Page 145 of The Deceptions

“You sure about that?” I hiss, leaning in and staring directly into his eyes more. “Give me the truth, asshole. Where the fuck isMeredith, and what did you do to her? Speak to her about? Give me all the fucking answers or you won’t walk out of here intact.” That’s a fucking promise. I’ll rip him apart piece by piece until he gives me the answers I seek.

“Are you ready for this conversation, Malic?” he asks calmly again, tilting his head so his throat is at an angle. “Are you ready to learn the fucking truth of what’s happening in Greenwood?” He raises a confident brow like he’s about to blow my fucking socks off. “Learn the truth of what Meredith was after?” After? What the hell is he even talking about?

“I know everything that’s happening in Greenwood, asshole. I know every heartbeat. Everything that makes this place tick. Now, what did you give my fucking sister?” That’s the question of the hour. Why was my sister in his vicinity? It’s alarming at fucking best and makes me want to rip his eyeballs out. Actually, he doesn’t need those, does he?

“Money,” Huxley says with a slight shrug, pushing against the binds on his wrists.

I blink. “The fuck she need money for? She’s providing for herself.” She’s a nurse, living on her own and working her ass off to accomplish what she had. How her and I came from the same mother, I’ll never fucking know.

Huxley’s deep chuckle fills the space. “Yes. She does. Quite well, too. She’s a badass nurse and a badass person.”

I rear back, blinking at him several times before putting the knife back against his throat, heavier than last time. “You can’t compliment your way out of this,” I growl, gnashing my teeth together violently.

I’m losing the strands of myself unraveling before him. If he’s not careful, he’ll be at the end of my murderous rage.

Huxley watches me intently as I retreat and pace in front of him. My fingers work through my long blond strands as I suck in breaths. I’m in way too fucking deep to keep this up. I’m goingto end up murdering him. And don’t tell fucking Wilder, but he’s right. If I kill this motherfucker right now, war will happen. Franco will know exactly who killed his prized son.

“She ever tell you about her missing coworker?” he asks abruptly, his words cutting through the air like a knife.

I stop dead. Turning on my heels, I stare at him, blinking several times. “No.”

“She ever tell you about the shit she overheard with said coworker when she was standing outside a patient's room?” He raises a knowing brow, pissing me off more.

“No,” I reply shortly again, taking a step toward him with gritted teeth.

There’s no way I’ll ever believe that he knows something about her that I don’t.

“Or that she thinks your boss is responsible for it all?” Huxley smirks, earning a swift punch to his face.

“Shut the fuck up about shit you don’t know,” I grunt, punching him in the gut. “Why would she...” I trail off, my expression falling.

“Why would she come to me and not you?” Huxley wheezes, spitting blood on the ground. “That’s what you were going to ask, isn’t it?” He cocks a brow. “Why would your sister not come to you, her big, bad brother, for the help she needed? Instead, she sought me out.” Now, he’s poking the fucking bear and pressing the exact buttons to get a response out of me.

He’s winning.

I’m losing.

Except he’ll be the real loser in this situation.

“Yes,” I snarl. “Tell me why the fuck she’d do that.”

Huxley smirks again, blood dripping from his nose, over his lips, and dripping off his chin. It’s a beautiful sight of red, making my hair stand on end. The monster in the back of mymind roars with delight, begging me to finish off the scum that’s obviously lying to me.

“Because she doesn’t trust you.”

That’s it.

That does it.

Red takes over my vision, and my fists fly, pounding heavily into flesh. Everything ceases to exist. This place. Huxley. The door fucking opening in the background. Footsteps coming toward me. Another presence in the room that shouldn’t be here.

That should be enough to pull me back. But it isn’t. Not until he speaks, gaining ground on me.

“God damn it, Malic!” Wilder shouts, bringing me out of the haze taking over. “You really fucking did it this time, didn’t you?” he shouts, stomping up to me. His muscular arms pull me back, and I heave several breaths. “You’re a goddamn idiot, sometimes,” he grunts as I push against him.

“It had to be him!” I grit out.

“It wasn’t me, asshole,” Huxley wheezes, dribbling blood down his chin. “I told you everything I know.”