“Oh, c’mon, Xav, I don’t have time for this. Move, please.”
“Where are youreallygoing?” he asks.
I narrow my eyes. “You think I’d tell you?”
He folds his arms. “Yes. I’m your brother.”
“Sometimes you really get on my nerves, you know that?”
He frowns. “Don’t care. Tell me. Now.”
“Nothing!”
“It’s not nothing if it’s dragging you away from a family dinner you know means the world to Mom. That’s dangerous. You don’t play dangerous games unless it’s serious,” he says.
Goddammit. Of course he can see right through me.
“Didn’t you hear her?” Grey grabs his shirt. “Move. Now.”
“Get your hands off me, Grey.” He narrows his eyes. “Before I cut them off.”
Oh, fuck no, no more fights.
“Let. Us. Out.”
“Why? I thought you were going to be an actual fucking chivalrous boyfriend to her,” he says. “You’re already letting her fuck with Apollo, and now this.”
Grey leans up close and hisses, “If you care about your sister, you will let us leave. Now.”
“Give me one good reason.”
“Guys, what’s going on in there?” Dad shouts from the dining room, and I can’t help but feel the urgency.
“Please, Xav,” I mutter.
“Listen here, you asshole, you may be her brother, but I will fuck you up if you don’t step aside and let me save her fucking heart before it’s crushed into oblivion by Silas.”
Oh God.
Xavier’s brows furrow. “What did Silas do?”
“Nothing,” I quip, quickly grabbing Grey and hauling him off.
Xav sidesteps, allowing me to pass, and I rush out the door with Grey.
“Aspen! Tell me!” he yells after me.
I run to the car, and we open the doors, jumping inside.
But as Grey starts the engine, the car door is jerked open again, and Xavier growls at me, “Goddammit, Aspen, you know twins don’t keep secrets from each other. You trust me. I trust you.” He hops inside, sits down on the back seat, and slams the door shut. “And if you won’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going with you so I can see for myself.”
Grey looks at me while I glance at Xavier through the rearview mirror, wondering if we can do all this on our own … or if we could use his help.
“You gotta promise me you won’t tell a fucking soul,” I say.
“What do I gain by telling anyone if it hurts you?”
I swallow. “Silas is going to torture Levi.”
