Page 26

My hands move on their own accord, fueled by my vicious thoughts. One moment, my hand is on her chin, and the next, I’m pressing her against the wall with my hand around her throat. “Tell me why you called the cops on me.”
Realization kicks in, and she stares at me with wide eyes.
To anyone else, it might seem like she isn’t affected by my revelation, considering she’s still frozen in place, not even trying to fight back.
But I know better.
Her pulse just turned even more erraticunder my fingertips, which tells me exactly how rattled she is. And I’m so close I see every popped blood vessel that frames her dilated pupils. Would her eyes bulge even more if I squeezed just a little tighter? Would her face morph into an even darker shade of red?
It would be so easy too. Just a bit more pressure.
I thought I wanted her to suffer for a long time, just like I did during my prison sentence, but I also didn’t expect her presence to screw with me so much. Every time I see her, the imaginary knife digs deeper in my flesh.
Maybe it would make it better if I knew why. If I could understand.
I tighten my hand a fraction around the soft skin of her throat. “Tell me, and I’ll let you go.”
Again, no reply.
To make matters worse, she closes her eyes. Shutting me out.
It’s almost like the hope from earlier, to still get out of this arrangement and away from me, has vanished, and now there’s nothing left for her.
A loud bang pulls me out of my murderous haze as the door swings open, and Holden waltzes inside the room.
He winks at me. “Hey, boss.”
I let go of Evangeline, who folds over with her hands on her knees and gulps in big lungfuls of air.
“Spencer, please.” My mother’s words are barely audible, but I hear them just fine through the small gap in the closet door.
“Do not ever disobey me again.” My father lets go of her throat, and she crumples to the floor.
He walks out without another look back at her, and I stumble out of my hiding spot to make sure she’s okay. The moment shenotices me, she curls even more into herself, leaving me to stare at her back. She doesn’t want me right now; she never does.
I stare at my hands. What the fuck did I just do?
You’re becoming the person you never wanted to be.
Holden claps me on the shoulder and pushes me toward the open door. He keeps his hand on me as he utters something to Evangeline that I can’t make out.
The urge to hit something, someone, is even worse than before. The red cloud in my vision is too much to break through, and I need an outlet.
Once we’re in the hallway, Holden grabs me by the neck. Hard.
“Bro, eyes on me.”
I comply and tilt my head back.
“Do you want me to send someone else to campus with her so we can spar?”
Sparring is what kept both of us sane in prison. It was also a great way to stay in shape and to let the other inmates know not to fuck with us.
I shake my head at his question, at least as much as possible, with how he still holds my neck tightly. “Only you.”
That’s all I get out, but he nods.
“Are you gonna be okay until I’m back later?” The corner of his mouth tilts up. “I don’t want to miss out on a surprise killing spree if I can avoid it.”