“No!” He aimed another punch at Hunter’s face, but this time Hunter caught his hand in time and twisted his arm around hisback.
Adam let out an agonized cry, eyes tightening around the edges. Then I heard a sickening popping sound as he managed to weasel out of his brother’s gripagain.
My hand flew to my mouth. He’d dislocated his own shoulder just to get away. He was completely fuckingunhinged.
Hunter was clearly caught off-guard with the same realization. “Holy shit,” he said, eyes widening as his hands dropped. “You’re fuckinginsane.”
Adam took the opportunity to dive-tackle him in the gut, forcefully shoving him several feet backward. Both of them tumbled to the hard ground with a loud, painful-sounding thump, and they resumed their battle right away, fists and feet flying everywhere as they struggled to get up while keeping the otherdown.
Panic spread through me like a blast of icy air as I saw how close they were to the edge of the roof now. “Stop!” I screamed, dashing over to them with theknife.
I tried to find a way to stab or slash at Adam, but the brothers were fighting so fast that I couldn’t do it without the risk of accidentally plunging the knife into Hunterinstead.
“Stop!” I cried out again, feeling utterlypowerless.
A throbbing pain appeared in my chest as I pictured the very worst happening. If the boys managed to get up and ended up dragging each other just two feet to the right, they could fall over the balustrade in their struggle and plummet to theirdeaths.
Hunter finally managed to get on top and pin Adam to the ground, one hand wrapped around his throat. “Give up,” he said, chest heaving. It’s fucking over, Adam. You’redone.”
Despite the dislocated shoulder, Adam didn’t seem to be in any pain at all. “No,” he spat. His eyes were wild and alive with malevolent rage. “No one beatsme.”
As he said the last word, he used his good arm to smash his fist right into Hunter’s crotch. Hunter groaned and keeled forward, letting go of his brother’s throat, and Adam rolled out from under him and rose to hisfeet.
He reached down and grabbed Hunter’s hair, pulling him up to his feet as well. Then he dragged him even closer to the edge. “Another accident,” he said in a low voice. “How sad for our family. Even sadder that Laney was so distraught that she decided to followyou.”
“No!” I screamed. “Hunter, move! He’s going to push youoff!”
After that, he was coming forme.
I expected Hunter to try to fight his brother off again, but instead he just stood there with a blank face, seemingly waiting to bepushed.
A victorious grin lit Adam’s face. He drew back a few inches, and then he propelled his good hand toward Hunter, getting ready to shove him over thebalustrade.
Hunter dodged to the side at the very lastsecond.
Adam had too much momentum to stop himself from sailing forward now, and without his brother’s body to block him, he went flying right over the edge in his place. He screamed as he flailed for a split-second, feet kicking pointlessly and hands grasping at thinair.
Then hedropped.
20
Laney
2weekslater
It was finally snowingin RoyalFalls.
Little flakes flittered in the air, a dance conducted by the freezing wind, and the sky was pale gray, heavy with snow that had yet to fall. Bare trees stood like skeletons, dusted withwhite.
Everyone in the cemetery was rugged up in thick black coats, scarves, and boots. I clung to Hunter’s arm as we trudged over the damp ground, savoring the warmth that seeped into me from hisbody.
“There it is,” he muttered, dipping hishead.
A hulking gray marble mausoleum stood slightly toward the left, surrounded by evergreen shrubs. Above the ornate Gothic arches at the front of the structure, there was a large engraving.Connery.
My eyes widened as I took it in. I couldn’t believe Hunter’s family had their own giant mausoleum in thecemetery.
Actually… no, Icouldbelieve it. Of course they had something like this. Even with Charles in prison awaiting trial—and the stock prices of his companies subsequently plummeting—the Connerys were still one of the wealthiest families in RoyalFalls.