The Boss (Chateau #3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,28

news. The men had been sent out with horses and hounds, and they would find them—dead or alive.

Magnus bowed his head and continued to rub his palms together.

The door opened. “They’ve returned.” Alix stood in the doorway, his face hidden.

“Dead or alive?” I was on my feet instantly, already moving for the door.

“Alive.” Alix stepped aside.

Before I got to the door, I turned to Magnus. “You. Stay.” I spoke to him like a dog because that cunt had turned him into a dog for pussy.

His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked at me, his face indifferent but his panicked eyes giving him away.

“You don’t want to watch your whore hang, right?” I turned away and listened to Alix close the door behind me. I marched through the snow and approached the clearing, desperate to hang that bitch who dared to mock me. No one escaped this camp—and I would prove that now. I wouldn’t let my brother’s interference change her fate, not this time.

The girls were pinned to the cold ground, their wrists bound behind their backs.

I approached Melanie on the ground, her cheek against the snow with her eyes on her sister. My boots thudded against the earth then I stopped directly beside her. She could sense me before she even looked at me. It was obvious by the change in her breathing. She was scared…and she should be scared.

“We’ll hang the other girl first.” One guard gave a gentle kick to Melanie’s foot. “And make this one watch.”

“No!” Raven sobbed. “Please…”

I almost didn’t speak because her tears brought me some satisfaction. “Just this one.” My eyes burned into Raven’s face, her round face, her plain lips, her plain everything. It was hard to believe the two of them were related because she was a fucking hag compared to Melanie.

Raven’s eyes shifted to mine, and the hatred in her gaze was volcanic. She writhed on the ground like she’d do anything to break free of her ropes and lunge at me. “Don’t fucking touch her!” Her screams were mixed with angry tears, and she yanked so hard on her wrists that she rubbed red marks on the surface of her skin. “You motherfucker!”

One of the guys kicked her hard and made her gasp for air.

I’d love to do that myself—but I had more important shit to do.

I kneeled and placed my hand to Melanie’s cheek. My eyes bored into hers, sharing an entire conversation with her with just my look. It was one of those rare times when I was so angry, I was actually speechless. My look said it all.

She breathed harder because she knew.

“Get her up.” I rose to my feet and watched my guards yank her to her feet.

I grabbed both of her wrists and yanked her into me, her back hitting my chest, and I leaned over her slightly, looking down at her, my lips near her ear. I’d never manhandled her like this—but she’d forfeited her rights tonight. “You trying to leave me, sweetheart?” I squeezed her wrists hard before I released her. “I’ll take you with me tomorrow, then. Take her to the cabin.”

The guards took her away.

She fought the whole way. “Raven!” She dragged her feet and sobbed, looking at her sister on the ground, knowing it was the last time she would see her in this life. “No! Please! Please don’t do this.” She was dragged away against her will, pulled across the snow, her cries becoming quiet when she was far enough away.

Melanie could beg all she wanted, but I wouldn’t spare her sister—not after this.

When she was gone, I moved to Raven, my boots close to her face. “Congratulations.” I kneeled and got a closer look at her, seeing dull eyes that didn’t sparkle like Melanie’s, seeing nothing appealing whatsoever. Disobedient. Opinionated. Annoying. Fucking pain in the ass. Not the least bit attractive. “You’ve made it farther than anyone. I hope it was worth it…but I imagine it wasn’t.” I nodded to the men.

They pulled her to her feet.

The executioner approached her, ready to take over and do the dirty work. “I’m really going to enjoy this.” He slammed his fist into her chest and knocked her back to the ground—where she belonged.

I turned away to head to the cabin where Melanie was waiting for me.

“Up.” The executioner continued his taunts. “I said up, bitch.”

But I halted in my tracks when I saw someone approach.

Magnus.

He’d disobeyed my order and come here anyway.

His eyes locked to mine as