Page 135 of Freshmeet
So, I punched him again, busting his lip.
“Again,” he said, swallowing.
Frowning, I put all my weight behind the next hit. He fell to the ground, with that smirk still on his face.
I shook out my hand, my knuckles throbbing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the knife just a couple of feet away. “Had enough?”
Carter shook his head and stood. “Thank you,” he said, gently touching his lip. When he pulled his hand away, he grinned at the blood on his fingertips.
“What?” I inched closer to the trunk.
“Who do you think she’ll let inside?” Carter jerked his head toward the apartment.
Anger burned through me, and I lunged for the knife. Carter let me get my hand wrapped around the hilt before he kneed me in my ribs. I doubled over, the knife falling from my hand and bouncing under Sarah’s car.
At least he doesn’t have it.
Standing, I swayed into the car. “I’m not going to let you near her.”
“Well, now, I don’t know if you have much of a choice in that.” Rain and blood ran down his face, dripping from his chin as he serenely smiled.
Raising my fists, I readied myself to give him the beating of his life.
Lightning streaked through the sky, lighting the alley.
“Stop!” Sarah yelled from the top of the steps.
“Get back inside!” Carter took a step toward her, and I attacked. We wrestled, landing hits to each other’s midsections.
Carter locked his arm around my neck and whispered, “I guess the better brother won.” A searing pain pierced my side, and he shoved me to the ground. He stepped over me, holding his side, blood soaking through his shirt. The crazy fucker had given himself a matching stab wound.
“Brother?” I croaked, unable to wrap my head around the word.
Carter darkly chuckled. “Too bad you won’t live to ask Dad about it.” He winked at me, then twisted his face into a pained expression as he shuffled past.
“Sarah,” I said, my voice brittle as I breathed through the pain. I needed to warn her, but the rain and sirens drowned out my every attempt.
Crawling on my hands and knees, I made it to the grass before I collapsed. I screamed my throat raw as I watched him follow her into Frattic. Another flash of lightning lit the sky, and through the pouring rain, I could just make out Carter’s big-ass smile as he closed the door.
THIRTY-ONE
A STORM IN FRATTIC
SARAH
“Let me get you a towel.” I rushed to the downstairs bathroom, grabbing one of Rae’s beach towels. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
“He slashed your tires. We’re going to have to wait until the tornado sirens stop and everyone leaves the basement to get a ride.”
Gnawing my lip, I handed him the towel and went to the window. “It’s scary out there. Should we try to get down to the basement?” Standing on my tiptoes, I could just see my car. “Connor’s not down there anymore. We might be able to make it.”
Carter winced as he pressed the blue-and-white striped towel to his side. “He could be hiding. It’s not worth taking the chance.”
I nodded, shutting the blinds. “I can’t believe he stabbed you.” Everything in me rejected the idea that Connor would ever try to kill someone, but the blood on Carter’s shirt was proof. And then there was the way he beat that wannabe burglar. . .
No, that was different.
Carter gave me a tired smile. “With the way this summer’s going, I’m not surprised. Is it okay if I go lie down on the couch?”
