Page 91 of Sticks & Serpents

“He’s not weak.”

I turned, stomach dropping as if I’d stepped off a ledge. Holly stood at the end of the hallway, her figure illuminated by the dim light overhead, but it wasn’t just her appearance that struck me; it was the fire in her eyes that caught me off guard.

She had never looked more beautiful—or more fierce.

Her hair framed her face, damp from the summer rain, cascading around her shoulders like a wild mane. The dress she wore clung to her curves in a way that made my heart race, but it was the intensity in her gaze that captivated me most.

I could see the determination etched into her features, a resolve I hadn’t seen before. It sent an electric shock through me, snapping me out of my fury and straight into something sharper—a vulnerability I’d spent years building walls around.

“Don’t you dare say he’s weak,” she continued, stepping closer with each word like a warrior preparing for battle. “You don’t get to do that. Not to him.”

Every syllable dripped with defiance as she faced down my mother’s twisted words, and I felt a rush of emotions surge within me—gratitude mixed with anger and confusion. How could she care enough to challenge my mother?

Holly didn’t back down as she reached the edge of my fury, eyes unwavering as they locked onto mine.

I felt the air thicken as my mother exhaled in irritation, her patience clearly wearing thin.

“You just can’t stay away, can you?” she asked, her tone dripping with disdain.

Holly didn’t flinch. Her expression remained resolute as she squared her shoulders, a fierce determination radiating from her. “Stay the hell away from him.”

I shook my head, stepping forward, caught between wanting to protect Holly and the instinct to defend myself. “Holly?—”

My mother scoffed, setting her drink down with a dismissive clink that sent a shiver down my spine. “You think you can fix him? He’s broken, darling. I made sure of that.”

Holly’s fists clenched at her sides, defiance etched into every feature of her face. “No. You tried to break him. But you failed.”

For the first time, I saw something flash in my mother’s eyes—a coldness that sent an icy grip around my heart. Displeasure mixed with a hint of something darker flickered beneath her carefully constructed façade.

Before I could intervene, it happened in a blur. My mother moved with lightning speed and slapped Holly across the face.

The sharp sound echoed down the hall like a gunshot.

Time froze for a heartbeat as I processed what had just occurred. Holly stumbled back slightly but quickly steadied herself, rage igniting in her eyes while I felt fury boiling within me.

I moved instantly, adrenaline surging through my veins. My body reacted before my mind caught up, every instinct screaming to protect her. But before I could reach them, before I could close the distance and put myself between Holly and my mother, it happened.

Holly slapped her right back.

The sound of skin meeting skin echoed in the hallway, sharp and electric. Time seemed to freeze around us. My mother’s hand lingered in the air, stunned, as if she couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

Holly didn’t even blink.

The moment hung heavy in the air, thick with tension and disbelief. I felt something wild ignite in my chest—a combination of pride and rage mixed with something deeper I couldn't quite name. She stood her ground, unyielding in the face of my mother’s manipulative cruelty.

My breath hitched as I stepped between them, positioning myself like a shield against whatever storm was brewing. I could feel the heat radiating from both women, one full of cold entitlement and the other brimming with fierce defiance.

“Enough,” I said, voice low and lethal.

The way my mother’s eyes narrowed made it clear she didn’t take kindly to being challenged. But I didn’t care about that right now; all that mattered was Holly standing behind me.

“You touch her again,” I continued, each word measured but dripping with intent. “I’ll fucking kill you.”

The air crackled with tension as my mother’s expression shifted from shock to outrage. “Damien,” she started, but I cut her off.

“I mean it.” The words came out rougher than intended, a warning wrapped in an unyielding promise.

I felt Holly shift slightly behind me. Whatever this moment had sparked—whatever it meant—I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again. Not now. Not ever.

---