“Come on, ghost girl. Hit me,” she sneers, but she isn’t going to rile me. It’s nothing I haven’t heard a thousand times before, she started it in the first place.
“I won’t do it.” I tremble as she stalks towards me.
“So pathetic. Come on, little sis. Hit me. Unless you want to be as unforgettable as your mom.” She smirks and I shake my head.
“S-she’s y-your mom too,” I stutter, and she rolls her eyes.
“I mean your real mom, not mine. The one you latched yourself onto like the leech you are. Always fucking taking, aren’t you? We’d be better off without you. Everyone would, maybe…” My fist strikes her jaw and she stares at me with wide eyes.
She finally smiles, but I can’t stop, I just keep going until mom pulls me off and drags me away.
I was grounded for two months after that, neither of us told her why I hit Poppy, and I took the weight of that, like I always do.
“Come on, let’s get this show on the road. Ready, whores?” Craig asks, and we step into the center of the circle that the crowd has formed.
“I’m not going to go easy on you,” she says with a laugh, but I have nothing to say to her.
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If Two wins then she’ll get to eat at her table for the rest of the week. If she fails, well, she’ll have to make do with my crumbs and I’ll take Twenty with me to the wedding instead.” Thallon stands where all can see him and Twenty’s eyes gleam. She doesn’t want to lose this, and I can’t afford to.
We circle each other, waiting to see who will strike first. I already know it won’t be me, I’ll do this dance for as long as it takes. I know better than to show my hand prematurely. I may not be much of a match against an unknown attacker, but this? This I can do.
She screams as she charges at me, driving her shoulder into my stomach. I step to the side, but she still manages to catch me. I drive my elbow into the center of her back and her own momentum sends her into the crowd. They spin her, before pushing her back towards me. My eyes fall on Emmet, but he just stands there, expressionless. His eyes widen a fraction, right as her fist slams into the side of my jaw.
She’s got a mean right hook. The taste of copper hits my taste buds as I narrow my eyes, drowning out the shouts and jeers of the crowd. I don’t care who they’re rooting for, this isn’t about them.
I shake off the impact right as she tries to go for another punch to the face, I use her momentum against her. Side stepping out of the way and sending another elbow into her back, before I lift my knee up into her face.
She screams, as blood floods from her nose, painting her face in the vivid crimson.
“Is that all you’ve got? What’s the matter, Two? Scared to do any real damage?”
I land a solid strike to her kidneys, before stepping behind her and pushing her away.
“Come on, Twenty! Kick her ass.” I don’t even know who says that.
“How’s your sister doing? Is she still crazy? I wonder what will happen to her when the money stops coming in. What will happen to your mom? You know, the one who isn’t dead.” Her teeth are stained with her blood, or maybe that’s my vision. I can’t tell.
No, don’t lose control. Don’t let her get to you.
She backhands me, before driving her foot into the back of my knee and I go down.
“Maybe you’re crazy like her? You’ll end up exactly where she is. Although, I’m hoping for something a little more permanent. When it comes to you, I’m rooting for the strangler, like mother like daughter,” she whispers into my ear before she steals my move and drives her elbow into my neck.
A roar, primal and straight from my soul pours out of me as I grip her wrist and flip her over my shoulder. She lands hard on her back. It’s like an out of body experience, almost as though I’m looking down on myself watching as I climb on top and drop punch after punch to her face. I feel her nose break, rejoice in the sickening crunch noise it makes. The way she groans and pleads for help as I send my elbows into her ribs, digging my knees into her sides like my thighs are nothing more than a boa constrictor.
Someone is shouting, but I don’t care. I can’t stop, I don’t want to stop. So much anger, pain, and heartache is pouring out of me in heavy, suffocating waves. This is my release, and I need it.
I’m yanked back, my arms held at my sides as I thrash like a wild animal. Snarling and growling at anyone who dares try and approach her.
“Get her out of here!”
“For fuck's sake, Thallon, just do as he says!”
Should I care who’s saying it, because I don’t.
“Come on, Little Mouse. I think you’ve made your point.” The timbre of his voice washes over me, but it isn’t soothing. More like a thousand nails being dragged across a chalkboard all at once.
I don’t take my eyes off her prone, bloody figure, not until I’m carried out of the pool house and she’s no longer in my view.
20
A Plan in Motion
Aeron
I can’t believe the shit that went down the other day, she pulverised that bitch. I mean, I can’t say it didn’t happen to a more deserving girl, but Little Zero doing that? Fuck!
Wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, although I wonder what it says about me that I had to think unsexy thoughts for a minute there. That girl is still in the medical center.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the way Thallon looked at my girl while she was annihilating her though. He’s never really seemed interested in her, but his eyes were fucking gleaming and he had this asshole smile on his face.
Right, I need to focus. I’ve got shit to do, chaos to create, and spies to unearth. All in a days work. And my mother thinks all I’m good for is getting high and fucking her staff. Sure it’s fun, but I have talents that she’s never seen. I can’t wait until I can use them on her. Fuck Emmet and his promise to free me of her iron grip, I’m done playing by his, and their, rules. No, I’m finally taking my life into my own hands, but first, I need to bait a rat and that means I have to go to One’s room.
God that makes me shudder, she is a vile little creature, but she does have her uses.
Speaking of which…
“Aeron,” she drawls, as she leans against her door, holding it just wide enough for me to enter.
“Start speaking, One, before I make good on my promise.” I wink and she rolls her eyes. It’s cuter on Little Zero.
“Seriously, don’t you ever turn off? Where’s the fun loving Aeron who doesn’t give two fucks about anything? Man, was he good with his hands, so fast and dirty,” she purrs, but she whimpers as I slam her against the wall.
“Start talking.”
“Okay, fine,” she huffs, before she drops down to the sofa and curls her legs off to the side. If she’s trying to entice me, then she’s gotta do better than that. Like, become a completely different person for starters.
“I’ve noticed a few Harkwrights talking to Sir, the kind I wouldn’t have expected him to waste his time with. Is that what you want?” She arches one perfectly plucked eyebrow, and I have no idea how girls do that.