Twisted (Never After, #4)

by Emily McIntire

“The girl and everything that comes with her are mine,” I say, my eyes flaring.

Oh?

It’s amazing what we’re capable of overlooking— what we’re willing to do— when it comes to those we love.

She’ll be its ruin. She’ll be my ruin. Unless I become the man she marries.

“If I wished for it,” I murmur, leaning in until our noses touch, “I could make you need nothing but me.”

The key to manipulating someone into your favor is to make the other person think it’s their idea,

problems that show up are nothing more than puzzles asking to be solved.

“Sometimes the greatest love comes from the most unlikely of places.”

I flash her a grin before focusing again on the man across the table who’s trying to take what I’ve decided is mine.

I also don’t think too hard about the fact that my exact type of shampoo and conditioner is already in there, and the lotion I like to use is stocked with backups in the cabinet to the left of the sinks. How long has he been planning this?

No he didn’t

the truth is that one hand always washes the other, and I’m the water that rinses both clean.

Photographs help us remember things we’d otherwise forget.”

But that was just the alcohol talking, and things always look a little different in the daylight.

that’s the thing about abuse, I guess. The pain always lasts even after the bruises fade.”

“If I’m the devil, amore mio, cast stones at the one who made me.”

I’m happy to see that she brought her camera. Knowing it brings her so much happiness makes me want to glue it to her side and make sure she’s never without it again.

I don’t want to give her back. Even temporarily. I’d rather keep her in this bubble we’ve created, one where she lets me touch her and I don’t hate that she’s touching me, and we can pretend, even for a little bit, that this is more than what it is. The thought of losing this new feeling, of letting the boy have even a little piece of her makes me murderous.

“If I want to be your daddy, then I’ll take you over my knee again.” My eyes flutter, leaning into his warm touch. “If I want to be to your husband, I’ll keep you at my side.” His thumb caresses my cheek. “And if I want to be your lover, then I’ll kill the boy you love.”

Oop-

I don’t give a single fuck if I inherit Sultans. Couldn’t care less about the lost lamp. Not as long as I get to keep her.

WHAT??? THIS IS HUGE!

I pull the mug full of heavy cream from her hands and place the new cup there instead before moving back to where I was and dropping it in the sink. The boy frowns as he watches Yasmin take a sip, humming at the taste. His eyes flick down to where my wedding band sits and then over to the giant diamond on her finger.

Oooohhhh, I’m giggling! 🤭🤭😢

“My love for you is dangerous.” A heavy breath whooshes from her mouth, a tear rolling from her eye, dripping over the back of my knuckles. I move, pressing a kiss to her wet cheek to soak up her cries. “I would kill anyone who looked at you. Anyone who dared to even breathe too close.” Her body shakes against mine. “I want your blood and your anger and your violence and your lust.” My thumb brushes against her bottom lip. “I want your smiles and your tears and your insolent fucking mouth.”

“I want to reach into your chest and hold your heart in my hands, making sure it only beats for me,” I rasp. “But I don’t want your firsts, Yasmin. I want your forever.”

“I’m in love with you, Julian Faraci. And I would burn the world myself if it meant I could keep you by my side.”

I’ve never felt so content. And this feeling? I don’t want it to leave. I won’t ever let it go. Because it feels like she’s choosing me. And she’s the only one who ever has.

Some people say that family is family, blood is blood. But I say that toxic is toxic, and no one is more important than my inner peace, even if it means I lose them for good.

I haven’t had time to explain how things have changed, how when I fell for her, I fell out of love with the idea of power, because she gives me everything I’ve been missing instead.

I would rather light myself on fire than allow her to experience another ounce of pain because of my selfishness and greed.

It’s gold and dusty, and jewels encrust almost the entire perimeter. It’s beautiful. But I feel nothing. Hollow. Because none of this means anything if I don’t have her.

“Yeah, everything went to plan. Darryn and Ian handled it. It was messy but… I know it’s dangerous, Mom, but I told you everything is fine. We don’t need Darryn or Ian now, and we definitely don’t need Sultans anymore. I’ve got this lamp, and I’m telling you, it’s worth enough. Let me just take care of things here, and I’ll come grab you.”

Oh. Oh no.

“I thought…I thought you were dead,” she says. “Shh,” I soothe, running my hands up and down her spine, my chest feeling like it might explode from having her in my arms again. “You think I’d allow death to come for me when I knew you were out there with another man?”