My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 90

My stomach twisted strangely as I stared at them. My toes flexed slightly, testing the tightness of the wrap. The burning pain from last night had dulled into a throb, but it wasn’t raw anymore. It wasn’t bleeding anymore.

Someone had cleaned them.

Someone had wrapped them.

A memory slipped into my head before I could stop it.

Raphael kneeling on the floor.

Big hands holding my ankle steady. His fingers rough but careful as he pressed gauze against my skin. His head lowered, focused, jaw tight while he worked like it actually mattered.

Like I mattered.

Heat crept up my neck before I could stop it.

I didn't believe that memory because it didn’t match the monster standing behind me with a damn snake around his shoulders.

I swallowed hard and straightened my back.

No.

I wasn’t doing this. I wasn’t standing here thinking soft thoughts about a man who had just threatened to feed me to his pet like I was dinner.

"Make sure no one sees you stepping out of my room, I don't want to associated with you in any way," he said rudely.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

“Did you do this?” I asked quietly, gesturing towards my feet.

Behind me, I heard the soft shift of scales as the snake moved again, “Yes,” he said simply.

“Next time,” I muttered, forcing strength into my voice, “don’t.”

The lie tasted bitter in my mouth.

I forced myself to step forward. The bandages pressed softly against my skin as I walked toward the door.

The door stood tall and silent in front of me. Locked. Smart system, no handle and no way out without him.

Of course.

I stopped in front of it and waited.

“And just so we’re clear,” I added quietly, meeting his eyes head-on, “if you ever threaten me with that oversized shoelace again—”

My gaze flicked briefly to the snake before snapping back to his face.

“I’ll go straight to Aunt Alessia. I’ll sit her down for tea and tell her every single dirty little detail about your midnight hobbies. I’ll tell her everything you do when the lights go out.”

Silence filled the room.

My pulse slammed hard in my throat, but I didn’t look away and then, because fear made people stupid and brave at the same time, and adrenaline had finally pushed me past the point of being careful, one last word ripped out of me.

"Pussy."

My stomach dropped into my shoes the second it hit the air.

God, that was a terrible idea.

But I didn't take it back. I didn't apologize. I didn't even wait for him to react.

I spun around, ripped the door open, and bolted. I ran out of his room, sprinting down the long, cold hallway of his wing. My heart was pounding like it was trying to smash its way out of my chest, the sound of my own footsteps echoing against the walls. I didn't look back. I just ran, knowing I might have just signed my own death sentence with a single, stupid word.