Page 155 of Five Brothers

I smile wide. “It’s just sad for me that I can’t fit all five at the same time.”

In one quick movement, he has me by the hair, slaps me, then grabs my neck and shoves me to the ground.

I land hard, feeling a sharp pain shooting through my back as all the air leaves my lungs. Leaning down, he hauls me up again, and I don’t have time to push him away. His hand whips across my face, the force sending my head spinning and an ache flaring up my neck. Warm blood spills from the inside of my cheek.

He drops me back to the ground, and I lie there, trying to remember what I’m supposed to do. Instinct wants to kick in. I should run. I should yell, call for help. Fight back.

Tears fill my eyes.

But Milo backs away, telling them, “Don’t stop until something breaks.”

I look over my shoulder, struggling to get my feet under me.

When I rise and turn around, Milo is gone, Cate and Emaline remaining to finish me off.

I swallow, blood going down my throat. “Are we done?”

Emaline rushes me, taking hold of my arms behind me as Cate grabs my shoulders and plants her knee in my stomach.

Bile lurches up my throat, and they throw me down again. Their feet circle me, ready for my move.

But I just laugh weakly, feeling like I’m going to throw up at the same time. I struggle to my feet only to have another hand whip across my face. I fall to my knees, no idea who hit me that time, but I rise again.

And again and again.

I feel a drop of blood fall down my cheekbone—or maybe it’s a tear. My eyes are watering, my vision is blurry. I feel sick.

They shove me to the ground, one kicking me in the back, the other in the stomach. They back away, wait for me, and shift on their toes, ready. My arms shake under me as I try to stand up, but I cough, feeling the vomit rise.

I blow out three hard breaths, steel my muscles, and force myself up.

I stare at them through the hair that’s fallen in my eyes, and I feel the fire spreading across my stomach and over my face.

“Fight back,” Cate demands.

I sniffle. “Nah, I’m good.”

A hand flies across my face. Emaline, I think. “Fight back!”

I groan, a few tears streaming that I can’t stop. The corner of my mouth stings. My knees shake.

Cate pushes me to the ground, both of them coming in, and I hold my stomach to protect myself, but then … nothing comes.

Cate whips backward, grabbed by the hair, and Aracely is there, slapping Emaline to the ground.

I breathe a sigh of relief, dropping my head back to the ground, and for a moment, all the pain is gone. God, yes. I don’t think I’m going to be able to take more.

Yelps and growls go off around me, and I don’t even look to know Aracely doesn’t need any help. None what … so … ever.

Using every muscle I can muster, I roll onto my stomach and start to pry myself off the ground.

“We could have you arrested!” Cate screams, blood dripping from her nose.

But Aracely just flashes her white teeth, gesturing to the live cam on top of the visitor’s center. “And you’d even be able to prove it.”

They see the camera, which would’ve caught Aracely beating them up, but it also would’ve caught them jumping me. Milo jumping me.

Emaline stares at the cam, frozen. “Shit.”