Page 141 of Executing Malice

“You’re not touching her. Whatever you want, it’s between you and me. Let her go.”

Everett groans, eyes rolling with distaste. “Christ, you’re still such a fucking pain in the ass. The bitch doesn’t want you anymore, Danny. What the fuck is wrong with you, you disgusting simp? Pathetic loser. She has a cunt just like nine billion other whores in the world. Hers isn’t fucking special. Sure as fuck isn’t worth killing your brother over, your flesh and blood, and burying me in a fucking hole.”

I don’t move.

“Then kill me.”

And I mean it. I mean it with my entire heart and soul.

“I’m not going to kill you, Danny. You’re my little brother. I’m not like you. Family fucking matters. Blood matters.” He breaks off to blow out a breath and rub a hand back through his hair. “That’s the one thing Mom and Dad taught us. That we’re supposed to look after each other.”

“Like you used to look after us?” I counter. “How you used to beat the shit out of us?”

“That was my job!” he snarls back. “I had to keep you in line. Do you have any idea what a useless fuck you were? Sitting in your room all day, face glued to that piece of shit you found in the garbage. Then she came along, and you kept sticking your nose where it didn’t belong. Half the lessons I had to teach you never would have needed teaching if you just minded your own business.”

My jaw grinds as fire boils through my veins. “You mean let you and Dad take turns raping and beating her?”

“You make it sound like we were monsters. We gave them a roof over their heads. Food. Clothes. They could have been on the streets with a needle in their arms like her junkie mother, but we took care of them. It was a small ask in return.”

“They were children,” I bite back.

“In our world, there are no children. There are predators and prey. We were predators. You were prey. What did trying to save them ever get you, huh? A beating. Was it worth it? Did getting your teeth kicked in change anything? No. In the end, we always won.”

“I was a kid. I’m not a kid anymore, and I already fucking killed you once for touching her.”

He seems to consider that a long moment. I’m taken aback when he nods slowly.

“You’re right. You’re not a kid. You’re a pussy just like Dad always said you were. Too weak to do what needed to be done. Guess that’s why he thought getting rid of your whore might toughen you up. He’ll be disappointed to hear you’re still a little bitch.”

“Good thing I never cared what he thought of me,” I lie.

Everett opens his mouth to respond when Leila breaks in.

“Your dad took me?”

I wish she hadn’t spoken. Everett’s focus was entirely on me. Now, the halo of his light has her caught in its center.

“I guess you wouldn’t remember that.” With a deep sigh, he paces in the direction of the car. He’s smart not to turn his back on me. “See, after our little fight where Danny killed me and buried me, Dad decided that you were the root of all our problems. Sure, we fought, but brothers do that. It only got bad when you arrived and Danny took sides, picking strangers over family. Honestly, I think Dad was hoping you would get bored of her, and he could get his turn with her, but that’s a different story. I was dead at this point, so this is all hearsay after the fact.”

“How did I end up here?” Leila prompts when he trails off.

The light twirls in his hand as he paces back to his original spot. It creates an arcing circle in the dark, wreaking havoc on my eyes where the contacts are digging into the soft tissue.

“The thing you don’t remember about Dad — and Danny can vouch for this — is that he was always a man of money. He didn’t have any, but he was always on the hunt for a quick buck. Hell, he sold our mom to six of hisfriendsfor ten bucks each just to buy beer. Remember that?” I say nothing, nor does he wait for an answer when he pushes on. “Danny ran and hid in the closet when she started screaming, but I got to standoutside the door and take the money. I got to let them in and out, and hear Mom beg me for help. But I was eleven. What the hell was I supposed to do?”

It wasn’t the last time, but she no longer begged for help. Never even made a sound as Everett ushered in the men with their fistfuls of crumpled bills. Mom had always been a mean, uncaring woman, but getting bought and sold by her own husband killed what little affection she may have had. It turned her bitter and cruel, almost vindictive.

“When the disagreement between me and Danny got out of hand, Dad finally had enough.”

“He sold me?” Leila squeaks.

“Most likely,” Everett guesses with a shrug. “None of the social workers ever cared when one of you would ... disappear. Foster kids ran away all the time. Some would get found. Others...” He gives another shrug. “You had a few months left before turning eighteen, so no one was going to bother looking too hard to find you. Dad probably saw that as the perfect opportunity to end a problem. You’re gorgeous. He probably got a really good amount for your cunt.”

“Enough,” I snarl, body propelling forward a step like I’m ready to punch him.

Everett’s cold, empty eyes meet mine through the shadows and space. “I don’t know the rest. I was too busy dying.”

“How are you not dead?” I bark back, my last-ditch attempt to keep him talking until I can find a way to get Leila out of this.