All Chapters of Two Brothers. One Ruin.: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

Shaun It’s official. I have no fucking idea what I’m doing anymore. I don’t know why hearing Julian’s name on her lips feels like someone driving a blade between my ribs and slowly twisting it. I don’t know why the thought of her still wanting him has lodged itself under my skin and refuses to leave. I don’t know why any of this is happening. From the other side of the door, I hear her again. Still calling my name. Still rattling the handle even though she has to know by now it isn’t going to open. “You fucking psycho! Open the damn door!” A slow breath leaves me. Yeah. That’s more like it. The hatred. The disgust. The anger she throws at me like knives. Those things I understand. Those things make sense. I know what to do with her hatred. I know how to carry it. How to survive it. It’s a hell of a lot easier than dealing with that other thing I saw last night. That brief, dangerous flash in her eyes. The thing that nearly made me forget myself. Jealousy. Christ. It was be

Liana He couldn’t help himself, could he? Three minutes. Three fucking minutes after the car pulled away from the gates, Xavier handed my bugged phone back to me. What exactly was Shaun so desperate not to miss? The nonstop chatter of two girls rambling about boys, girls, social media drama, and whatever else occupies their minds every hour of the day? Seriously. How does he even do it? Does he rush back into his office the second I leave the house, sit down in front of some surveillance setup like a complete creep, and hit play? Or does he save them up and binge-listen every few days like a psychopath catching up on a podcast series? God. The possibility is disturbing. And embarrassingly entertaining. The conversation around me continues, but I’m barely processing any of it. Emma is sitting on one side of me. Ava on the other. The three of us are getting pedicures while the salon buzzes quietly around us. At least, I assume it does. Because most of what either of them

He shrugs. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not.” I let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You realize that whether you’re a cop or not, if I decided to expose you right now, you’d be completely screwed either way? So how about you give me a straight answer for once?” “Alright, fine.” He mutters. “Yeah. I am.” My eyes narrow. I have absolutely no idea whether he’s telling the truth. I was the one who jumped to that conclusion. For all I know, he’s simply going along with it because it’s exactly what I want to hear. A convenient answer. A useful answer. The kind of answer that makes people trust you. Which means it could be complete bullshit. “Okay then.” I shift in my seat. “Tell me this. The auction.”My stomach twists as flashes of that night force their way back into my head. The stage. The women. The bidding. Vincent practically drooling over his purchase. “If you’re really a cop, wasn’t that enough? Those contracted girls being auctioned of

Shaun I lower her onto the bed and straighten back up slowly. She melts into the mattress, sprawled across it like her body has officially given up cooperating with her. Drunk. Exhausted. Barely conscious. I shrug off my coat, toss it over the armchair nearby, then roll my sleeves to my forearms as I head toward the bathroom. A second later, water begins rushing into the tub. Hot enough to sober her up a little. Or at least keep her from waking up tomorrow feeling like death itself crawled into her skull. By the time I walk back into the room, she’s half asleep already. I grab her hand and pull her upright. Her body sways dangerously the moment she’s sitting. I steady her and guide her legs over the edge of the mattress. “What’re you doing?” she mumbles with heavy eyelids. Christ. She’s completely gone. “Why the fuck did you drink that much?” I mutter as I slide her jacket off her shoulders. A soft, drunken laugh slips out of her. “I dunno. Maybe because my husband’s a

By the time the SUV rolls into the old estate, Xavier and Sarah are already waiting at the far end of the driveway. The second I step out, I head for the path leading toward the back grounds without slowing down. They fall in behind me. “Talk.” Sarah picks up her pace, heels clicking sharply against the stone as she moves up beside me. “Things are getting messy in the underworld.” She gets straight to the point. “There’s a wave moving through the city. Bodies are dropping. People are vanishing. Crews are stepping on each other’s toes. Everybody’s jumpy, everybody’s armed.” I don’t react. I keep walking. She exhales and steps in front of me, forcing me to stop. “Sanford’s losing patience. From where he’s standing, you’ve gone quiet while half the city’s losing its mind.” Her eyes lock onto mine. “He wants to know what the hell you’re tied up in that you’re not seeing this.” I stare at her for a beat. Then brush past her. “Do I look like the fucking police commissioner?” She fal