“You stay away from him.” I charged a few steps closer. “I mean it.”

Her gaze rested on me again, her smile coy as she fingered her tutu. “Do you like it?” She looked at me, hopeful, as if I hadn’t said anything. “I still fit into my old costumes. I’m still pretty, aren’t I?”

Pretty? What? She was absolutely mad.

“What’s going on?” Kai came up next to me, but she barely spared him a glance before turning her eyes back to the doors.

She was going to search Damon out.

“He’s a man now,” she said wistfully. “Young and strong.”

I shook my head, pushing at Kai behind me to move for the doors. “She’s bad. We need to leave.”

I spun around, grabbing Kai’s hand and reached for the handle.

“Tell him mama loves him,” she called out. “I’m the only one who loves him.”

I whipped around, releasing Kai. “That’s not love,” I growled at her.

A sob lodged in my throat, feeling so helpless despite my anger. She wouldn’t hurt him again. She couldn’t. He wouldn’t allow it.

But she ignored me, looking calm and even a bit excited.

“I hear he’s quite the animal now,” she taunted. “No girl in that town is safe. That’s mommy’s big boy.”

“Jesus Christ.” I heard Kai mumble at my side. “What the hell did she do to him?”

“Has he touched you?” she asked me.

I ground my teeth together.

“He will, you know?” She took a step closer. “He’s a ravager. Just like his daddy.”

My head shook just slightly. That would never happen. My brother would never hurt me like that.

“I wanted him to take you.” Her words left her lips softly and crawled inside me as she held my eyes. “Sleeping in his room like you do, he won’t be able to resist the scent of his precious girl.” She reached out, brushing her knuckles gently across my jaw. “His little treasure.”

“Hey, hey.” Kai pushed her hand down and pulled me back.

And then she finally turned her gaze on him. “I remember you. My son’s friend,” she said. “Does that mean he’s here, then?”

My breath caught in my throat. Damon.

But the doors behind us suddenly opened, and I jerked my head, looking over my shoulder. My brother stormed through, the muscles in his face tight and his eyes furious as they locked on me.

“I knew that was you upstairs,” he said, seething. “What the hell is going on? How did you get here?”

I quickly turned my body to face him, hoping to block his view of her.

But it was no use.

Her voice rang out behind me. “Damon.”

And I closed my eyes, tightening my hands. Damon.

“Please, Nik,” he begged, his lips trembling.

Tears streamed down my face as I stood above my brother as he sat on the edge of the bed. She was gone now. She’d gotten what she wanted from him.

But her perfume was still all over him. He always went to the shower immediately after. Why wasn’t he now?

“I’m rotting.” His whisper left him like a last breath as he bowed his head and stared at the floor.

I stared at the fresh cuts on his thigh—somewhere most people wouldn’t be able to spot them. He’d done that a couple days ago. After the last time.

She was coming to his room more frequently now. He was growing so fast the past year, getting taller and bigger, his cheekbones and jaw losing their softness and becoming more like a man’s. His shoulders had gotten broader, and basketball training over the summer had filled out his muscles.

When I found out what was happening years ago when I moved in, my brother refused to tell anyone. He refused to let me tell anyone. Eventually, I’d held out hope that she’d lose interest in him as he grew into adulthood.

She didn’t. I realized she wasn’t a pedophile in the strictest sense of the word. It wasn’t about his body or his youth. It was about him, and she was just psychotic.

And jealous. He was in high school now. Lots of other girls—younger girls—to steal his attention away from her. She didn’t like that.

I stepped up to him and reached out a shaky hand, touching it on his bare shoulder. He was still naked, the black bed sheet drawn across his lap, covering himself.

Bending down, I tried to catch his eyes, pleading with him. “I would rather hurt myself. Please. Don’t make me do it again. Please.”

He dropped his head, meeting my forehead and breathing shallow, as if he were trying to hold back sobs. “Something’s gonna give,” he whispered. “Something has to. Do you want it to be me? Huh?” He grabbed my chin, holding his tightly. “Se-myah. I need you. Do it.”

Se-myah.

Family.

I didn’t speak Russian well—I hadn’t grown up with it like Damon—but I’d learned enough to understand.

I shook my head as much as it could move in his grip. It was getting worse. When would it stop? He always needed more. Harder, stronger, more pain… “Please,” I cried softly.

He growled and grabbed his belt off the bed, throwing his arm out to ready the first whip across his back.

“No!” I snatched it out of his hand. When he did it himself, he did it too hard. The guys at practice would ask questions.

I stood up, dropped the belt to the floor, and sobbed as I grabbed a fistful of his hair. No one would ask questions about cuts and bruises on his face. Damon was always in fights, so it was a likely story to hide behind.

Taking my fear and agony, I twisted it into anger and growled, slamming as hard as I could across his cheek.

And dived in. Again and then again and again. I had to get it over with. Just do it. I sobbed louder, tears pouring down my face.

Something’s gotta give, he said.

He was right. The alcohol wasn’t enough. Neither were the cigarettes, the girls he used and treated like shit at school, or the pain. Eventually, he grew used to it all, and needed more.

Something’s gotta give. How much pain could he take before he broke? How long until nothing was enough to appease him?

I rushed up to Damon. “Just go,” I told him, grabbing his arm. “Let’s go. Come on.”

I pulled at him, ignoring the confused look on Kai’s face, but my brother was rooted like a tree.

His eyes were steel on her, hard and sharp.

“Baby,” she cooed, coming up to him. “You’re so beautiful. I missed you so much.”

I shook my head, pulling at him to get his attention. But he was frozen.

“I know you lost your temper, and it’s okay,” she told him sweetly, ever the delicate flower on the outside. “I’m okay. I love you no matter what. And I promise it will be better this time. I’ll take care of you.”

“Damon,” I barked, trying to break the spell.

But his eyes were locked, following her as she crept forward, closer and closer.

“I’ve missed you,” she carried on. “I need you. I’m so lonely. I’m so lost, baby, I—”

Just then, he darted out and caught her by the neck, his large hand wrapping around her slender, pale throat.

“Damon…” I looked between him and her, not knowing what to do.

She gasped but remained stilled as he pulled her up to her toes and in close. His jaw was tight, and liquid heat raced through my veins as I watched them stare at each other.

“That’s my strong boy,” she whispered. “You’ve grown so strong.”

“Damon,” I pleaded with him. “Look at me.”

He simply stood there, gripping her neck, entranced.

“I’ve waited for you to come for me,” she panted. “To take control. You’re the man now. Whatever my son needs.”

I closed my eyes.

“She’s insane,” Kai uttered under his breath at my side.

“Damon!” I yelled. “Look. At. Me!”

He held her, but she completely held his attention. “Take her,” she urged him. “Wash her clean. Just like mama used to wash you.”

I broke down, the agony of years ago flooding back as I stared at my brother through my tears.