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“Not—not much,” he said feebly, and I saw the huge width of my brother’s shoulders tense as he reached down to his belt.

“Not that I’m implying she’s sloppy seconds or anything,” Craig began to babble in a panic.

“Shutup,” I hissed at him.

My brother cocked his head at Craig,

I didn’t even think he knew what ‘sloppy seconds’ was, but maybe he did, because the next thing I knew Rhyder had both knives in his hand, stalking toward Craig.

“For touching her,” he said.

“No, Rhyder,no,” I started, trying to grab one of his belt loops.

“If your eye causes you to sin,” he continued.

“Pluck it out.”

Then his knives flashed in front of him and he thrust both blades into Craig’s eyes, dragging them down his body as I screamed in horror at the bloody trails of flesh left behind.

With one easy move, Rhyder picked him up and threw him out the front door, and I heard his body hit the pavement.

I didn’t know if he was alive or dead

“Temperance, I need to get you out of here now,” Rhyder gritted out. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving, and I knew he wasjealous. Jealous and furious that someone else had dared to touched me.

“Allfather, Rhyder, just let me pack a bag!” I protested, skittering away from him.

He stood behind me as I grabbed my backpack, slipping some socks and sneakers onto my dirty feet.

What to take?

What do you pack when your feral despotic brother has come to claim you and drag you back into his depravity?

“Come on,” he growled, stalking behind me like an angry, violent shadow.

“I’ve got a lot of stuff to pack,” I shot back, starting to go through my books. “There’s so much I love and have to take.”

“So much youlove?” Rhyder asked, reaching an arm over my shoulder to pluck one of the books from my hands. “What is this youlove?”

“No, Rhyder,” I said immediately, feeling panic rise in my throat. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Sister, there is no one andnothing elsefor you to love but me,” he ground out. “Your love belongs to me alone.”

“Please no,” I whispered, watching him look angrily around at all my things.

He had never shared me.

When we were growing up, anyone who showed me even the slightest bit of attention was swiftly reminded who I belonged to.

Eventually the other boys in the Congregation stopped even trying.

“Don’t touch my stuff,” I said, balling my fists at my sides.

“No, sister,” he said, walking with his long strides around my apartment. “Your time in the city was an abomination and needs to be swiftly forgotten. There will be nothing remaining for you tolove.”

He reached into his pocket and brought out a lighter.

“No, Rhyder!” I cried. “Stop!”