Ruth’s POV
I couldn’t move. My hands were tangled in my hair, my knees pressed to the cold floor. I was aware of Emmett standing in front of me, blocking Marcus from view.
His body was tense, like a wall holding back something worse. I couldn’t see Marcus, but I heard him. His footsteps were slow, his breathing calm. He sounded like a man who had been waiting for this.
Then he laughed. It was loud and jarring, it cut through the air like it didn’t care what came before it. I didn’t catch the full sentence, but I heard enough. He said something about Emmett’s sister. Something about me. Something cruel.
“Still not strong enough, huh?” Marcus said, voice full of amusement. That was all it took, Emmett moved fast. The punch landed with a sound that didn’t feel real. Then another, I saw Marcus stumble, but he was still smiling. Blood was on his teeth, but he didn’t stop.
“She begged, Emmett,” Marcus muttered, wiping his mouth. “You remember how she begged?”
Emmett hit him again, harder this time. But his face wasn’t full of rage, it was falling apart. His hands shook between every swing. He looked like a man breaking, not fighting. I stood up. My legs weren’t steady, but I moved anyway. My body didn’t feel like mine yet. I passed Emmett, who didn’t notice. His fists were still moving, slower now. He looked like he wanted to stop but didn’t know how.
I saw the knife on the dresser, I didn’t hesitate. I bent down and took it, the weight in my hand was familiar. Marcus saw it and started to laugh again.
“You won’t do it,” he said. “You couldn’t earlier, and you can’t now.” I didn’t answer.
I walked toward him and stabbed him once in the side. His breath caught, he looked surprised. Still, he didn’t fall. I stabbed again, deeper. His knees buckled. He dropped, but I wasn’t done. My hand kept moving, the blade rising and falling. I didn’t stop until he was quiet.
The silence that followed didn’t feel real, my ears rang. I stared down at him, the blood spreading fast under his body. The knife slipped from my hand. I stepped back, shaking. I didn’t feel regret. Not fear, just stillness.
Emmett didn’t move. He stared at Marcus like he hadn’t expected this to happen. Like the man on the floor had been someone else entirely. His hands were open, covered in blood. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with them anymore.
“Ruth,” he said finally, voice low and wrecked.
I didn’t answer, I couldn’t. I looked down at him, kneeling beside Marcus, breathing like he’d just been dragged to the surface from somewhere deep. His eyes were wide. There was blood on his neck, his shirt, his mouth.
“What did he mean?” I asked. My voice came out hoarse.
Emmett shook his head slowly. “He knew about my sister. He knew everything.”
I stared at him, Emmett’s mouth opened like he was about to say more, but nothing came out. He looked down at Marcus again.
“I should’ve stopped him years ago,” he said. I crouched next to him. My knees creaked. The blood was already starting to dry on my arms. I didn’t touch him.
“You didn’t know,” I said.
“I did,” he muttered. “Just not all of it. Not like this.”
Marcus had always seemed too calm, too sure of himself. Now I understood why. He had carried it all with him, tucked away behind that smooth voice and easy smile. He didn’t fear consequences. Not until it was too late. Emmett lowered his head. His shoulders sagged like the weight had finally landed.
“I brought him into your house,” he said. “I sat there and let him talk to you.”
“You didn’t know,” I repeated. He didn’t argue. He just sat there, covered in blood, shaking his head. I wanted to reach for him, but my hands wouldn’t move.
I didn’t feel relief, I didn’t feel anything yet. The room was too quiet, our breathing was the only sound left. Somewhere in the house, the heater kicked on, a low hum cutting through the silence. It didn’t belong. Nothing did. Emmett looked up at me.
“What do we do now?”
I didn’t have an answer. I stood slowly, legs stiff, and looked at the blood. It was already drying in the cracks of the floor. I could still feel the knife in my hand even though I had dropped it.
I said the only thing I could. “We clean it up.”