Verboten: An Inferno World Novella

He took a step forward, leaned against the tree, and crossed his arms over his black T-shirt. I couldn’t see his eyes until he pulled his sunglasses off his face. The dark orbs pulled me in, and when he crooked his finger at me in the same way I had at his fight, I stepped forward toward what I knew would be the life I was always meant to lead.

thigh and pointed at me as he waned down to chuckles. “I knew it.” He shook his head. “Not so different after all, are you, baby brother?”

“Fuck. You.” My nostrils flared and I stared right into his face. He may have always had the upper hand on me when I was younger, but he had no idea the damage I would cause and lengths I would go to to protect my niece.

“Why don’t you just admit that you’ve fucked her?” He leaned back in the seat, his lips pulled up into a shit-eating grin. “Why can’t you say that you like being inside pussy that came from your bloodline?”

I ground my teeth together, not willing to answer because it was more than that. It was more with Beth, both she and I knew that, and I didn’t have to explain it to him.

The silence stretched between us and finally he stood. “It’s not your fault.” His voice was softer now, and I looked over at him. “It’s just the way we are.” He shrugged and pushed his hands into his pockets. “You gotta accept it and live the life you wanna live, and if that means fucking her”—he tilted his head at Beth—“then so be it.”

He moved across the living room, halting at the door, and glanced back. I didn’t know if he was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t expect him to say, “I hope you got rid of the weapon, wouldn’t want that young thing being all on her own with only her uncle Pater to help her, would you?”

I heard his threat loud and clear, though I doubted if he’d follow through with it. Either way, he had nothing to worry about and neither did Beth. I’d take this secret to my grave, whether that was sooner or later.

thigh and pointed at me as he waned down to chuckles. “I knew it.” He shook his head. “Not so different after all, are you, baby brother?”

“Fuck. You.” My nostrils flared and I stared right into his face. He may have always had the upper hand on me when I was younger, but he had no idea the damage I would cause and lengths I would go to to protect my niece.

“Why don’t you just admit that you’ve fucked her?” He leaned back in the seat, his lips pulled up into a shit-eating grin. “Why can’t you say that you like being inside pussy that came from your bloodline?”

I ground my teeth together, not willing to answer because it was more than that. It was more with Beth, both she and I knew that, and I didn’t have to explain it to him.

The silence stretched between us and finally he stood. “It’s not your fault.” His voice was softer now, and I looked over at him. “It’s just the way we are.” He shrugged and pushed his hands into his pockets. “You gotta accept it and live the life you wanna live, and if that means fucking her”—he tilted his head at Beth—“then so be it.”

He moved across the living room, halting at the door, and glanced back. I didn’t know if he was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t expect him to say, “I hope you got rid of the weapon, wouldn’t want that young thing being all on her own with only her uncle Pater to help her, would you?”

I heard his threat loud and clear, though I doubted if he’d follow through with it. Either way, he had nothing to worry about and neither did Beth. I’d take this secret