over and over and then again.” With every word I slam my fist into the glass, throwing my whole weight into it.
Images of everything Justine did to me send fear clawing through my gut. I get up off my knees and slam my entire body against the glass wall. It shakes in an empty vibration from the weight of me but doesn’t allow me inside to strangle Porter. “I wish you would have killed me in that accident. I wish you would have.”
“Wayne,” he gets up off the floor and shakes his head. “I’m not perfect. I never claimed to be. I’ve done fucked up, unforgivable things. I never expect you to trust me. I never expect you to be my baby brother, but I want you to know I’m trying here. I didn’t know about your uncle. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t fix the years of damage he did to me. You will never know the extent of it.”
My phone dings, and I dig it out of my pocket, blinking back the damn tears from everything he just told me. I don’t know how to handle it.
It’s Daphne. She’s sent me an audio message.
“Wayne, please.” Both hands are against the glass and his brows are pinched as a sorrowful expression takes over his face. “I am sorry. I am.”
“I don’t believe anything you say. Daphne sent me a message. One minute.” I press play and the tone hidden in her voice has my hackles raised. I bend over and pick up my knife and sheathe it in the holster on my pants.
“Tongue, please come home. Mercy is here talking to Reaper, but I don’t like how he is looking at me. He’s doing it again. Please. I love you, and next time you run off, take me with you. You know I don’t like to be away from you.”
The message ends. I want to replay it again and again to hear her voice. All of the discomfort, all of the pain I’ve felt, wishing I died when my parents did, all goes away. Nothing Porter says matters to me. His truth hurts, but what’s done is done. I can’t change anything. And while he says it’s the truth, he could be playing me like a fucking violin for all I know.
I press reply and hold down the button. “I’ll be there soon, Comet. I’m sorry. I love you too.”
“Aw, baby brother in love is sweet. Daphne is a real peach. Strong and resilient. You got lucky.”
The way he says her name pisses me off and that fuel I needed to break the glass ignites in my veins. I slam my body against the glass one more time and it shatters, finally. Heavy broken pieces fall across us as I tackle him to the floor. I can feel the pieces digging into my arms and hands. I wrap my hands around Porter’s throat and squeeze.
“Don’t you fucking dare speak her name again.” I lift one hand, clench my fist, and punch him in the face. “I fucking hate you. You think this changes anything? Do you?” I pick him up by the material of his shirt and slam him against the floor, his head hitting with a hard crack. “You find ways to ruin my life. I’m fucking done with you. You hear me? No more curiosity, no more nothing. We are done here. You hear me? Fucking done?” I wrap the hand I just used to punch him around his throat again and squeeze.
And he just lies there. He isn’t fighting back. He’s taking it.
“Fight me!”
“No.”
“I said fight me.” I slam him on the floor again and a few broken pieces of glass skid against the floor.
“No. I’ve been fighting you too long. I’m done.”
“You aren’t allowed to be done.” I shake him so hard his teeth clank together.
“Fuck! Tongue. Get off him. Get off!” Zain yells, grabbing one of my arms while Zipper grabs the other. The only reason they can get me off Porter is because I’m too fucking high-strung right now. I’m shaking all over.
“What the hell, Tongue?”
“Keep him away from me.” I rip my arms from their hold, and without giving anyone a second look, I fly down the steps, not caring about the glass in my arms. So many things are running through my mind. The first thing is, why didn’t I kill him? I’ve killed for so much less; and yet, I can’t find it in me to kill him.
I slip my boots on at