"It's funny now that I think about it." He poked his cheek with his tongue, the flame from his lighter blowing on to his thumb.
"What is?"
"Secrets." He muttered. "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."
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NINARMANI. 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERV...
The way I never realized just how pretty Avery actually is like omg. Best character!!!
It's hella late, I'm tired, and I was all over the place with this chapter so I'll be editing as y'all read.
Enjoy.
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DUPLICITY CASE O25. MAY 30TH, 2024.
Bellevue, Washington. Unedited.
Pov THE OG'S.
ARLO SAT AT the end of the bed, his elbows on his knees as they bounced up and down relentlessly. His jaw shuddered and he clenched it harder and harder, staring at Avery's small body under the thin, white blanket.
After Archer took it upon himself to harm Avery, in a brutal way, Lo immediately took her for himself and took him to his underground infirmary, where he knew she'd be her safest.
The guttural choking gasp that left from Avery as the tears of betrayal fell down her face last night enraged him to no end. All he wanted to do was go back and finish the job. He no longer cared about getting Archer back to get in her good graces, he wanted to kill him and he'd risk her hating him forever. She was worth that risk. She was worth everything...
Lo didn't know what went down after he ran off with Avery, and he didn't give a fuck. He ignored the incessant calls and messages coming from Marcellus and Johnathan, he blocked Scarlet completely and shut off Avery's phone after. Nobody needed to see her, hear her, or take care of her the way he did.
"I'm so sorry, my darling." Arlo whispered, shaking his jaw as his bright brown eyes darkened the longer he stared at her. He didn't know what pissed him off more, Archer having the guts to hurt Avery the way he did, or Scarlet not having enough guts to move Avery out of harms way.
'Wife my ass' he repeated in his mind over and over since everything went down. Deep down, Arlo knew Scarlet truly and genuinely did love Avery as much as she said she did, but Arlo loved her more and nobody could tell him otherwise. He knew the girls were perfect for each other, but he was perfect for Avery too in his eyes.
The way he loved could be described as unconventional according to an outsiders perspective, but one thing he could say... Archer wouldn't have even had the chance to touch Avery if she were his wife.
The difference between the brother and sister was prominent and obvious. Scarlet was always the logical and calculated one, Arlo wasn't. She wouldn't dare take a risk she knew he didn't have to take and Arlo took risks just for the fuck of it, just counting on the luck he had that seemingly never ran out.
