Page 41 of Conjure

“Whataboutyou?” he asks, doing up his belt.

“Aren’t you going to return the favor?”

Those intense eyes clash with mine. “I told you this wasn’t a reward. Get dressed before I fuck you raw in the ass. Stop fighting me. I’m taking you home so you can sober up and stop embarrassing yourself.”

A red haze of fury blinds me, and I shoot to my feet, swaying despite my best attempts to stay upright. “How fucking dare you, Dominic? You can’t treat me like this. I’m not some toy you can just…just?—”

“Just what?” He gets in my face. “Not some fuck toy I can use and discard like yesterday’s trash? Yes, Camryn, that’s exactly what you are. Just a warm, tight hole.”

When he turns to walk out, I run after him and smack his back hard enough to cause him to turn to granite beneath my blows. “Why do you hate me so much, huh? What did I ever do to you?”

He spins around so fast that I would almost tumble backward if it weren’t for his painful grip on my arm. I gasp as he yanks me close, hissing through clenched teeth, “I know about the affair between you and my dad.”

My eyes widen and ice slithers through my veins. “Dominic?” I shake my head, whispering, “No…”

“No?” If anything, my denial pisses him off even more. He fishes his phone out of his pocket while still holding me in a vise. My heart threatens to explode from my chest when he thrusts his screen in my face.

He presses play. “Tell me that’s not you on your fucking knees in my father’s office?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, overwhelmed by shame, but he grabs my chin and tilts my face up, his bruising grip causing tears to cascade down my cheeks. “Does that answer your question, Sis?”

When I remain silent, he jostles me. “Does it?”

“Yes,” I reply, unable to look away from the cold fury in his eyes. “It answers my question.”

Shifting closer, he slides his hand lower, trailing his fingers over my skin until my throat is clasped in his hand. He opens his mouth to unleash hell on my fragile heart, but before he can speak a single word, a scream outside has us both stiffening. We exchange a confused look. Dominic releases me and strides out of the room.

Throwing on my stained shorts, I run after him, swiping the tears from my cheeks. We dash downstairs. Dominic grabs my hand as he shoulders through the commotion of students trying to get out through the door.

We exit the house, and my heart ceases to beat at the sight of Benny up on the roof with Erica clutched to his chest. I gaze up, my previous shame and anger forgotten. Dominic’s fingers thread through mine as the sound of crying students fills the silent night.

Someone is up on the roof with them, pleading with Benny to step away from the edge, pleading with him to drop the gun in his hand.

“Oh my God,” I whimper, palming my mouth as tears gather on my fluttering lashes. This can’t be happening. Why would he do this?

“Let her go,” someone shouts, cupping their mouth to be heard above the loud crying.

Benny’s eyes land on mine and his lips curve as a breeze rustles through the trees. He digs the gun into Erica’s temple, making her cry even harder.

His words echo across the yard—words meant solely for me. “His hatred for you really is delicious.” Then he shoves Erica off the roof.

Dominic clamps his hand over my eyes. A scream ripples through the crowd as it surges back, and a haunting thud makes me choke back a whimper.

I wrench free from Dominic’s hold and run forward, only to come to a sudden halt when Benny puts the gun to his head.

“No!” I cry, but it’s too late. I flinch at the sudden gunshot. Time slows as Benny’s body tumbles to the ground.

I’ve never watched anyone die, not like this. Dominic’s brother was already dead when the water started pouring into the car. I don’t know how, but his neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. Dominic’s father couldn’t get his seatbelt off. He was stuck, and I couldn’t free him, no matter how much I pulled and yanked.

In his last moments, with his face coated in sweat, he ordered me to hand him the gun inside the dashboard. I only hesitated briefly, all too aware of the ice-cold water that was waist-deep and quickly rising, but his sharp, composed voice forced me back to the present moment. “Now, Camryn.”

While the water rippled around my waist and the car sunk deeper into the river, I retrieved the gun and handed it to him.

His eyes swam with regret. “Save yourself, Camryn.”

My head shook, but he winced and said, “I’m not asking. It’s too late for me, but you still have a chance.”

I glanced at my dead stepbrother in the backseat. How did this happen? The sound of the water pouring in was so loud. I couldn’t think.