Page 75 of When Night Falls

"Oh, Trav," Troian chimes in. "Please don't tell me you're cheating on Trinity." Troy sounds surprisingly disappointed that her twin might be sneaking around at night to be unfaithful to his betrothed. The idea that I have two vampires roaming around at night for secret trysts strikes me as odd, really. But I have a feeling that Trav is not doing what our sister is accusing him of.

"That would also be none of your business if I were." He tilts his head at her with a devilish smirk painted proudly.

"How did I get so lucky as to end up with two idiots for brothers?!" Troian speaks under her breath yet seemingly loudenough to insult us. But I could care less about her thoughts of my love life.

“Oh, trust me, sis. We’re the lucky ones.” Tavois’ tone is lace with so much arrogance and sarcasm, it almost makes Troy look like an amateur.

"So then, where do you spend your business?" I take over, watching the twins carry annoyance in their eyes.

"Again, not of your concern, brother."

His shortness of explanation irritates me to my core. This is why we don't get along. Because he's always so brooding and childish, never wanting to have a decent conversation with anyone. He believes himself to be superior.

For as long as I can remember having siblings, he's been this way. He always disassociated himself from the rest of the family, though I did too but mine was mandatory more than by choice. Travois chose not to be a part of this. He always wanted to be alone.

I'd say he took it out on me mainly because his mom was in and out of our lives and part of him blames me. Funny, considering I blame his mom.

"Half," I speak up, wanting to set something straight. "Half-brother." Troy pins me with a hateful look, as if I didn’t just make the nearly same remark to her a few days ago, knowing how it made her feel.

But if he's not going to act like he's a part of this family, he might as well not be. We don't have to like each other, but his respect of me isn't a fucking option.

Part of me does start to wonder if he could be responsible for the murders. Maybe he's trying to find his mom, just like I am. Maybe he's a few steps ahead of me and knows more than I do, taking things into his own hands.

"Oh, right. You don't dare accept the fact that our family is not whole due to the insipid fact that we do not share the same mother ." The low and rough timbre of his voice is facetious.

"That's enough, Travois," Troian tells him, warning him not to pick this fight.

"Where is your mother now, Riv? Have you seen her lately?" His words are like daggers. I don't feel the effects of sticks and stones. I don't let baseless threats drive fear into my mind. But when my mother is the topic of conversation, vexation floods me, burns my heart and claws at my skin and I refuse to let him get by without consequence.

"Riv." Troian steps closer in my direction, her hand coming out in front of me as if to stop me from moving toward our insolent brother.

"Is she happier with her new family?" Travois' tone becomes unbearable, his smirk is causing me to see red.

"Travois, that's enough." Troian tries to talk him down from the suicide mission he's eager to embark on.

I take a step in his direction, a maddening look likely swirling in my eyes. I can feel the heat of my anger spread across my face, my heart pounding in its confines.

"She doesn't even remember you. Maybe you should forget about-"

A blink of an eye. That's all it fucking takes. A half of a shallow breath.

I have the bastard up against the bookcase, books plummeting to the floor as the shelves rattle behind him; my hand threatening his heart.

"Rivian!" Troy shouts from behind us, fear painting her tone as she watches her brother’s attempt at a fight for control.

"You want to say that again, little brother. This time to my face." I threaten him. But I am no fool to consider that he might actually yield to my threat. Travois and I were raised in the samehome, despite our disconnection to each other. We both don't like to back down. Carved in darkness and breed from evil.

But he knows I'm stronger.

"Rivian, stop!" Troian begs, but her cries for us to stop won't faze either of us.

Travois pushes back at me, shoving me to another wall in a flash. I notice his strength has gotten more vigorous as he grips my throat and also tempts fate with my heart, wondering what he's really been doing with all his spare time. But he's still not stronger than me.

"I don't need to say it again, Rivian. You already know that you're inadequate and defective for what you've been given. How was the basement, brother? I heard you were begging for water for days on end."

I don't let him continue his asinine attempt at an insult before shoving him off me and swinging for his precious face.

“Travois, that’s enough!” Troian tries with her might to get us to stop. But there’s no point.