40. Roxy
Roxy
The entire bus ride over, my leg shook like crazy. It was the most agonising ride of my life, not being able to do anything but sit there. Imagining all the horrible things that might be happening.
Every stop made me want to scream. Every red light had me biting my nails until they bled.
How could I have ever thought I was doing the right thing? How could I have been so stupid?
I thought I removed their claws the night I left. Turns out they were still embedded deep in my skin. I was just blind to it, pretending it wasn’t there. Out of sight, out of mind. Turns out, deep-rooted trauma doesn’t work like that.
Now, I’m sprinting. Through the night, as fast as my legs will take me. Fuelled by guilt and adrenaline and fury, and fear. My lungs work overtime, breaths heaving in and out as my body reaches its limit. But I can see it.
The huge seafood-processing building. The freezer. Looks like it’s been dead for decades, but when I see a light shining in the distance, I grit my teeth and move.
As fast as I can until I near the building. I hear voices. I sneak around the building to where the light spills from a huge roller door. When I peek into it, I cover my mouth to stifle a sob.
Four Devils on their knees, before a group of Wraiths. Well, three. Leon... fuck.
Ducking back around the corner, I force myself to breathe. To hold it together. My jaw rattles and my body shakes so violently I have to press myself against the wall to stay upright.
Fear has never felt like this. Never.
My heart beats so hard I think it might just explode. Pins and needles bloom through my fingers, and my knees feel weak.
I was right, and I hate that I was.
They have them. I squeeze my eyes shut, giving myself a moment to lose my ever-loving shit. Where is Kai? Do they have him too?
I did that.
The thought nearly makes me retch, but I force it down. Grinding my teeth together, I squeeze the handle of the baseball bat until my hands ache, and force my eyes to open.
Isaac’s grating voice makes my skin erupt in goosebumps. The words don’t reach me. But his do. Kaleb grunting. My head flies back around the corner, to watch men drag Kaleb down a hallway, my brothers following with wicked smiles on their faces.
Fuck. This.
With my head held high, I walk right in.
Ash and Xavier watch me with narrowed eyes. Guns point in my direction, Wraiths’ turning their attention to me. Immediately they pounce. They know who I am.
Ash struggles against his restraints, growling and throwing his weight against the ties. A Wraith presses a gun to his temple. I have to look away.
“Roxy,” Ash growls. “Turn the fuck around.”
His words carry a bite of command, one that hundreds of men would listen to blindly. But I don’t. I won’t.
“Roxy!” he roars, ignoring the gun at his head as he thrashes..
I want to tell him that I’m sorry. That I didn’t mean for this to happen. But now is not the time, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get the chance. He accepted me as much as Maddy did, and I betrayed him too.
“It’s the sister,” one of them laughs, gripping my bicep with his big hand. “Fuck, that makes my job easier.”
I’m being shoved down a hallway, and I let them. I let them take me wherever my brothers are.
“Stupid bitch,” one of them laughs.
With a violent kick, one of them plants their boot on my back and kicks me into a damp room. Concrete digs into my knees, and my hair falls over my face. I bite back my satisfied grin that they didn’t bother taking Kitty from me.
I’m just a weak girl. I’m not a threat.
Boots fill my vision, before a familiar laugh echoes in the room. I crawl backward, my back hitting the wall so I can assess my surroundings. I wish I didn’t.
Kaleb watches me with his black eyes. Sweat soaks his shirt to his body, and his shoulder is bent at a horrible angle.
For one long moment, our eyes lock onto each other. Then chaos erupts.
Kaleb is fighting his restraints like a monster untethered. My brothers are laughing, and the door is locked behind us.
I focus everything on my brothers, climbing to my feet and snarling at the nightmares who hurt Kaleb. If I look at him, I’ll lose my fucking mind.
Ethan laughs, and for a second, he looks completely untethered. I don’t let it scare me.
There is a version of myself, one who was a child, who survived this. For her, I’m not scared. For them, I’m not scared.
My fear got them here in the first place.
“There she is,” Isaac drawls, crossing his arms. “I was wondering where you got to.”
The smug look on his face makes me see red.
A violent scream tears from my lungs as I cock the bat over my shoulder and swing Kitty with everything that I have.
It connects with Isaac’s face with a sickening crack, and he falls against the wall, clutching his face.
The look of pure anger tells me that I’m not coming out of this alive. I’ll take them to the grave with me.
Ethan snarls as I turn and swing again.
“Fuck you” I spit through my teeth. “This is the last time you take anything from me.”
The words come out raw, but I’ve never meant anything more in my life. Ethan moves first. But I move faster.
The bat connects with his temples, and the lights go out. His body crumples to the ground.
“Mother fucking,” hit, “scumbags,” hit, “I fucking,” hit, “hate,” hit, “you!”
I keep swinging, blood and bones and brain painting the concrete.
My brother is very fucking dead.
Kitty takes another victim.
“Roxy!” Kaleb roars, and I turn, but too slowly.
Isaac wrestles me, pulling my back against his chest. And then I feel it. A blade pressing against my throat.
“Fucking bitch!” he roars in my ear.
I flinch. Blood coats my tongue, and Kitty clunks onto the concrete.
But then I look up. And see Kaleb.
And everything feels right.