You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 152

RALI

I knew asking the Hollow Brothers for help was reckless, but I hadn't expected their idea of help to be 'this.' I didn't expect to be marched out of the room immediately and straight to the VIP corner.

My pulse hit sirens in my chest. Blayne lounged there with his rotten clientele. And among them, the devils I dreaded most.

The Ash Twins were mid-conversation when they clocked us. Their faces dropped like storm shutters. It wasn't hard to spot a devil's bad mood; it sat on them like a second skin.

Their eyes tracked every inch we took, all the way to a couch that emptied the second the men saw us coming. Coltin folded into the seat, ankle over knee, unbothered as a king at recess. Corbin sprawled wide, one arm along the back like he owned the couch. Across from us, the Twins' conversation cut off with a neat little click, like someone snipped the cord.

"I don't think it's been long enough to say you're done with her," Blayne said at last, breaking the heavy silence the bar couldn't quite swallow.

His eyes moved from the men to me, holding questions like 'What the fuck did you do?'

I dropped my stare to the floor before he could peel answers out of me. No man ever cut his time short with me. This was strange, and everyone knew it.

Corbin chipped in. "You can stop staring at the lady, Blayne. She doesn't have the chain to drag us anywhere."

"We're actually here because we have a more pressing issue to handle."

The air tightened until the bass felt muffled. I watched a nearby glass sweat itself empty, watched security glance and then look away. This wasn't how I'd expected the Brothers to handle the issue. I'd thought they'd go to Blayne in private or something. This... This was definitely not it.

"We hear you're taking her for two years," Corbin said, his eyes on the twins.

My heart bolted out of my chest and left me to fend for myself.

My fingers twitched, hungry for something to hold; anything at all. They flew to my throat like they always did, but like always, there was no luck. So I knotted them into fists at my sides and squeezed until the shake had somewhere to go.

I didn't dare look anyone in the eye, but I could feel the Ash Twins' attention brewing dark as weather.

"Since when do rumours walk into Orgy House?" One of the Twins asked.

The second clicked his tongue. "Quite disappointing I thought conversations stayed safe here."

Blayne's stare started to simmer against my skin. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have told the Brothers about it.

Mayor leaned forward, his own eyes lacking his brother's mirth. "And what gives you the impression we'd want to hand her over?"

Coltin mirrored his move, bringing his elbow to his knees. "What? Too scared and want to back out? Thought you'd have more balls than that. What did I tell you, brother?" He flicked a glance at Corbin. "Told you these pussies were scared of us."

"Please," Mayor chuckled, crossing his legs just enough for menace to lace the sound. "I'd waste more fear on an insect than on you."

"Doesn't look that way from where I'm sitting," Corbin fired back. "My brother even suggested we just bid, sure you'd be too scared to fight. But dragging bids is childish. Why waste time when we could settle it in a death match? And it turns out he was right: you really are cowards."

You know one thing about men? They'd walk into fire with bare feet just to keep their pride warm. They'd go to war, bleed themselves, so long as their egos stayed upright.

It was stupid. But as the silence stretched tight as wire, I knew the Twins would bite. Too many men were watching. Backing down now would stain their honor, and in this world, honor was oxygen.

"Your really want a fight," Marshall said, his head tilting slow.

No. No. God, no.

"A fight you shall get, then."