Page 57 of Thorns of Silence

Although, now I wondered if maybe I should have told her. It might have taught her to be more cautious.

I shifted a bit so I could sign. “Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Do you need help with homework?” I noticed she hadn’t drawn any new designs lately which was unusual for her. Her room was spotless, but the usual signs of her hobbies were absent. It was as if she’d shoved them all away into a closet, along with herself, and locked the door.

“No, thanks.”

I wished I could go back in time and keep her away from Amon Leone so I could spare her this pain. She was trying to keep a brave face and fooled others into thinking she was fine, but I knew better. Our friends knew better.

She’d never be the same.

Fear crushed my heart. I’d started to notice cuts on Reina’s skin. They were surface-level cuts, but it wasn’t healthy. She could slice herself too deep and get seriously hurt.

“You’re so strong. You know that, right?” Reina was the most stubborn person I knew. When she put her mind to something, she stopped at nothing. Like graduating high school early so we could have the college experience together. Or convincing my teachers that I could play music despite my hearing disability. Or clearly stating on her college application she’d attend only if I was accepted too. She didn’t think I knew how much she did for me, but I did. So if she got it into her head that Amon wasn’t worth it, she’d move on and be better for it. Thankfully, she wasn’t knocked up like I was.

“You’re much stronger, Phoenix.”

“He didn’t deserve you.”

Her lower lip trembled, but she remained silent. It tore at my heart. I wanted to hurt him, just the way I wanted to hurt Dante. I wished we had a better relationship with Papà, but he’d always been distant. If I thought he’d step up, I’d tell him what happened with Amon and he’d punish him. In fact, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing both the Leone brothers punished.

Fury tore through me. I wanted to hurt them the way they hurt us. I wanted to make them suffer the way they made us suffer.

So, I started to devise a plan to exact the punishment they deserved. If not both of them, then at least one of them.

TWENTY-THREE

DANTE

Three months.

Phoenix had been avoiding me for three fucking months. Ever since Amon broke up with Reina. Of course, my brother’s sins were also mine, so he’d inadvertently cock-blocked me from the only woman who made my cock work.

Motherfucking Amon and his breakup.

I leaned against the bar, watching men in tuxedos and women in ball gowns mingle, enjoying Amon’s latest charade. Anyone who was anyone was present. It was already a hit, and it had barely gotten started.

I stifled another yawn as I watched servers move through the space with trays of gin and tonics, champagne, and wine-filled glasses. My father was on the opposite side of the terrace, and I intended to keep my distance. I didn’t need that fucker breathing down my throat.

A black lacquered bar with gold accents spanned behind me and I turned around, spotting the bartender. I flagged him over and ordered another beer.

His brows scrunched. “Are you sure, sir? We have a—”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I cut him off. “Any light beer will do.” If the man knew what stronger alcohol did to me, he’d never offer me any.

With a fresh beer in my hand, I returned my attention to the party. People laughed, drank, and lounged on the plush seating surrounding the dance floor.

I glanced up at the sky, my eyebrows scrunching when I saw it was a blood moon. Visions of a different blood moon ghosted past me, but they were distorted. Hazy.

Dark brown curls bounced as she ran, glancing over her shoulder with eyes resembling Nix’s. She stared at me with a soft expression, always challenging. She was a true goddess of darkness.

I sped up, closing the distance between us. I was almost there…

And just like that, I was back on the terrace, surrounded by women in ball gowns and my drink’s condensation beneath the pads of my fingers.

I stopped breathing for a moment, my mouth suddenly dry. I rarely had memories resurface, but around Phoenix, they seemed to keep coming.