Page 30 of Hysteria Rises (Dark Falls Hollow #1)

Finally, I can’t stand the silence anymore.

“Did you know the origin of the cat-o’-nine-tails dates back to ancient Egypt?

” Hayze doesn’t say anything, so I keep right on talking, even if it’s to myself.

“The domestic cat was sacred, and it was said they had nine lives.” I shrug.

“The Egyptians believed that when they beat someone with the hide of a cat, the victim gained virtue from the whip.”

“Fuck, that’s awful. And fuckin’ weird. Where do you learn this stuff?”

“I read a lot.” I shrug.

Hayze works his jaw to the side, looking away from me. “I’d rather be drawing. Or inking someone,” he mumbles.

That’s no surprise to me, but why won’t he meet my gaze?

I don’t have time to say anything because out of nowhere, Arrow drags in a ragged breath, then thrashes, pushing himself to a kneeling position.

His chest heaves, and there’s a panicked look in his eye.

“No!” he shouts, then follows it up with, “Don’t!

” The stark crazy look on his face makes me think he doesn’t know who or where the fuck he is or what’s going on around him.

Does he even know we’re here? Maybe it’s better for him if he isn’t completely aware … except he can’t seem to catch a breath.

I come in as close as I dare, attempting to get in his line of sight. The panting and gasping continues.

“Holy fuck, freak. What are you doing?”

I scowl at Malakai as he appears in the doorway. “Shut your mouth, Mal.” Nodding to Hayze, we each grab one of Arrow’s arms so he doesn’t do himself any further damage. He fights us for several seconds, but then finally sags, his entire body shaking.

I tilt my head ever so slightly to the side, coming in close to peer at him.

It takes a second or two, but I finally think he’s seeing me and not whatever has him all worked up.

“What’s going on? I know it must hurt bad.

You said No. Who were you talking to? I wasn’t even touching you when you regained consciousness. ”

Arrow drags in an unsteady breath, gritting his teeth, and shakes his head, training his eyes on the bookshelf on the opposite wall. “Nothing,” he mutters. “It was nothing.”

I glance at Hayze, who’s looking on with cautious, speculative concern. From his raised brow, I’d say he doesn’t believe Arrow’s denial any more than I do. That outburst was way too similar to the ones that wake him from a dead sleep some nights.

There’s a reason some of the guys have taken to calling Arrow freak.

But as I’ve discussed with Hayze on several occasions—we believe there’s been something very wrong going on with him.

And the shit of it is he’s been like this for quite some time.

Years, even. No matter what we do or say, he refuses to discuss it with us.

Arrow studiously ignores my intense stare. “Please talk about something else.” At a huff of exhaled breath from the doorway, his eyes dart to Malakai. That fucker continues to hover on the periphery, same as he always does. Arrow swallows hard, his throat bobbing with the effort. “Is she—?”

Malakai tips his head to the side, then one step at a time, he joins us, coming to stand beside the treatment table.

“She’s back in her cell, if that’s what you were going to ask.

But if you wanted to know if she’s okay, I can’t fucking answer that.

” He shrugs, tucking long strands of blond hair behind his ears, cautiously peering from Arrow to Hayze before his gaze finally lands on me with those calculating eyes.

I huff out a disturbed chuckle. “I’m gonna venture into territory that might be really fucking stupid, but I think it needs to be said.

” I wait a beat, then dive in. “Kiefer told you to go after her and bring her back here. Did he promise you the girl if you were successful? Did you know they were going to make Arrow watch? That it’d be part of his correction?

Because I think your answer is as simple as ‘I didn’t care because I wanted to fuck her. ’”

One look at Malakai’s deep, dark eyes sends a storm of confusion through me. They hold secrets, the ramifications of which I’m unprepared for. He practically snarls when he bites out, “You can fuck right off with that. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I exhale hard, rolling my eyes. This dickhead and I are going to come to blows sooner or later. I feel it. Doesn’t matter that there’s something about him that does it for me. Glowering at us, for a moment I don’t think he’s going to say anything else, but then he proves me wrong.

“I didn’t know what the hell their plan was until I was in that room with the rest of you, and he fuckin’ told me what I’d have to do.” He slicks a tongue over his lower lip. “I repeat, what I’d have to do. If I hadn’t brought her back—” He abruptly snaps his mouth shut.

Hayze is quiet for a few moments. From the looks of it, he’s considering every word coming out of Malakai’s mouth.

And that right there is why I think he’d make a good leader for the Collective one day.

He’s never quick to judge, nor does he act rashly when it comes to decision-making.

Ever. But a moment later, he must have made up his mind because he takes a menacing step toward Mal.

“So, you deny that your father said she was yours if you caught her.”

“In those words, he did not. I’m not lying.” He hesitates, shifting his gaze to mine. “Did I understand that he was probably giving me a”—he throws his hands up in the air, frustration flowing freely from him—“a shot at her? Yes.”

Arrow lifts his hands to his head, threading his fingers through his short hair. He tugs hard. Like he means to hurt himself. “He was so angry when he came to the cellar and took her away. I should have done something.”

“Fuck!” I snap, crossing to him and taking his head between my hands. “Stop.” I heave out a breath, whirling on Malakai and getting right in his face. “You’re just here to cause more trouble. Get the fuck out.”

Mal cocks his head to the side, eyes following every twitch of my face and breath I take. “Maybe you should ask yourself what would’ve happened if I hadn’t brought her back.”

Curiosity piqued, I shrug. “Go on, then.”

“Didn’t even consider that I wasn’t the only one my father sent, did you?”

I wonder if he feels the weight of all three of us staring at him with mouths agape.

He shoots us a sardonic smile. “Gannon and Dragan were sent first. Not only that, but Gannon had already caught her.” With a locked jaw, he pauses a beat as he studies us.

“Wanna go ahead and tell me it would have gone better for her if I hadn’t been the one to bring her back?

Go ahead. Tell me what the fuck else I was supposed to do?

Dragan and Gannon would have said something if I’d let her go …

or gone after her again. You know, if you’d open your fucking eyes, you’d see that none of this was my goddamn fault.

” He throws his arms out from his sides, his dark eyes darting from mine to Hayze’s, and then Arrow’s.

“You wanna know the part that all of you are completely missing? She didn’t escape at all.

” He lunges forward, shoving me by the shoulders.

I blow out a huffed breath as I regain my balance, but my mind slogs through the possibility that Malakai is actually telling us the truth. “Oh, fuck,” I mutter.

Hayze shoots a grim look in my direction. “Yeah. That’s kinda what I was thinking. So …” He pins his gaze on Mal.

“I asked her about it because it seemed off. He fuckin’ set her free, let her think they no longer wanted her.

” His gaze shifts to me, a smirk playing on his features, but it’s not from amusement.

He’s all kinds of conflicted. And … pissed?

“My father pulled a fast one and sent us to bring her back to him.” He eyes all of us, crossing his arms over his chest. “Tell me you’d have handled the situation I found myself in any fucking differently. ”

The hell of it is … I can’t.

Hayze grimaces, then bobs his head. “Well, you all heard what they said about watching her. We pair up, despite being down one … or they bring in the others.” Concern is etched into his features as he finishes. “That’s not gonna fucking help matters.”

Arrow slowly shakes his head. “No matter who they choose, it’d be bad.

Rafe and Evren? Definitely couldn’t handle her.

Dragan and Gannon? She’d be in trouble.” His agitation steadily rises until he mutters, “You all have to make this work. Promise me. I can’t handle knowing anyone else has their hands on her. Never again.”

The three of us glance at each other and nod, silently making an unlikely and completely unavoidable truce.