by Layna Snow
But even as she turned to leave, she looked past her sister to see something horrific on the counter.
A plate, with white powder and a razor.
Drugs!
“You are taking something, aren’t you? You’d throw away what little you have on that stuff?” Sophie’s tablet couldn’t echo the anger that she felt, or the dread.
She had done everything she could to help her sister. Sophie had looked out for her for 6 years!
What was even the point?
Brook pushed Sophie back, her hands hard on Sophie’s shoulders.
She stumbled back, but caught herself on the dresser.
That was enough!
Sophie put her tablet down and glared at her sister.
She didn’t need this. She didn’t deserve this hostility!
“It’s my life! You are always in everyone’s business! Why do you always have to stick your nose in everything! You’re the one sleeping with two guys! How the mighty have fallen! You’re the slut!” Brooke yelled, and reeled towards Sophie.
She shoved Sophie once more, and this time, Soph couldn’t catch herself. She went down, tripping on the junk on the floor.
It hurt, landing on a pile of stuff. Her ribs ached, but not any less than her heart.
“I’ve slept with less men than you now! But you are so innocent, and I’m a whore. People hate me, but you’re the one who fucks everything up!” Brooke yelled. She shook as she jumped on Sophie.
Hands grabbed Sophie around the neck.
Her sister’s hands.
Choking her.
Sophie tried to scream, to claw at her sister’s arms, but nothing worked.
She struggled to breathe, but she couldn’t. Her lungs burned, panic ate at her like acid.
Sophie didn’t want to die! She didn’t want to lose everything that she had just gotten back!
She didn’t want to lose the baby!
The baby!
It gave her the anger, the will to live, to pull her legs up between them. She pushed her knee into Brooke’s soft chest, getting enough room push the girl off.
Brooke fell to the ground with a scream, more of a screech, giving Sophie enough time to drag air into her aching chest.
Sophie’s sister lunged again, and Sophie moved back, against the side of the bed, reaching around for anything to use to fight.
She didn’t want to hurt her sister. She didn’t want any of this.
She couldn’t even believe that the fight was happening!
Oh, Brooke!
She glared at Sophie. “If you had have been driving maybe Annie would be here and you wouldn’t! You know that Dad cut me off, right? Took all my money. He thinks I’m wasting it now! And none of this shit will sell! And it’s your fault! Dad wants me to be more like you! To get a shit job that I hate, just to survive. To give up all fun. Tim was giving me some stuff, but he died and now I’m high and dry! So, if you really want to help. Give me some cash or some coke!” Brooke yelled.
No! She wouldn’t help her sister die! She wouldn’t hurt her like that!
But how could she leave? How could she let her sister die?
She’d get her sister help. She’d do anything.
“I’ll help.” Sophie signed to her sister. She had lost one family member and she refused to lose another. She couldn’t help Annie. She had done everything in her power to, but maybe she could do something for Brooke!
“I know what you’re thinking. Pitying me, trying to think of how to make me like you. You think I want to be sober? Fuck that, Soph.” Brooke spat bitterly. “I like being high! I like the buzz and the energy. I won’t compete with you anymore! I won’t try to be like you, or get more attention than you. And sure, you wanna help. Then Mommsy and Daddikins will forgive you for getting drilled by two convicts. But guess what! They won’t! And still, I’ll be the crazy off the chain one that they pretend doesn’t exist. They don’t even ask me to come over anymore. But who the fuckity fuck cares? Because when you’re high, nothing else matters. You can relax and just be!” Her words were fast, desperate, angry, but Sophie wouldn’t just accept it.
Soph was automatically shaking her head. That couldn’t be right.
No one could want to live that way. Obviously it messed with the mind. Sophie could see that clearly from where she was standing.
Surely Brooke was just trying to get attention! And Soph would give it to her. She would help, no matter what. She wouldn’t let this take her only sister from her!
Sophie took deep breaths, but she didn’t relax. She didn’t trust that Brooke wouldn’t attack again.
“You know those men don’t love you! I know their kind. They need excitement! Sophia, you can’t excite anyone. Even Annie was bored. She wanted to hang with me but little Sophie had to tag along. You thought that you knew your twin? You didn’t. You always had a bond that I just didn’t fit into. You were in your own little world, but things changed. Annie changed. And she wanted to hang out with me!” She continued to rant.
It was true that Annie wanted to explore life, but she wouldn’t have chosen Brooke over her. It just didn’t work that way. They were two parts to a whole. They couldn’t be separated.
But you’re separate now.
“Stop” She signed, in quick exaggerated movements for emphasis.
Brooke just laughed more. Her voice rising to an unnatural level. “I know that you should have died, not her! I know that it was you keeping her alive when she wouldn’t want to be kept on those machines! Mom and Dad just waited for you to go before unplugging her. We didn’t want her stuck as a vegetable forever. You did! You wanted her to be dependent on you for her whole life! You want everyone dependant on you!”
No, that wasn’t true! She wanted to help, wanted to be needed but she didn’t want people dependant! She wouldn’t have gone to Hell to get Annie back if that was the case! Of course, Annie had been dying.
But no! She wouldn’t believe it!
Brooke would say anything to get her own way. It had always been like that.
It was why she had helped Tim try to capture Melody. It was why she ranted and raved now.
Other people hurting only made Brooke feel better.
Sophie could still remember when she had visited her older sister that day a year ago. She had waited in her apartment for Brooke to get back. Brooke had left her computer open and Sophie noticed that Brooklyn had been talking to someone about spying on Mel.
That was when she realized what was happening. That was when she went to warn Mel, Caleb and Seth. That was the day that she was shot.
She hadn’t known until then that Tim was the one Brooke was working with. But then it all made sense.
And even after that, after her surgeries and being in the hospital, she had used Brooke’s connection with the Alliance to try to get Annie help. If she could pretend that she knew what was happening, maybe she could trade fake information for her sister’s life.
But they never answered back. And they had been running out of time. She had to do something else. She had gone onto to plan B.
“You still don’t get it!” Brooke screamed, pushing up into Sophie’s face again. “It wasn’t just coke he was trading! He was giving me stuff to give Annie. Things to make things better! She had to die! She had to go! She was just lying there and people just asked and asked and asked and there was nothing to say! She wasn’t getting better, she was wasting away. Her body looked like a child’s and she was still there. And she was there…And she had to go! Don’t you see! SHE HAD TO DIE AND YOU MESSED IT ALL UP!”
Brooke’s hand came up so quickly that Soph couldn’t track it. She wasn’t really sure what was happening but stiffened for a blow.
It didn’t help.
The punch landed, smacking into her cheek, sending her head back with a snap.
She never believed that people actually saw stars, but now she knew.
Her head swam, thoughts muddled. Sophie tried to reach out, to stop the attack, b
ut she couldn’t focus.
Brooke’s hands moved again. Slapping and hitting.
Sophie closed her eyes, tried to get her brain working again.
Turning, she tossed her elbow, needing to hold the woman off.
Brooklyn fell backwards, hitting into the floor, and Sophie used the time to get out. She couldn’t help anymore.
She knew instantly that she wouldn’t be able to do anything for Brooke now.
She took two steps from the bedroom, and an arm pulled her from the doorway, into a hard chest.
Not Sin’s.
He was too tall, too big and for a moment fear lodged in her throat.
Until she saw Thane’s eyes.
Then her fear was for her sister.
He pulled her away, even as Sin moved to check on Brooklyn. The woman was standing, holding needles like weapons. Like she had tried to strike, but only got air instead. “Get out! I will kill you Sophie! I WILL!” She screamed, and Thane pulled her further back.
Oh God! Her sister could have killed her! Brooke could have killed her!
Sophie didn’t even understand, and she was too shocked to protest as Thane pulled her towards the kitchen and the back door.
“They are coming. Our people aren’t here yet.” Sin whispered, moving into the kitchen, passing Thane and Sophie.
“Who?” She mouthed. Where was her tablet?
She searched, but couldn’t find it.
Her men looked too worried, and she knew that she should be too.
It wasn’t just Brooklyn. They wouldn’t even bat an eyelash over one stupid Human.
This was bigger!
“Get Brooke!” She mouthed in Sin’s direction, whispering despite the pain it caused.
Sin nodded and smiled sadly. “Love you, hot-stuff.”
Why did that sound so final?
37
Oh Shit-oven! This was not going down how he expected it to!
Sin looked around the room. He needed to try to get Phie’s sister away. He knew that he needed to be here, but she didn’t.
He didn’t want to help, he would have let the bitch die, but Sophie had asked, and he couldn’t deny her.
Even as Thane dragged their girl from the apartment, Sin grabbed a knife from the block on the counter and turned to the living room.
He couldn’t believe it, but he had to admit, watching Sophie leave again had hurt. More than he wanted to admit. More than it had before.
Because this time, he knew that he loved her.
Love! Who the fuck thought I’d be able to feel that? But he did.
Love meant that he’d do anything for her. Even follow orders, even join the Hunters.
Even fulfill this stupid part of the job.
He’d let her leave, he’d try to save her sister.
Because Sophie was all that mattered.
Gonna miss you, sweet-cheeks!
Brooklyn stood in the doorway, glaring at him, and he could tell that she was not in her right mind.
She was crazy! She was on drugs. And she didn’t deserve to have a sister like Phie!
“You’re going to come with me. You will get on a plane with your sister. You can go on your own, or I will make you.” He threatened. One Human girl was nothing to him.
“Fuck off!” She screamed, and took a step away, but she didn’t go any further.
It was too soon, but the door was thrown open and one man stepped in.
His ears were the first thing that Sin noticed, sticking out so far that Sin wondered if he could fly!
Brooke turned to see the new threat. “Who are you? This isn’t a party!” She yelled, but the man tilted his head and eyed Sin. “Names.” He demanded, addressing both of them.
“I’m Brooklyn Torres. This is my place. You need to leave now!” Sin noticed that she didn’t threaten to call the police.
But even as she spoke, Sin saw the man’s attention peek.
No!
He could see the man’s arm lift quickly.
“Down!” Sin rushed forward, his voice coming out too loud, but Brooklyn didn’t get down, didn’t move. She just stood and watched as the man pulled the trigger and placed two bullets in her body.
And it was too quick for Sin to stop.
Her body was already crumpled on the carpet when he got there.
Shit!
Fuck, was he ever glad that Thane took Phie out of the room. If she had to see her sister being killed she’d most likely flip! Of course if she was here these men would also see her so that wasn’t good either.
And he knew there was more than one man. This was a team. He had been warned of them coming.
Gage had called the other day and told them that the Alliance was on the move. He told them to be ready. Gage also told them to anticipate backup. As if they needed a team to help!
They had killed more things by themselves than any team the Hunters had! And these Human men were really no threat.
He could kill them with one hand tied behind his back! He could kill them with both hands tied behind his back, actually.
He was that good!
Sin took a deep, calming breath and looked down at the body at his feet. It would have been so easy for that to have been Phie. She had been right there with a needle pointed towards her neck.
Her junky sister was nuts!
She must have been on crack for months to get this addicted. The stuff was deadly and as badass as he was, Sin had never touched the stuff.
Sex was his addiction and he wasn’t compounding it with anything else! He didn’t want to dull the experience.
“What the Hell!” he yelled at the men before him. He needed to play this right. He couldn’t let them shoot him. He had to give Thane and Sophie have enough time to get away.
He could have fought. He could have killed this one, but then more would come.
They had cased the joint earlier and they knew all the entrances and exits. Thane had peeked in the windows and knew the layout. The backup team were stationed outside. Or they should have been.
They’d help Phie get away and make sure that no one followed.
Okay, so maybe backup wasn’t that bad. He wanted all the protection he could for his sub.
“Name.” The emotionless man standing in front of him demanded. He wore dark clothes and had lots of weapons, including a silencer on his gun. Not that shots were ever silent. Surely the cops were already on their way.
“I’m Sin. And why the fuck did you shoot my girlfriend?” He demanded, looking at the woman on the ground with regret. It did really suck!
He hated pretending to be this loser’s boy-toy, but he’d do anything for Sophie.
“I can’t answer that.” The man responded.
What a wussy! He spoke like he was reading a fucking script! Where was the fun and joy at doing a job? Where was the creativity? These men were boring and probably watched way too many secret service movies!
“Yeah well, you can’t just go around killing my lays! We were just about to get busy! Now what am I going to do? Do you know how many available women there are in this town? Very few. I mean I got here a year ago and this was the only one that could hold my interest! And you go and put a bullet in her. Sheesh! Manners!” He could have been more graphic but just in case Phie was still listening, he didn’t want to freak her out!
Besides, he was sure that Thane had his hands full. When Soph got her feathers ruffled, there was no bringing them back down! She’d be trying to burst in here and fight with him, and he couldn’t afford that! He had a job to do.
“Lay down on the ground with your hands near your head.” The man demanded and it took everything that Sin had not to fight back. He wanted to use his knife and kill the bastard.
Sin tossed the knife to the other side of the room, hating to have it so far. He knelt down, his hands behind his head as he wiggled to his stomach. Really, this was the best position he could be in at the moment. These men were playing right into his hand.
; Muhahaha! I will have you, my pretties!
Sin didn’t look as a man walked closer. His gun was probably trained on him.
The guy put flexible cuffs on his wrists. Not the kind he’d use on Phie, but a kind this was meant to be intimidating and leave marks. They weren’t for fun. At least not the kind that goes with sex.
They were for other kinds of fun for sure!
Then the dude frisked him. It was surreal being in this position. Never had he given himself up before. He could still kill them easily. He didn’t need his hands, but he waited, biding his time.
Sin hated this submission! He hated not being in control. He hoped that this wasn’t what Sophie felt because he wouldn’t like to do this to her.
She didn’t feel this panicky, right?
But he felt his skin start to crawl and his muscles jump, waiting for the time when he could spring into action. He wanted to fight these fuckers and kill them. He’d take joy in it!
The man smelled faintly of fear. Did he know how dangerous Sin was? Did he feel the muscles and the threat? Surely he noticed the weapons, for he removed them one by one.
First the small dagger in his boot. And then the throwing knife attached to his other thigh. The man was thorough as he felt Sin up and Sin was not amused! He wasn’t into dudes and certainly not submitting to them.
“Kneel!” The man demanded, and even without help, Sin got into position. From here, another man entered the room. He was taller, more traditionally handsome. He didn’t even speak as the big-eared one started feeling up his front.
The hands were nothing like Phie’s soft ones. They weren’t hesitant or sensual. This wasn’t the way he liked to be touched.
After a few more weapons were taken, the dude moved to his back, pulling up his shirt to get at the razor knives he kept in a hidden sheath. It also allowed them to see his wing scars.
“Foster, you need to come see this.” The young man behind him said cautiously.
Sin didn’t have to wonder if they were talking about his scars or the amazing job he did on his weapon carrying implementation. No one ever saw the genius behind his designs!
No! They were way too focused on the unusual scar tissue that signaled the cartilage that had once been ripped from his back. Either that or the lovely scarification that he had performed on himself years ago. “Staring at deformities isn’t nice.” He complained, watching as the leader walked around him.