Saving Little Clark (Brave Daddies #4)

Chapter 30 Clark

The memories flickered and faded like old film as reality crashed back in. Because Sterling was advancing, a wolf stalking its prey, madness dancing in his eyes.

"You have no idea," he crooned, head cocked at a sickening angle, "how long I've waited for this moment. How many hours I've spent picturing it, savoring it."

He spread his arms wide. "You see Clark, you're my masterpiece. The culmination of all my planning, all my exquisite anticipation. And now, after all this time, I finally get to unmake you. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Why are you doing this?" I rasped, the word scraping like broken glass. "What did I ever do to deserve-"

"Deserve?" Sterling cut me off with a bark of laughter, ugly and unhinged. "Deserve would be me granting you a quick death, an easy end to your pathetic little life. No, this is a gift. The highest fucking honor, to be chosen as my canvas. My clay to mold as I see fit."

He took another step forward, head tipped back in rapture. The knife glinted in his hand, silver and slick as a snake.

"You should be grateful, sweetheart," he purred. "In your last moments, as the light fades from your eyes, you'll be mine. Wholly and completely, just like it was always meant to be."

"No," I said, calm and sure. "I was never meant to be yours, Sterling. And I never will be, no matter what you do to me. Do you remember the night of our first anniversary? When you took me stargazing, up on that hill behind your house?"

Sterling blinked in confusion. "What does that have to-"

"You were so sweet to me," I pressed. "Holding me close, pointing out all the constellations. You said you loved me. That you wanted to give me the world, lay it at my feet like an offering."

For a moment, just a split second, something flickered in Sterling's gaze. A crack in the facade, confusion and doubt bleeding through.

"I remember," he said slowly, brow furrowed. "I meant it, too. I wanted to be everything for you, Clark. Your whole fucking world."

I nodded. "I know. It's not too late," I said, low and fervent. Betting everything on this one, impossible moment. "You can still choose differently, still walk away from this. From the sickness, the ugliness inside. I know there's good in you still, Sterling. I know it."

For a breathless, eternal heartbeat, he wavered. But then, between one blink and the next, it was gone. And he laughed. Started low and rumbling, swelling to a crescendo. Bouncing off the walls, unhinged and howling.

"You stupid little boy," he gasped. "You really thought you could talk me down, huh? Bat those big eyes and appeal to my humanity? Well I've got news for you, sweetheart. There is no humanity. No good, no light. It's almost freeing, knowing I can confess it all now. Every dirty little secret, laid bare at last. Might as well, right? It’s not like you'll be around to snitch to the cops this time."

Ice flood my veins, a sick, swooping dread.

"The man I killed?" he sneered. "I buried him in a tree stump across the street from me. Nosy fucker, always watching. Saw a little too much, asked a few too many questions, so I had to handle it. Make sure he couldn't ruin my marriage, spill all my secrets like the rat he is."

It was innocent blood on his hands, and he reveled in it, eyes bright with remembered glee.

"That's what I am. A killer. And now it's your turn, sweetheart. To see me in all my glory. To be released from your pitiful, inconsequential life, at the hands of a god."

It happened fast. One moment he was talking, spewing poison. The next he was on me, knocking the poker away like a children's toy.

I stumbled back. He advanced, the knife held loosely at his side.

"Shh," he crooned, reaching out to cup my cheek. I flinched violently, a wounded noise clawing up my throat. "Hush now, baby. It'll all be over soon. One little slice, and then you'll fly. Fly away into the dark, pretty as a bird."

Tears slipped scalding down my face, chest heaving with silent sobs. This was it. This was how it ended, broken and bloody on the playroom floor. Surrounded by the remnants of a life half-lived, happiness ripped away before I could even truly hold it.

I closed my eyes. Turned my face into Rexy’s fur. Breathed in the lingering scent of Daddy's cologne, faded but still achingly familiar. The stuffie was Daddy’s gift to me.

And then, I braced for the killing blow. For the shocking chill of the blade, the rush and roar of blood.

I could only hope it would be quick. Hope he kept his word, made it swift and merciful. A single slice, and then nothing. Oblivion, deep and dark.

I'm sorry, Daddy. Sorry I couldn't be stronger, fight harder. Sorry I didn't say it enough, how much I love you and-

But then, I heard it. A voice, achingly familiar even raised in fury. It was Alex. Barreling through the open door like an avenging angel, a war cry tearing from his lips.

"Get the fuck away from him, you psycho!"

And then, Alex flew forward, a blur of wild rage and bared teeth. Threw himself bodily at Sterling with a wordless roar, knocking him back and away from me.

They hit the ground in a graceless tangle, grappling and snarling like wild dogs. The knife skittered away, lost beneath the flurry of limbs and biting, tearing hands.

I could only stare, frozen. It couldn't be real. Alex, here, ripping Sterling off me like something out of a comic book. An eleventh-hour salvation, when I'd already resigned myself to the dark.

But it was. He was, solid and snarling and saving my goddamn life.

As if summoned by the thought, two more figures came barreling through the door. Daddy and Uncle Will.

They wasted no time joining the fray, falling on Sterling like a pair of wolves on a downed stag. Tearing and pummeling, voices raised in fury.

I watched them fight. Distantly, I registered the TV still blaring downstairs. The sound muffled and barely audible over the sick thud of fists on flesh. The grunts and bitten off curses, the scuffle and skid of struggling bodies.

It must’ve covered their approach. Masked the pounding of feet on stairs.

Daddy had promised me, hand to his heart. Sworn he'd burn the world to keep me safe, raze cities to the ground to bring me home.

And Alex. He'd dived headfirst into danger for me, mouth quirked and eyes blazing. The devil himself couldn't have stopped him, not with those he loved on the line.

And suddenly, like clouds parting to reveal the sun, anger kindled to life in my belly. A spark, catching and blooming into an inferno. How dare Sterling try to take this from me, to rip away everything I'd bled and broken to find.

Jaw clenching, I pushed to my feet. Dragged air into my aching lungs and stood, sore but steady. Just in time to see Sterling break free of the melee. To lunge for me, wild-eyed and bloody-faced.

He crashed into me with a wordless snarl, fingers scrabbling at my throat. I choked, pain exploding through my windpipe as he dug in, manic with desperation.

But then, Alex was there. Descending on Sterling like the wrath of god, a barrage of knees and knuckles and snapping teeth.

"That's for hurting my bestie, you fuck!" he snarled, punctuating each word with a blow. "That's for laying a hand on him, filling his head with poison and shit!"

Sterling yelped as Alex wildly pulled at his hair. He tried to squirm away, to shield his head from the onslaught. But Alex was relentless, a tidal wave of righteous fury.

"Not so tough now, are you?" he panted, baring his teeth in a feral grin. "Not such a big, bad wolf when you're the one pissing yourself."

"Alex!"

Will's voice cracked out like a whip, cutting through the red haze. Alex froze, chest heaving, hands still fisted in Sterling's hair.

"Enough," Uncle Will said, quieter but no less steel. He jerked his chin at where Sterling lay twitching, glassy-eyed and groaning. "The trash is down. Let the cops deal with him now."

For a moment, rebellion twisted Alex's face. I could see the war behind his eyes, the visceral need to hurt, to make Sterling feel even a fraction of the pain he'd dealt.

But then, with a last contemptuous snarl, he released his grip. Watched with vicious satisfaction as Sterling crumpled, mewling pathetically.

"You're lucky," Alex spat, pushing to his feet. "Lucky I've got people to get back to, a life I'm not gonna throw away on scum like you."

When Uncle Will restrained Sterling, Alex turned to me, fury melting into something soft and worried. Alex hurried to my side, gentle hands already reaching to check for hurts.

"Clarkie! You okay? Did he get you anywhere, do I need to-"

But before he could finish the thought, he was gently shoved aside. Sent sprawling with an indignant yelp, limbs flailing.

I barely had time to register the change. To blink in confusion at the sudden absence, the rush of cool air where Alex had been. And then, warmth. Solid and sweet-smelling, engulfing me like a tide.

It was Daddy. Crushing me to his chest with a broken sound, babbled words spilling into my hair. Apologies and endearments, swearing and prayer all tangled up and pouring out, a flood finally released.

I clung to him just as desperately. Fisted my hands in his shirt and held on for dear life, face mashed into the crook of his neck.

"Clark," Daddy choked, cradling the back of my head. Rocking us, graceless and urgent. "My baby bug, my angel, I'm sorry. I should’ve-"

"No, Daddy," I rasped, shaking my head against his skin. "You couldn't have known.”

"I promised you." Brody's voice cracked, splintering like struck glass. "I swore to you, baby. That I'd keep you safe, that I'd never let anyone hurt you again."

"And you didn't," I whispered, pulling back to cradle his face. To meet his wet, grief-stricken gaze, willing him to hear me. To believe me, with every fiber of my battered, grateful heart.

"You saved me," I said, soft but sure. Thumbing away the tears that clung to his stubbled cheeks. "You, Alex, and Uncle Will... you stormed the castle to get to me.”

A voice cut through the stillness. Wry and warm, unexpectedly playful despite the wreckage.

"Well, not that this isn't heartwarming," Alex drawled from behind us, smile evident. "But maybe we could save the tearful reunions for after the villain is behind the bars, yeah?"

I huffed a wet laugh, feeling Daddy do the same against my temple. Pulling back, I swiped at my cheeks. Fixed my best friend with a wobbly grin, shaking my head in fond exasperation.

"Seriously, Lex? We just beat the big bad, and that's what you're going with? Remind me why I put up with you again?"

Alex snorted, pushing to his feet with a wince. "Uh, because I'm a badass ninja motherfucker who just saved your ass? And because you love me."

"Alright, boys," Daddy said, nodding at where Uncle Will had Sterling pinned and groaning. Wrists held fast behind his back, neck bared like a beaten dog. "I think it's time we let the professionals take over from here, hmm?"

In the distance, sirens began to wail. A rising crescendo, drawing ever nearer with each passing second.

"Why did you come back?" I asked, tilting my head to catch Daddy's eye. "I mean, you had that big meeting. I wasn't expecting you for hours."

Daddy huffed a laugh, rueful and impossibly fond. "I was halfway to the office when I saw Alex and your Uncle Will in the rearview. Tearing down the street like bats outta hell. Since you were home alone, Alex was going through the security cams of our home on his phone.”

His throat worked, eyes going distant with remembered fear. "I knew something was wrong. So I turned the car around and I followed, and to hell with the merger, the money, all of it."

A shuddering sigh, his forehead falling to rest against my own. "None of that matters, not even a little. Not when it comes to you, to keeping you safe.”

He buried his face in my hair and just breathed, harsh and hitching in the still air.

"Okay, okay, enough of the mushy stuff!" Alex crowed, bouncing on his toes. "Can we take a second to talk about how I totally saved the day back there? I mean, did you see me? I was freaking ninja, all fists of fury and shit!"

A startled laugh punched out of me. I pulled back to shoot him an incredulous look, one eyebrow climbing towards my hairline.

"We're standing in the middle of a crime scene, and that's your takeaway? That you got to play superhero for five minutes?"

"I was badass and you know it, Clarkie. Admit it, you're super impressed. I bet you wanna give me a medal or something."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, I'll get right on that. Just let me pull one out of thin air real quick."

Alex gasped, pressing an affronted hand to his chest. "Rude! After I rode to your rescue and everything. That's gratitude for you.”

The cops arrived, swarming the room like ants on a carcass, guns drawn and faces grim. They converged on Sterling in a tangle of limbs and shouted orders, wrestling him into cuffs with ruthless efficiency.

"Gotcha, you sick fuck," one of them snarled, grinding Sterling's cheek into the carpet. "Thought you'd be able to stay in hiding forever, huh? Wriggle away like the fucking worm you are?"

Sterling just groaned. As they hauled him upright, I crossed the room. Passed through the mob of uniforms and badges until I stood before him, our gazes level for the first time in years.

"You lose, Sterling," I said simply. "Because I'm still here, loved and cherished. Still standing, after everything you did to me.”

A cough, wet and hacking. His chin lifted, blood-flecked lips pulling back from broken teeth.

"You think this is over?" he rasped, a death's head rattle. "You think you've won, just because they slapped some cuffs on me? You're nothing, Clark. You'll always be nothing, no matter how far you run. How desperately you try to forget."

He leaned in as far as his bonds would allow, practically spitting the words. "I'm a part of you. A rot in your bones, a sickness you'll never shake. And one day, you'll look around at this joke of a life you've built. At that lumbering oaf you've fooled yourself into loving, and you'll realize..." A sharp, mad little giggle, his eyes fever-bright. "You'll realize it was all a lie. A desperate fever-dream, the pathetic delusions of a scared little boy, too weak to face what he is."

Daddy stepped up beside me. Slipped his palm into mine and squeezed. And just like that, the world righted itself. I wasn't alone. Would never be alone, not ever again.

"You're wrong," I said, soft but unflinching. "I used to believe it. But I know now that it's bullshit, the desperate lies of a small, scared man.”

Sterling snarled, thrashing against the hands holding him.

"I am loved," I told him calmly. "Not just by Daddy, but by the family I chose. The one I built for myself, out of tears and laughter and sheer grit. I know that even on my worst days, in my darkest moments, I have people. People, who'll wade through hell and back to remind me that I matter. That I'm vital, in all my flawed, fucked-up glory."

Sterling made a sound, but there was nothing left to say. No magic words or bargains to strike, not this time. He'd played his final hand, shown me the rot behind his paper mask. The scared, sniveling boy, lashing out with the only weapons he knew.

"Goodbye, Sterling," I murmured. Quiet and steady, an absolution.

I took a step back, letting the officers close rank once more. Let them pull him away, still spitting curses and accusations.

But they fell on deaf ears, dull and distant. Because I was already turning, already reaching for the arms I knew would be there to catch me.

"Have fun rotting in prison!" Alex crowed, flipping double birds.

I looked up to see Uncle Will grinning down at us, one big hand ruffling Alex's hair. He looked a little worse for wear - a split lip, the shadow of a bruise blooming along his jaw. But his eyes were bright, his smile blinding.

"You did good, kid," he said gruffly. "Kept your head, even staring down the barrel of a psychopath. I'm proud of you."

All I could do was nod jerkily.

"I think," Daddy said softly, hands gentle on my shoulders, "that it might be a good idea to look into some therapy. Or counseling, at the very least. To help process everything that's happened, start working through the trauma."

"Okay, Daddy," I whispered, lashes fluttering shut. "I want to be better. For us. To build something real, without all this poison leeching the sweetness out. Thank you, for everything."

A wavering smile, painfully tender. "Anything for you, Clark. Everything, for the rest of our lives, if you'll let me."

And then Daddy was pulling away. Was reaching into his pocket, fingers trembling faintly as they closed around something small. Something that glinted in the flickering light, bright and brilliant as a promise.

"Oh my gosh, is this really happening?" Alex exclaimed theatrically from behind me. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and pretended to swoon, collapsing backwards into his Daddy’s waiting arms.

Uncle Will caught him effortlessly, fanning Alex's face with exaggerated concern. "Someone fetch the smelling salts! My delicate flower of a boy has been overcome by the romance of it all!"

Despite the happy tears blurring my vision, I couldn't help but roll my eyes fondly at their antics. Leave it to those two goofballs to diffuse a heart-wrenchingly emotional moment with their antics. But I knew it was just their way of expressing how thrilled they were for us.