make sure she leaves you behind. And I will personally choose the next man in her life.”
For the first time since this whole charade started, I want to bash Landon’s skull with his golf club and watch his brains splatter on the walls.
This motherfucker can hurt me all he wants, but giving Glyndon to someone else is where his life starts to be in jeopardy.
“You mean someone you can manipulate?” I smirk. “Let me guess, you personally approved of all her previous boring boyfriends, probably threatened them not to touch her either. Hmm, I don’t think she’ll react well to that information.”
“Not sure she’d care about that when she learns what you did at your old school.”
My smirk remains in place, but it falters for a bit and it’s Landon’s turn to smirk. “That’s right, I did my research and even fucked the skeletons in your closet. A bit dry, but they’d do. Not sure our little princess would like them that much. Isn’t that right, Eli?”
“I’m inclined to agree. Our Glyn was always a scaredy-cat, never liked skeletons.”
“Or hypocrites.”
“Or you.” I grin.
“The fuck did you just say?”
“Your own brother and sister don’t even like you, so you fill that emptiness with sculptures and this whole bullshit. Very sad.”
He swings his club and hits me across the face. Eli opens the water, and this time, I swing and fall backward.
The loud thud echoes in the air as my body hits the ground.
My vision blackens from the lack of air as cold water drenches me whole.
Ah, fuck.
I’m going to lose consciousness. Or worse, maybe die.
People say their life flashes before their eyes in the last moments, but that’s not what happens.
My life isn’t what I see.
It’s Glyndon smiling. I always liked her sweet little smile, probably because it was rarely ever directed at me.
She’s smiling at me now, calling my name, but I can’t hear her.
A commotion snaps me from the image that I was enjoying.
The water stops and I twist onto my side, coughing and inhaling air as if through small straws.
“What is wrong with you?” Brandon pushes at Eli’s chest. “How can you help him with this?”
“He asked nicely?” Eli says casually.
“Stop it!”
My blood roars in my ears at the sound of her voice. Glyndon.
From my blurry vision, I can make out her silhouette getting in Landon’s face.
“I told him to stay away, he didn’t listen, so I’m just teaching him a valuable lesson here, little princess.”
“And who the hell are you to teach people lessons? Do you really consider yourself a god? News flash, you’re not.”
“He’s manipulating you and will eventually hurt you.”
“That’s still nothing for you to concern yourself with.”
“You don’t know what’s good for you, Glyn.”
“I’m old enough to make my own life choices and I’m choosing this, Lan. I’m finally choosing someone myself, without them having to go through your approval process. Can’t you let me have that?”
Can I kiss her and not die? Actually, I’m fine with dying for this kiss.
“No,” Landon says dismissively. “Now, take Bran and leave.”
“No.”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“I said no, Lan. Fucking no. I’m sick and tired of your controlling ways and tiptoeing around you and avoiding you. I’m so damn tired. Just stop. Stop being so out of line, stop making us scared of you. We aren’t supposed to be scared of our own brother.”
“Glyn…” Bran comes to her side, trying to pull her back, but my fucking girl slips away from his hold.
“No, we’re doing this, Bran.”
“That’s my ticket out.” Eli waves. “Happy family meeting, Kings.”
Bran softens his voice. “Glyn, this isn’t the right time.”
“And when is the right time? For how long are we supposed to take this from him? This is about as right a time as any to tell him we’re through pretending to like him in front of Mum and Dad. We’re through covering his actions and making him appear to be a perfect genius when he’s nothing more than an unfeeling person. You’re supposed to be on our side, not against us, Lan. We’re family, not enemies. Bran is your twin brother, not your competition. I’m your sister, not your damn property.”
“Is the word vomit done?” Landon’s expression doesn’t change, but he sounds edgy.
That’s right. I pushed straight where it hurts.
I told him his siblings don’t like him and he’s now seeing the proof.
“No,” Glyndon says. “You’ll let Killian go and stop meddling in my business.”
“And if I say no?”
“I’ll tell Grandpa, Papa, and Uncle. When they find out about all your actions, they’ll put you on a leash.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Just like you threatened us all our lives. Tastes bitter coming from your family, doesn’t it?” Then she runs toward me and I think I let go then.
She’s here.
It’s all good now.
“Killian! Kill! Open your eyes…” She lifts my head on her lap, fawning over me with worry dripping from her every word and touch.
She’s really my custom-made angel, my Glyndon.
As she holds me, I meet Landon’s gaze and smirk.
I knew Bran would come, because Eli doesn’t like Creighton involved, and since Landon twisted his arm, he’d definitely bring in Brandon as a form of retaliation.
As soon as Creighton appeared, Eli fished out his phone and typed something—probably a text to Brandon to inform him of the current situation.
If he knew I was here, he would surely bring Glyndon.
I could’ve escaped earlier by using the Zippo in my back pocket, but I already knew Landon would get me sooner or later.
The moment I saw Eli’s discreet anger in seeing Creighton involved, I plotted this.
This scene had to happen.
If Glyndon saw her brother torture me, she’d definitely be on my side, not his. She’d sympathize with me, hate her brother, and would want to save me.
Her standing up to him and getting all that baggage off her chest was only a bonus.
Happy to serve, baby.
Landon narrows his eyes, probably having figured out my plan. But there’s nothing he can do now.
He’ll never, ever be able to get between me and Glyndon if he doesn’t want to be the one who’s hated instead.
One-nil, motherfucker.
GLYNDON
Ipace the length of Killian’s room with rigid steps, trying and failing to calm the shaking of my fingers. “Maybe we should get the doctor again so he can make sure he’s really okay.”
“He is.” Gareth leans against the wall, arms and legs crossed. “It’d take more than waterboarding to hurt him.”
“I apologize again on behalf of my brother.” Brandon, who helped me carry and drive Killian to the Heathens’ mansion, runs a hand through his hair. “He’s just…protective.”
“Stop trying to find excuses for him, Bran.” The words sound guttural coming from my lips.
“I know you’re mad at him, and I’m not trying to defend his wrong actions, but he’s still our brother, Glyn. Yes, he’s overprotective and shows it in all the destructive ways, but it’s because he doesn’t want us to be weak or taken advantage of.”
“That doesn’t give him the right to dictate our lives. Don’t even try to stop me when I finally remove his mask in front of Mum and Dad.”
Bran grabs at the hairs on the back of his head, with enough force to make me worry that he’s hurting himself.
It reminds me of something Grandpa said about Bran and how much he’s like his first wife, Uncle Aiden’s mum.
Bran hates conflict so much that he lets his emotions devour him from the inside out. And that part of him makes me sick with worry because Uncle Aiden’s mum had a horrible ending.
It’s just unfair that Lan doesn’t feel and Bran feels too much.
My brother releases his grip on his hair, his voice coming out gentle. “We’ll talk about this when you’re more cooled down. You’ve been on a high of emotions this entire night.”
It’s then I realize that I’ve been rubbing my palm against the side of my shorts back and forth until it’s turned red.
My breathing is deeper, raw, and abnormal. I inhale deeply and let the fight leave my system. I slowly make my way to Killian’s side and flop to a sitting position on the bed where he lies.
When I reached the dorm, Bran called and told me there was an accident near campus caused by multiple cars and that he was sure Landon was behind it.
Sometime later, he screenshotted a text that included a location.