Page 16 of Cursed

And there it is. The subtle jab wrapped in brotherhood. Xavier sees my obsession with Sadie as a weakness—a crack in my usually flawless system. He’s not wrong, which makes it worse.

I lean forward, setting my glass down with a tap against the table.

“That’s rich coming from you,” I say, holding Xavier’s gaze. “As if you’re not just as obsessed with your journalist.”

Xavier’s expression doesn’t change, but the slight tightening around his eyes tells me I’ve hit a nerve.

“She’s merely a liability that needs handling,” he responds.

“Bullshit.” I don’t raise my voice, but the word lands like a stone between us. “You were watching her before Knox mentioned she is a journalist. I’ve seen the surveillance files on your server.”

Knox’s eyes widen with delight. “Oh, this just got interesting.”

Xavier remains perfectly still. I’ve spent a lifetime reading my brother’s expressions, the tiny tells that betray everything he tries to hide.

“You think I don’t notice?” I continue. “The way you’ve tracked her movements for weeks. You’ve collected every article she’s ever written. The recordings of her voice you listen to when you think no one’s around.”

“Know thy enemy,” Xavier states.

“It’s more than that, and you know it.” I hold his gaze, unblinking. “This isn’t about revenge or neutralizing a threat. I’ve seen how you look at her. It’s the same way I...” I catch myself, redirecting. “You want her. Not just to punish her or put her in her place. You want her to submit to you completely.”

Xavier’s eyes darken, and for a moment, his perfect mask slips. There it is—the same hunger that claws at my insides when I think about Sadie.

The air between Xavier and me crackles with unspoken accusations. Neither of us is willing to back down, to admit what we both know is true. We’re mirrors of each other—calculating, obsessive, and loath to acknowledge it.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?” Vane’s voice cuts through our standoff as he strides toward our table.

My brother’s arrival shifts the energy immediately. Where Knox brings chaos and Xavier commands respect, Vane brings a razor-sharp unpredictability. He’s smiling, but his eyes are cold, scanning the table and instantly registering the tension.

“Thought I’d find you all here,” Vane says, sliding into the booth next to Knox. He eyes the bottles on the table. “Starting without me? I’m wounded.”

Knox throws an arm around Vane’s shoulders. “Had to get a head start. You take too fucking long to get ready. What is it—three hours in front of the mirror?”

Vane shrugs off Knox’s arm with a sneer. “Some of us actually care about looking presentable.” His gaze sweeps over Knox’s disheveled appearance. “Though I suppose when you look like something the cat dragged in, why bother trying?”

Knox clutches his chest. “You cut me deep, brother. Deep.”

“Who pissed in Xavier’s scotch?” Vane signals a waitress for a drink, his attention fixed on our eldest brother’s rigid posture.

I remain silent, still feeling Xavier’s cold gaze boring into me. Our unfinished conversation hangs between us like a blade.

“Just the usual pre-Hunt disagreements,” Xavier says smoothly.

Vane’s eyebrow lifts as he glances between us. “Landon is getting too attached to his prey again? Or is it Xavier this time?”

Neither of us answers, which is answer enough for Vane. His lips curl into a knowing smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft over your little hacker, Landon. We all remember what happened with Monica.”

The name hits me like ice water. Monica Talbit. The memory I’ve tried to bury.

“We’re not discussing that,” I warn.

Knox, never knowing when to shut up, jumps in. “God, that was fucked up. Even by our standards.” He turns to Vane, animated now. “Remember how she used to shake whenever Landon entered a room? Like a scared little rabbit.”

I grip my glass tighter, feeling my bones protest.

“That’s enough,” Xavier warns, but Knox is too drunk to heed it.

“And then he started showing up everywhere she went. The grocery store, her favorite coffee shop, her fucking dentist appointments.” Knox shakes his head. “Man, I thought I was the unhinged one.”