Lexi (Beware Of The Widows #1)

Chapter 1

Lexi

I’m a nervous wreck as I sit here, waiting for my sister to come back. She’s been gone for hours, and the sun is starting to set. I’m getting worried that something bad has happened to her.

I wanted to go with her, but she insisted I stay here, that it would be safer if she went alone, and someone needed to stay with our bags.

I pull my jacket up around my neck, trying to stay warm, shivering as the cool wind blows through the broken window.

It smells of mildew and dirt, but it’s abandoned.

Options are limited when you're on the run in the middle of the night. We took what we could get, and honestly, it’s not that bad.

Sighing heavily, I get to my feet, careful not to step on any of the broken glass, and go to the window. I grab the dirty sheet we use as a makeshift curtain and do my best to put it back into place.

The sheet manages to help a little bit, but now it’s blocking the only light I had. Every other window in this place is boarded up.

Silva told me to stay put until she got back and not to explore without her in case I got hurt, so I sit back down in the same spot I’ve been sitting in and continue to wait.

The sound of the wind blowing outside is eerie, sparking a bit of fear inside me. We’re in the country, just outside the little town we passed through, the same one Silva went back to for supplies.

Coyotes howl nearby, and a heavy feeling of dread sinks in. It’s not safe for her to be out there on her own in the dark. What was she thinking?

I should have gone with her. What if our foster parents found her? What if they called the police, and they found her?

No. Silva said that wouldn’t happen. We haven’t been the property of the government since we turned eighteen a few months ago.

The only reason we didn’t leave the day after our birthday was because we had no money and we feared that the Fieldings would use the fact that we’re still in school against us.

We’re now adults in the eyes of the law, we’ve dropped out of school, and are hoping to be able to lie low.

However, it’s not that easy when you have no money to your name, no family to help you, and the only people we can depend on are each other.

Our foster family didn’t care about us, we were just another check in their pocket. They gave us just enough to eat to survive, and that's it.

Everything else we have is because we worked and bought it for ourselves. That is, until our foster brothers would come into our rooms and take what didn’t belong to them.

Just thinking about them makes my stomach turn.

Closing my eyes, I lean my head against the wall and try to think of anything else.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, my head is jerking up. The sound of footsteps echoing around me makes me scramble to my feet.

“It’s just me,” Silva says as she enters the living room.

My heart pounds from the adrenaline rush, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Are you okay?” I ask, blinking as I try to focus on her, but it’s so damn dark. How long has the sun been set for?

“I’m fine, sorry it took me so long. It wasn't easy getting everything, but I managed. Here.” Something clicks, and light illuminates the room.

She tosses me the flashlight before grabbing another one and turning it on, too.

“I could have gone with you, you know,” I huff as I make my way over to her, taking some of the bags from her hands.

“And it wouldn’t have been as easy to slip in and out of the stores if I was worried about you or us getting caught.”

“Next time, take me with you,” I insist, sending pleading eyes her way. “Sitting here worrying about you isn’t fun.”

“Like I said, I’m fine. I got us enough for the next few days. We’ll get some rest and make a game plan tomorrow, okay?”

“Fine.” I don’t want to argue with her. I’m tired, cold, and so damn hungry.

“Let’s scope this place out first, then we can make something to eat.”

Nodding, I follow her as we use the flashlights to explore. We head upstairs first and find a few bedrooms. “Thank god,” I say when I see beds in the rooms. “I did not want to sleep on the floor.”

“This place isn’t as bad as it looks from the outside,” she comments, sitting on the edge of the bed. It creeks under her weight as she lies back. “It’s like whoever lived here just left and never came back.”

The more we look around, the more it seems like that is exactly what happened. Other than the boarded-up windows, this place looks like someone could have been living here when we showed up. Minus the inch of dust coating everything and the empty cupboards, of course.

Unfortunately, it’s wintertime, and as much as I would love a fire to stay warm, I’d rather have one to be able to cook with. But Silva said not to light the wood stove in the kitchen in case the smoke draws attention.

So, cold soup it is. Thankfully, there was a can opener in one of the drawers.

Sitting at the table, with our flashlights pointed to the ceiling to give us some light, we eat in silence.

I’m not sure what to say, and Silva doesn’t look like she wants to talk.

I don’t blame her. After the day we had, the last thing I want to do is talk about it too.

She did manage to get some good things. Along with the soup, she got us some bananas, apples, ramen, and a couple of bottles of water. It will do for now.

We have enough money from Silva’s last paycheck, the one she managed to cash yesterday, to live off the grid for a little while.

It’s not the money we’re worried about, it’s being seen. Still, even if we add in what little bit I’ve managed to keep stashed away from our foster brothers, it’s not enough to live on for long.

Eventually, we’re going to have to leave again and find a place to settle in and start over.

We’re not in trouble with the law, so they couldn't care less about us. It’s Silva’s fear that they are going to find us—Brad and Luke.

Our Alpha foster brothers. The two monsters who have made our lives hell. Silva and I didn’t know exactly how bad the other had it until a few days ago.

It’s the reason why we’re here now. We needed to get out, to get far away from them so they couldn’t hurt us again.

After we’re done eating, we drag our bags up to the master bedroom and shake the dust off the bed sheets. It smells musty as we slip under the covers, making sure to keep all our clothes on and hoodies up, but it’s better than nothing.

“Silva,” I whisper in the pitch dark.

“Hmm?” she murmurs.

“I’m sorry.” Tears sting the back of my eyes as the past forty-eight hours come rushing back.

“What do you have to be sorry about, Lex?” She shifts closer until our foreheads touch. I close my eyes, a tear slipping free.

“Just that this is our life.”

She sighs heavily. “It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s mine.”

“No. It’s not,” I insist. I know she blames herself, but she shouldn’t. She’s just as much a victim as I am. We were both dealt a shitty hand. We lost our parents, and were put with a family we thought would take care of us. Then another. Then another. We were not the issue, they were.

We’ve been bouncing around foster homes for the past three years now. Before that, we lived a pretty okay life. Nothing special. We lived in a middle-class home, took a vacation once a year with our parents, and always knew that we were loved. Until everything changed.

“I should have protected us better,” she whispers, and it makes my heart hurt.

“It’s not your job.”

“I’m your sister,” she grinds out. “It is my job.”

“We’re the same age, Silva. It’s just as much my job to protect you as it is yours to protect me. Plus, it was their job to protect us, too. They failed.”

“I should have done something sooner,” her voice breaks. “If I did, then he wouldn’t have been able to put his hands on you.”

I bury myself into Silva, letting her arms wrap around me.

“Fucking hell, Lexi. You smell amazing,” Luke groans as he steps into my room. Spinning around, my eyes go wide.

“Get out of here!” I shout as I hurry to put my shirt on.

“No need to hide them,” he chuckles, closing the door behind him and walking closer. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

My heart races, and my stomach turns. “Get out,” I urge, begging the universe to take pity on me today. I’ve never hated being an Omega more than I do right now.

It’s been a few months since we presented, and these assholes haven’t left us alone.

“Don’t be like that,” he growls, boxing me in against the wall. Fear wafts off of me in waves, and I hate the whimper that slips free.

Luke loves it and groans as he buries his face into my neck. “You smell fucking amazing, Omega. Good enough to eat.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pray that this is all he does and that he’ll leave me alone.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t seem to offer us any grace these days.

“Don’t be like that. I know you like it.” His fingers on my hip make my skin crawl. “Remember how wet you were for me last time we played?”

I wasn’t fucking wet. It was the morning I woke up and found out I was a fucking Omega. It wasn’t my choice, the slick was a natural part of presenting.

This fucker thought he had the right to come into my room and touch me, to taste me, to take what didn’t belong to him!

The only reason he didn’t rape me was because my sister came into the room. She looked seconds away from murdering him.

He got off the bed, licked the fingers he had inside me, and smirked at her.

What she didn’t know was he came back that night. He finished what he started.

I’ve never cried so hard in my life. Not even when Mom and Dad died.

“Lexi?” My sister's voice has me nearly sobbing in relief.

“Fucking bitch,” he hisses. “Next time, little Omega.”

He steps away, pushing past my sister on his way.

“What did he do? Are you okay?” Silva asks, her eyes wide with concern.

“Nothing.” I let out a shaky breath. “Thankfully. But if you didn’t walk in...” I squeeze my eyes shut, and Silva curses, pulling me into her arms.

“We’re getting out of here,” she promises. “Tonight, when everyone goes to sleep, we run. Okay?”