Page 8 of Code Violation

He scoffs, followed by a sadistic laugh. “Vesper.”

My head darts up, every sense on full alert. “What about her?”

He takes another pull on his cigarette. “I banged her last week, and now she isn’t answering my calls.”

I feel sick. Nausea crippling my insides.

She went back to him. Again.

Nausea gives way to despair. How many more times, Ves?

“Anyway, I actually think she might be done with me this time. She threatened to call the cops if I showed up at her place or tried to call her one more time.”

“You shouldn’t be calling her at all,” I bite.

He just laughs like it’s all a game to his narcissistic ass.

My stepdad, Jude, was just like Kane, and I swear to God, if cancer hadn’t taken Mom, that abusive prick probably would’ve killed her himself. The years Mom and I spent alone together between her leaving Dad and meeting Jude were the best of my childhood, even if my memories of that time are limited and largely of her working every hour available to put food on the table. At least she was happy and safe.

“Oh, don’t worry!” he exclaims. “I’m done with the bitch.”

My blood boils.

“I told her the sex was shit—which it was—and kicked her out of the apartment.” He laughs again, and I’m mentally calculating ways I can bury my brother and never get caught. “It was like fucking a sack of potatoes. She just lay there while I did all the work.” He takes another drag of that goddamn cigarette. “So, yeah, I came—no thanks to her—and told her to get the hell out. It was an insult to me.”

I can’t speak, my teeth grinding together.

“Si?” Kane checks I’m still on the call after maybe ten seconds of silence. “This piece-of-shit cell,” he grumbles to himself. “Are you still there or⁠—”

“You did what?” I grit out.

He groans again, only this one is more impatient than pissed. “What is it with you and Vesper, huh?” Kane’s question is rhetorical and a baseless accusation. He knows nothing has ever gone down between me and his ex-girlfriend. Not unless he’s tuned in to my fantasies. “You act like you’re some kind of angel and judge my relationship when we both know you’ve treated women badly in the past.”

He’s right; I have. But never like he treated Vesper. I wasn’t an abusive, manipulative dick, for one. I messed around with multiple women at the same time because I didn’t have a moral compass, but I was never in a serious relationship, like Kane was with Vesper. In fact, I’ve never had a serious girlfriend, period. The only woman who’s made my heart beat at a wild rate has been fucked over by the guy who shares my DNA, but couldn’t be more different from me if he tried.

“Don’t even try to compare us. I’m nothing like you.” My voice sounds dark, laced with vitriol.

“Hate to break this to you, bro, but we share a parent, so we probably do have similarities. Even if I am the better-looking brother.”

The way he can joke around straight after telling me what he did to Vesper? His audacity disgusts me.

I can’t fucking look at this guy again, let alone laugh at his sick jokes.

“I need to go,” I say, somehow finding it in myself to keep calm. All the years of anger management therapy I had when I was playing in the NCAA are definitely paying off right now. “I have a game later, and you need to get the fuck out of bed.”

He inhales deeply on his cigarette. “Let me guess. You’re going to call Vesper and check that she’s okay, even though you’re my brother and you should be supporting me.”

I go to reply, but he gets there first.

“You preach about me leaving her alone. Ever think that you’re the fucking weirdo, Si? You’ve been obsessed with her since the day you met her—and don’t think I didn’t notice. She isn’t going to fuck you, bro, and I’d advise you to not waste your time either. I’m sure there’s plenty of puck bunnies⁠—”

My thumb hits End on the call so fucking fast; I’m done with hearing any more.

And then it’s just me, a dark gray hotel hallway, and Vesper’s contact staring right back at me.

“Fuck,” I hiss at myself. “What the fuck are you doing, Silas?”

One ring, two rings, three, and then her prerecorded voicemail.