I used to care for Kade. He was my brother, my other half. But in these past few years, everything's changed. I don't see him as my brother anymore, far from it. He's my rival now. The one standing in my fucking way. The one I have to get rid of so I can finally have what I've always wanted.
"Bring me another canvas," I mutter to Marissa, and she nods obediently, disappearing upstairs. I've made a makeshift studio in the damp basement of the house, the one the hotel manager didn't want to show us. But I like it here. I like the dark. It matches the blackness of my heart.
Marissa comes back a moment later, glancing at my completed painting. It's June again—it's always fucking June. She's naked this time, though I've painted her body from imagination, having never seen her bare before. But that will change soon, too.
"Take this one outside to dry." Marissa takes the painting, feeding me some bullshit compliment about my work. I don't need the girl's praise. I know my work is stellar. If it wasn't, Marissa's daddy wouldn't be paying me all that money to keep fucking doing it.
Somehow, being in Hawaii has fueled my creativity. I've been painting nonstop since we've arrived, filling canvas after canvas with grotesque images of my twin and stepsister. Hodge still hasn't figured out who they are, the fucking idiot.
As Marissa places another blank canvas on my easel, I notice the curve of her ass in that sinfully short minidress she's wearing. I'm easily distracted today and have been ever since I convinced her to dye her blond locks a dark shade of brown that matches June's. From afar, they look similar now. It helps that I've been dressing Marissa like a doll—putting her in all the outfits I've seen my stepsister wear in magazines.
I grab her ass, palming the cheek with my fingers while Marissa giggles. "Shouldn't you be focusing on work?"
"Shouldn't you be keeping your pretty little mouth shut?" I smirk. "Trust me, you're better when you don't fucking speak."
She smiles, making me wonder how she just accepts my abuse without question. It's like she lives for the darkness that thrives deep within me. And I'm more than willing to let her have it.
"Take your dress off," I mutter.
"If I do, will you take me to the main island?" she asks with a sweet smile. "I'm bored here... I want to go to the resort." Little does she know; she won't be bored for fucking long. Once Kade and June take the bait I've set for them, Marissa will be plenty busy making sure June's taken care of while I dispose of my traitor brother.
"Fine," I hiss in response. "I'll call the mainland, and we'll go today. Just for a few hours," I add hastily when I see her excitement. But I can't resist it, either. Can't fight the urge to fuck with June and Kade some more while they have their blissful honeymoon on the hotel's main grounds.
A boat takes us to shore later that day, and Marissa and I spend the day at the beach. I avoid spots where June could spot us but make sure to leave a pamphlet for the wilderness experience on their table so my brother sees it. The fool will think it's a great fucking idea. He won't even know he's walking them both straight into my trap.
But that night, right before we return to the island, I can't resist taunting June. I never have been able to resist her. Marissa and I return to the secluded island, and I lick my lips, still tasting the sweet innocence of June's mouth on me. I smirk. Not too long now.Marissa doesn't have a goddamn clue about what's coming, and I realize I'll have to mention my plans to her at some point to make sure she doesn't freak when they come to fruition.
"We'll have a guest joining us here soon," I tell her lazily as she massages my tanned, muscular shoulders. "An old friend."
"Oh?" Jealousy sparks in her eyes, and I pull back, smirking at her. "A woman?"
I don't answer her question, deliberately taunting her with my silence. Lazily, I carry on as if she hasn't spoken at all. "Anyway, our little guest might be a little... reluctant to spend time in our company. So I may need your help making sure she feels... welcome."
Marissa's eyes bore into mine. "Are you... going to... kidnap her?"
I don't reply. She can figure this out for herself. I'm sure she'll help me—one, because she's fucking in love with me, and two, because I'm not giving her a choice. If she disobeys me, she's gone. And I can tell she senses it already. Her eyes betray her. The eyes are always the first to tell the truth.