An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Excerpt
âYou train under our eye or you donât train at allâ â fuck [Walker for that].
And no one said a word about it. Well, at this point it wasnât a surprise that Jake didnât speak up. His silence wasnât worth more than a contemptuous look â and that was what made Jake finally open his moth, his expression that of familiar disappointment. Troy didnât need to hear him speak to know what he wanted to say; wanted to rebuke Troy, cow Troy. Just like that first day in the basement.
He turned away, gaze flying to Madison.
âAnd you?â he exclaimed, âYou just gonna let him do this?â
To her credit, Madison didnât flinch under his glare, nor his words. Met his eyes defiantly. Silently. Like he wasnât worth an explanation. Fuck her, too.
âThis your idea of revenge, huh? Inviting them into our homes. Letting them take control⊠Told you, you need more fight than that.â He spit that last part, his lips pulling into a snarl.
Something pained passed over her face, just for a second, then her gaze slid to her right. He followed it, understanding passing over him. Understanding and rage anew.
âOh right, I forgot,â he said and almost sounded it, too, âthe only thing you care about is your kids. The rest of us be damned.â
Again she was quiet. Because he was right. His lips curled distastefully, his whole face contorting with anger. And again she didnât flinch.














