Page 96 of Cruel Possession

Noah gives us a smug smile. “Now, Aiden, you try that shit again, and I’m going to kill her.”

Though I know I should go ahead and tell him to do it, the words die on my tongue.

“That’s what I thought.” He rips the pen out of his collar and throws it at me. “I’m going to remember that one.”

“Good.”

Zoe snorts, but if there was no color in her face before, she’s even paler now. She looks like she’s seconds away from passing out.

As she sways on her feet, I take a step toward Noah, testing him.

He swivels with the gun in my direction. “I told you not to move.”

“You could finally kill me.” I smirk and shift to the side, confident that he’s not going to pull the trigger. If he was, he would’ve done it by now.

Noah follows me with the gun as I move away from Zoe.

She’s going to have a chance to run. To get herself some help and get back to Gia.

And then if Zoe knows what’s good for her, she’s going to keep running. She’s not going to look back because the moment she does, I’m going to drag her back.

Except she doesn’t have the chance to leave.

Noah glances at her, shifting between her and the door while still keeping me in his sight. He glares at me before walking backward to her, his smile slowly spreading.

“What do I do with you, Lynde?” He stops beside Zoe, sinking his hand into her hair and ripping her head back, drawing a scream out of her, sending a chill to my bones. “Since torture doesn’t work.”

My jaw clenches, the memories of what he did to me, Ellie, and Sean playing over and over again in my mind.

I can still hear the screams. The nightmares still haunt me.

But he’s right. I could live through that a second time. I would happily do it to keep my family safe.

To keep Zoe safe.

Noah clicks his tongue, moving closer to me, looking up to meet my eyes.

The corner of his mouth curls up into a cruel smile. “And yet, I hear you might’ve been dreaming about me.”

My jaw tightens, and I fight the urge to glare at Zoe. Minimal reactions are best. It’s better if he thinks he’s getting under my skin, if he thinks that he’s the reason I’m annoyed.

He needs to think that we’re turning against each other because it might be the only way I have to get us both out alive.

I might be pissed, and she is due a spanking, but she is mine, and we need to set a few things straight about what happened today and what our future looks like.

And as long as Zoe is willing to play along, we might stand a chance.

Noah hums, like he doesn’t have a clue what to do, but there’s a wicked gleam in his eyes. One that says he’s been plotting this since the beginning.

I’ve known since I took over the family that the biggest mistake I could make would be to underestimate Noah. The second I did was the second I lost the game.

He may act unhinged at times, but I learned long ago that it is an act. If people thought he was unstable, they wouldn’t think of him as a threat.

It’s why the Rinaldos have continued to grow over the years. It’s why we haven’t been able to wipe them out yet even though we’ve been trying.

He’s a monster, and he disguises himself by being what people think they can take advantage of. He allows people to think they’re smarter than he is.

And when Zoe steps closer to him, her bloody hand outstretched, it’s clear that she’s forgotten what her brother is.