Tyrant Twins (Tyrant Dynasty 1)

I spend the rest of the evening preparing for the attack. I equip myself with a knife from the kitchen and a mallet for meat. I bide my time in the shadows of the shrubbery next to the other house, waiting for my moment to strike. My suspicions are confirmed an hour later. Through the tall windows illuminated from the inside—the bastard still has electricity—I see my brother working on something. Rage flows through me. I'm going to fucking kill him for this. I found it in my heart to be merciful the last time, but now, it's fucking different.

My twin tricked me. He forced his way back into our lives so he could steal June from me. He thought he finally had her, but he thought fucking wrong. This time, the only person who will suffer the consequences is him.

I wait until nightfall before sneaking around the corner of the house. There are still lights on inside, and I wait for the perfect moment to strike. I'm hoping the dark-haired girl will appear again, but she doesn't. Instead, my brother comes out of the house, dragging a body with him.

I watch in horror as he begins digging what can only be a grave. The unmoving body is the dark-haired girl I saw at the house before, and my blood runs cold as I realize he's killed her.

Parker's overstepped many lines, but I never thought he'd kill an innocent woman. My hand grips the knife tightly as I watch him dig. He's going to be busy for a while longer. I can use this time to my advantage. Peeling myself from the shadows, I head for the house. When Parker isn't looking, I slip inside the building.

Inside, my heart beats frantically as I try to figure out where he's keeping June. I search the downstairs and am about to head to the upper floor when I see the stairs leading into the basement. My heart pounds as I undo the locks and flip the light switch on. And there she is—my beautiful wife, bound and gagged on the floor, unmoving.

I rush toward June, cradling her broken body in my hands. She doesn't have any marks on her apart from some light bruising, so it seems like he hasn't hurt her apart from some slaps. My blood fucking boils, and I swear to myself Parker will pay for each one of the bruises he put on June's pale skin.

"June," I whisper, but she doesn't reply. I can see the faint rise and fall of her chest. Either she's deeply asleep, or her body has given up already, trying to save her the pain of being awake.

"Don't bother."

My eyes snap up. Parker stands at the top of the stairs, carelessly watching us on the floor. "She's been like that for a while now. Hours, at least."

Carefully, I slip the knife in my pocket. It cuts me going in, but I don't give a shit. This is the moment of truth.

"You sick fuck," I hiss. "You killed that girl, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." He smirks at me. He advances on me, stopping on the stairs and watching me with a snarl on his face that mirrors my own. "You left me to rot on the streets, Kade. It’s all your fucking fault."

My heart pounds as we stare at one another. There's something inside me, a desperation, that makes me blurt out, "It's not too late, Parker. I can get you out of this mess. I can get you a lawyer. You'll be out on bail in no time. And I'll—"

He interrupts me by laughing out loud and shaking his head in disbelief. "You haven't changed one bit, have you, Kade? I don't want a lawyer. I'm not going back to New York."

"Then what?" I hiss. "What was your fucking masterplan here, brother? You can't keep June here. She needs help, right now."

"She'll be fine." He waves his hand dismissively. So fucking careless. He always claimed he loved June, but his actions don't show it at all. "But you won't."

"You'd kill me too? Your own brother?"

"You're not my brother," he spits out. "My brother would never do what you did to me."

"I tried to help you," I remind him, feeling the knife press against my skin. "I wanted you to get better."

"I don't want to get better," Parker snarls at me. "I'm fine with how I am, Kade, as opposed to you. One of these days, you'll stop fighting your demons, too. One day, you'll be just like Dad and me."

The memories of what June told me about our father haunt me, and I shake my head. "I could never hurt someone I love."

"News fucking flash, idiot," he hisses. "You already did."

He approaches me then, and I notice the glint of a knife in his hand. We really are brothers—even picking the same weapon of choice. I realize I still don't want to hurt him. I don't trust myself enough to end his life. My best bet now is staying down here and making sure June's okay before I decide to strike.