Twisted Glass

TWISTED GLASS TWISTED INTENTIONS SAVANNAH RYLAN Copyright © 2023 by Savannah Rylan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum CONTENTS 1. Brielle 2. Axton 3. Dante 4. Brielle 5. Maverick 6. Axton 7. Brielle 8. Dante 9. Brielle 10. Brielle 11. Maverick 12. Dante 13. Axton 14. Brielle 15. Maverick 16. Brielle 17. Dante 18. Brielle 19. Dante 20. Axton 21. Brielle 22. Axton 23. Maverick 24. Brielle 25. Axton 26. Dante 27. Brielle 28. Brielle 29. Maverick 30. Brielle 31. Brielle Epilogue More Books by Savannah Rylan About the Author 1 BRIELLE Thinking about my kids was the only way to keep the pain away. But my fucking God, they did their best to break through. “Miss Lancaster! Look!” I turned at the sound of my name. “Way to go, Johnny! Just be careful up there, all right?” He gave me a thumbs up. “I will!” I cupped my hands over my mouth. “Both hands on the jungle gym!” “Miss Lancaster?” someone asked as they tugged at my dress. I peeked down and found little Miss Lindsey standing next to me. So, I crouched down to her eye level. “Hey there, pretty girl,” I said with a soft smile, “what’s up?” She tugged at one of the curls that I had painstakingly placed in my hair and giggled as it bounced. “Sproingy.” I touched her nose softly with my finger. “I curled my hair just for you today, cutiepie.” I had to admit, curling my hair wasn’t something that I did often. My pin straight bangs matched the pin straight demeanor of the rest of my jet-black hair, and sometimes the temporary curls weren’t worth the pain I went through in order to place them. But oh, the curiosity of the kids in my classroom at work made it worth the effort. A pang of pain rushed through my side, and I hissed as I snapped back up. “Johnny?” “Yeah, Miss Lancaster!?” “You be careful up in that tree now. I don’t want you getting hurt!” “Again.” My body grew weak as I sank to the ground, feeling the grass cushion my knees. “Miss Lancaster!?” Johnny exclaimed. I held my hand up as I struggled to catch my breath. “I’m okay. I’m good. Just… a bit hot.” “Again.” “Are you sure?” “Did I fucking stutter? Again.” My eyelids grew heavy, as if they were being weighed down with lead as yet another pang of agony shot through my ribcage. I had to hold on. I had to hold onto my kids. Hold onto their smiles, laughter, and joy. It was the only way I knew I’d stay alive. “Hey, kids?” I called out as I shook my head. I wanted to hold onto my little ones for as long as I could. “Miss Lancaster, look!” “Get the spotlight.” “Miss Lancaster! Watch!” “Are you sure this is her?” “Miss Ell!? Can you hear me!?” “Miss Lancaster?” “I love your curls!” I swallowed hard. “And I love you.” “What the fuck did she just say?” “Right there. Yep. Point it right at her.” “Miss Ell?” “She has to be disassociating. No one’s that good at ignoring pain.” That brought my head up from its dangling position. “Challenge accepted.” The stinging sensation rushing through my side was met only with the buzzing of the harsh light that dropped down onto my face. I winced as the bright light burned a hole into my forehead. My shoulders tensed as my mouth drew in short bouts of air. I felt it coming. Felt it brewing as something dragged its way across the floor in front of me. The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. My arms shivered from a cold my body didn’t feel. The rough carpet beneath my feet taunted me as whatever was being dragged got closer. Then, something thudded in front of me before my seat lurched with a resounding thud. I wanted to be back with my kids. Back at the school, where I knew that it was safe. “Aaaa-cho!” I sneezed all over my lap before a brutal voice hit my ears. “Don’t get snot on my fucking floors.” Panic gripped my throat. I tugged at my wrists, but they didn’t come free. I outstretched my legs, or at least tried, before I realized I wasn’t sleeping. The pain coursing through my body reminded me I was alive. No. It had been a dream. It couldn’t be real. There was no way that— Oh, God. I’m really not at home. “Where am I?” I croaked out. A shadow cloaked me, giving my aching face a rest from its harsh light. I peeked up with one eye, managing to pry it open from the sealant of fluids and crust that had painted it shut. My ankles throbbed. My wrists ached. And for some reason, it felt like I was about to vomit. “Who are you?” I managed to choke out. I heard what sounded like shuffling around before the shadow abated, leaving me exposed to the harsh buzzing light. It took my eye a second to adjust, but I found the devil himself sitting across from me when it did. The spindly chair he sat on did nothing to confine his humongous stature. He spread his legs wide as a grin slithered across his face. He looked positively murderous. “Who are you?” I asked, trying to thread some strength into my voice. But the man sitting in front of me with shoulders as big as the canyons simply stared. Sitting there, unwavering in his stature, while that glaring light blasted from behind him. It cloaked him in a weird sort of ambiance that would have relaxed me had it not been for the bloodlust in his