Page 18 of Envy

“Half-brother,” I mutter, even as tears prick my eyes.

Jonathan holds me there a breath longer, then throws me to the side. I stumble into the entryway table, the sharp edge catching me in the stomach. I double over, biting my tongue to keep from crying out. It won’t help. My parents made it clear long ago which child they believe.

“Mother may think a semester of classes is acceptable, but a woman has no purpose in school.” Jonathan grips my braid, tugging hard enough to send pain lancing down my neck. Spit flies from his mouth, flecking my cheek. “You were made to breed. To cook and clean. To open your legs, close your mouth, and do whatever your husband demands. You’ll learn soon enough.”

“Pumpkin, is that you?” Mother calls a moment before she peeks around the corner. Her blonde curls are topped with a wide-brimmed hat, the blue-and-white striped dress just modest enough for Father’s standards. Smoky eyeshadow tints the corners of her lids, and a garish pink lipstick coats her over-filled lips. They twitch into what once might’ve been a frown. “Oh, sweetie. What happened?”

“She tripped over the rug, but I caught her,” Jonathan says, yanking me upright. Revulsion curdles in my stomach like sour milk, but I force a weak smile.

“That’s our Evie—clumsy as ever,” Mother tsks, smoothing out my dress before beaming up at Jonathan. “I swear, sometimes I think the Lord sent me your father just so Evie would be blessed with a big brother to keep her out of trouble.”

His white smile flashes as his fingers tighten on my ass. I flinch, bile rising in my throat as his dead eyes flicker with cold cruelty. Taking a deep breath, I retreat into myself, walling off anything vulnerable. Instead, I fixate on the pair of men’s dress shoes near the door.

“It’s nothing, Mother,” Jonathan replies, his blonde hair and designer polo the picture of religious wealth. “I was just telling Evie how lucky she is to explore college for a semester before settling down. Truly, a modern woman.”

There it is again—that idea that I’ll only getonesemester before being reeled back in. I risk a glance up, expecting Mother to gently correct him, but she just nods, the edges of her plastic smile tightening.

“Yes, Evie has always been the wild one in the family,” she starts, but I don’t hear the rest. A loud buzzing fills my ears as the fragile blossom of hope in my chest wilts, drowned by their polite chatter about mylife.Myfuture.

Knowing I’ll break if I don’t look away, I pull deeper into myself and refocus on the dress shoes. The shoes. Just the shoes. Father typically wears black, but these are brown, the leather more worn than usual. He prefers Oxford dress shoes, but these look like loafers with little tassels on top. One tassel is shorter, like it’s been cut.

“I’ve already turned down two offers for Evie’s hand,” Jonathan informs us, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “Only the best for our Evie.”

Mother laughs, the shrill sound snapping something inside me.

“I’m not getting married,” I say, proud of how steady my voice is—until fear claws up my throat. Mother’s smile fades as Jonathan’s grip tightens on my shoulder.

“Don’t be difficult, Evie,” Jonathan reprimands, his voice adopting the cold, hollow tone that’s haunted my dreams for years. “Mother is being more than fair.”

“I can’t finish a degree in one semester,” I breathe, searching my mother’s face. I’m her daughter, her flesh and blood. Surely she wouldn’t be so cruel as to tease me with a glimpse of freedom before slamming the cage shut.

“Don’t fuss, pumpkin,” Mother chides. “You’ll get wrinkles.”

“Mother, please.” This time the words come out thin and trembling, steeped in betrayal and loss. I really thought she’d meant it. That maybe some small part of her remembered what it felt like to be forced into something she didn’t want. I should’ve known better. My happiness has never mattered.

“Oh, Evie.” Mother offers a pitying smile as she lifts my chin, inspecting my face. “You really need to watch those frown lines, pumpkin. Nobody wants an old maid.”

“You do look much prettier when you smile,” Jonathan adds.

Mother chuckles softly, her eyes flicking to Jonathan as they share a laugh at my expense.

“Why don’t you two head out to the backyard for lunch,” she says. “I need to touch up my makeup, but Maria has the hors d’oeuvres out, and the shrimp should be ready soon.”

Closing my eyes against the scream building in my chest, I force a breath through my nose and pretend I’m somewhere far from here. Just a ghost, hovering above her body. Watching as a young woman is led deeper into hell.

12

SILAS

The room falls silent as I answer the call and put it on speaker, ensuring my brothers hear every word. “Speak.”

“Shane said he’ll be here at the first of the month.”

I lift a brow at Noctis, checking this is the same contact he and Mavros spoke with. A small dip of his chin is confirmation enough, but it’s the lethal gleam in his eyes as he stares at the phone that has my body tensing. Noctis doesn’t trust him.

“I want it moved up.”

The cold edge in my voice makes my brothers roll out their shoulders, matching grins tugging at their lips as they brace for a fight.