Page 147 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

Roseland grunts. “Is this a kink? Are you going to get off on us being stepbrothers forever?”

“I killed our parents for you. Surely, you can afford me my fantasies.”

“Fine, but kill faster. I want to go get our omegas out of here. If you get them safely out, I will give you a year of brother fantasies.”

“How can I turn that down? I shall fight for you, my brother, my love.”

His low growl matches my deep laugh.

I spin and kick, turning some poor fool into a soprano. He screams, but the sound is snatched when Aaron shoves a knife into his throat.

“You are so fucking hot, Brother.”

“Shut up!”

We work as a team, in silence, driving these idiots who dare try to keep us from our omega back. Step by step, body by body, until we stand in the darkened shadow of the door. I step inside, and the shadow comes down on me like a blanket of doom.

I wonder what we’re going to find and what will happen.

She will be alive.

Unharmed.

So will Daega.

Roseland stands beside me on my right, Blaze on my left. Rolly and King glance at us and slink off into the dark in different directions. Hunting.

Inside, I hear machinery creak, the sound of someone talking. I move towards it, listening, trying to hear her.

Skeletons of dead beasts of machinery lay dormant in the darkness. Leaves and dirt make walking silently almost impossible, but I slide through it all with just a whisper. The scent is something I can’t place; there’s too much here, but it reminds me of those years locked in concrete rooms, being beaten and pushed until my body gave out.

It reminds me of pain.

Her voice hits me hard, a sound I recognise and have been longing to hear.

My whole self focuses on that sound, and everything in me becomes crystal sharp and deadly.

“Okay, baby,” Blaze whispers in my ear. “Go get her.”

The leash holding me back snaps.

Kestrel

“Ihave a surprise for you.”

I cross my arms over my chest and refuse to acknowledge him. Jay’s information has me freaking out, but the last thing I need is for him to see just how badly it’s affecting me. He will think that it’s because of him, and then he will get worse because he thinks he’s winning.

He might know me, but I know him. He’s the only parent I remember.

He blows a whistle.

I hiss, hating that sound, remembering it so clearly.

A summons.

We didn’t have real names. We didn’t have the decency of a call. No, he just whistled for us like we were dogs. Our bird names were codes, and we only got them used if we were good.

This is bringing back memories, so many of them. I don’t want to remember. It hurts. I scan again, looking for anything that can get me out of here.