Page 64 of Twisted Heathens
I stumble as she breaks my hold. Rubbing her rapidly bruising throat, while those bright eyes tear through my skin and penetrate my dead fucking soul. Call me sick, but I can’t help smiling. Her yelling and hatred show that she still cares. Somewhere, deep down, there’s still feelings. I can work with that.
“The hell are you grinning about, fucking psycho?”
I shrug nonchalantly. “It takes one to know one, B. You want to tell me what you’re doing at Blackwood? Or you gonna run off again like a scared little kid?”
“Shut your mouth. What I’m doing here is none of your business. You lost that privilege a very long time ago and based on what I’ve heard from your brother, you continue to disappoint. This place is where you belong, asshole.”
My heartbeat roars in my ears as she speaks, her ruined voice not a single octave above a whisper. But it’s as if she’s shouting into my head, sneering at me and throwing Kade in my face like it’s common knowledge that we’re brothers. The fucking cheek of this bitch. I know that I’m a damn disappointment, I don’t need reminding of that fact.
“You always were fucked in the head. If I belong here, then so do you.”
I watch as her face falls. Not nice having the past thrown in your face, is it? Just as she’s about to hit back, our stand-off is interrupted and the door we fled through bangs open. Two guards emerge, searching around until they spot us. I recognise them instantly as Rio’s men, who are slipped a tidy salary to make his life a fucking luxury here. The bastard himself points in our direction, a smug grin on his face.
Brooklyn readies to flee. “I’m not going back to the hole.”
“No reason we should both end up there. I got this, you go.”
I jerk my head towards the dorms in the distance, indicating for her to run. She just stares at me in complete confusion, like I didn’t just offer to save her damn hide.
“You’d do that? Why?”
“I’m the one that hit him.” I shrug. “Don’t get all fucking soft on me, I just don’t want to see you go down into that basement again and never come out. Run back and don’t stop until you find Kade, he’s in his room. He’ll stop them from dragging you off again.”
“But—”
“No buts. Do as you’re told for once in your life.”
I give her a push to get her moving, fighting to keep my voice firm. There’s no doubt that I’ll be dragged down to solitary after that fiasco in the library, especially if he’s tattled on me already. They all know I’m a hothead, any excuse to toss me back in a cell.
“This doesn’t make us even. Not by a long shot,” Brooklyn says.
“Yeah, didn’t expect it to. You’re a stubborn bitch, you know that?”
“Damn straight. Learned from the best,” she snarks.
Casting her a look, I focus on her soft pink lips that are curled in a slight smile. Fuck, I’d give anything to kiss her one more time. Even if she did punch me after, it’d be worth it. Deciding to take a risk, I ignore the incoming trouble and yank her body to mine, hand gripping her jaw tight. She freezes in my arms, body rigid but unable to move away. Like there’s a magnetic force drawing us together, stronger than either of us can resist.
“For old time’s sake,” I mutter, pressing my lips to hers.
She’s pissed still, but unable to object as her lips part. Like they’re trained to react to me after the thousands of times we’ve done exactly this. Her tongue darts out to tangle with mine, the taste of tobacco on her breath driving me wild. I kiss her with every ounce of regret that lingers between us. Trying to communicate the apology that feels hollow when said aloud. Her teeth clash with mine and she gives as good as she gets, sending a message of hatred right back.
“Screw you, Hudson. You can’t just kiss me like nothing’s changed,” she murmurs against my lips. “This changes nothing. I still fucking hate you.”
“And I still want to spank your ass for the shit you pulled back there. You best fucking hide when I get out, because I’m coming for you. This time, you ain’t running away again. I’m done chasing you,” I state, ensuring that she hears every last word.
Brooklyn just stares, but I swear I see her mouth twitch.
Much too soon the hired guards catch up and drag me away. They snatch at thin air as Brooklyn runs full speed without looking back. Good girl. They’re less interested in her and wrestle with me instead, leading me away to the doom that I know awaits.
It’s a small price to pay to taste my broken blackbird. And just like when we were kids, I’m fucking addicted all over again. All it took was one hit of her toxic poison to enthral me. One tiny taste and I’m on my knees just where she left me, broken and begging for another chance.
But this time, I won’t be walking away. She’s been mine since the day I laid eyes on her and when I get back, I’m gonna make sure she fucking knows it.
Twenty-Three
Brooklyn
Heroin by Badflower