I assumed he was talking to Will, who, for once in his life, didn’t look happy. A slight snarl curled his lips, and his glower was fixed on Damon like nothing had been forgotten or forgiven.
Kai took a step forward, calling out over the rain, “Why go through all this?”
“Because this is my home,” Damon replied. Then he pulled me back into his chest. “And so is this.”
“She’s not your pet,” Kai argued. “Or your property. She never was.”
“I gave her everything.”
“You treated her like a dog!” Kai bellowed, his worried eyes flashing to me. “You hurt her.”
I swallowed the massive lump in my throat. I knew Damon treated me badly, even though I hated facing that fact. I’d just made excuses for it. He’s not well. He’s alone. He needs someone he can trust.
I loved him. What was I supposed to do? I could make him better. Right?
But if the sacrifices only come from one side, it’s time to face the truth. He was hurting me.
“She tenses when I touch her,” Kai told him. “It’s subtle, and it’s only for a moment, but it takes her off guard, like she’s not used it.”
Did I do that?
“She’s got a great imagination, but I think she’s even better at taking care of business,” he went on, holding my eyes now. “She’s going to be in charge of things someday, and even though I don’t know what exactly, it’s going to be great.”
Tears welled in my eyes.
“And I even like her in men’s clothes,” he said, softening his voice. “As long as they’re mine.”
Then he raised his eyes, telling Damon, “Just let her go, man. She’s not going to hurt you. She loves you. And you love her.”
I could feel my brother’s shallow breaths behind me as he backed us up a step, still resisting. “The only ones who can hurt you are the ones you love.”
I closed my eyes.
“Choose,” he said.
I opened my eyes, and he spun me around, looking between me and them. “He can survive without you. You know that.”
He meant Kai didn’t need me. Damon did. That’s what he wanted me to believe, but it wasn’t entirely true.
“So can you,” I replied. “You just hate seeing us survive without you.”
His gaze narrowed, and I knew I had him. But before he could say anything, Damon was pushed on the ground, and I was shoved away.
I watched as Will jumped on top of him, knocking the gun out of his hand and swinging his fists like he’d been waiting a year for this. I guessed he had, after all.
“You fucking prick!” he shouted, grunting as he punched. “You’re nothing! Nothing without us!”
The next thing I knew, Kai grabbed my arm and pulled me back, and I spotted Michael, Rika, and Alex running through the kitchen and back outside to us.
“His friends ran off,” Rika told me and then turned her eyes on the action.
I spun around, seeing Will still completely losing it.
“How could you go so far?” he burst out. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”
He gripped my brother’s throat in one hand, holding him in place, and hit him with the other.
Damon wasn’t fighting back. He just squeezed his eyes shut, blood streaming out of his nose and down his face as Will attacked him again and again.