Page 13 of Newton

There's a part of me that wants to channel that strong girl Nathan tried to awaken inside of me, but I know leaving this room and demanding anything won't be received well.

Even Beth can't look me in the eye.

Everything I touch ends up broken and damaged, and I know that Cerberus will be no different.

The men and women who helped today wore those leather cuts with pride, but all it did was add their names and anyone associated with them to Nathan's ever-growing list of people who have betrayed him.

Those people don't get to keep breathing. They disappear or end up in the news because of some tragic accident that no one can seem to explain. Being here puts everybody in danger, and Kincaid, the club president, will do his best to mitigate those issues by getting rid of my ass as quickly as he possibly can. If the man was smart, he'd put a bullet in my head and deliver my body to Nathan. But then the man would want to seek vengeance because, as promised, he's the only one that can put me in the ground.

Not for the first time today, I wish I hadn't moved in closer to Beth, then maybe the bullet that struck Xan would’ve dropped me instead. The waiting to die feels like worse torture than the act itself.

I resist the urge to run my fingers over the scars lining my forearm despite the itch of need there.

Chapter 7

Newton

"What happens with all the stuff here?" Boomer asks, looking around at the full living room of furniture.

"We haven't made it that far in discussions," Emmalyn says, a frown playing on her pretty face.

I'd like to think no one who knows what's going on blames Brielle, but I've heard mumbles of discontent from several of the women as they make trips to the waiting SUVs with their belongings.

This could be the result of any issue from any former partner of any of the women. We don't have to mention Brielle's name for them to know that she's the only one missing. It's not that hard to put two and two together to understand that since she's not here, she has to be the catalyst for them being moved. I don't know if they would be as disappointed if it were anyone else in the house.

"Brielle's things?" I ask Emmalyn.

"I can gather them," she replies, and I nod my head in thanks.

It's not that I mind packing her things to bring back to the clubhouse, but that would be a rather intimate activity. The woman has been violated enough in her lifetime. She doesn't need to feel as if she's been infringed upon again if we can help it. She may not like Em doing it either, but at least she knows the woman.

I step to the side when a frightened-looking woman walks past with her hand at the back of a crying child who looks to be about eight. They've had such trauma in their lives, and it just keeps piling up. It has to be terrifying that a group of armed men show up at the place they've grown to call home and insist they gather all of their belongings so they can go live somewhere else.

"Where are we going?" the woman asks, but she's looking over my shoulder.

I turn to see Victoria, the director of the shelter, giving her a small smile.

"Across town," Victoria says as she crouches down to get on the same level as the upset little girl. "And the new place has a treehouse in the backyard."

This information seems to carry some weight with the kid, but she isn't fully convinced.

"I'm going to have to make new friends," she whispers, as if she's been made to feel ashamed for either voicing her concerns or having needs.

Victoria shakes her head, reaching out a hand. The little girl takes it immediately. "Rachel, I always encourage you to make new friends, but you won't change schools just because we're moving across town."

The child's mother breathes a sigh of relief. It's clear it was a concern for her as well, but maybe she was waiting for a different time, one that was less chaotic, before voicing her concerns about it.

Victoria accepts the hug offered by the little girl before standing to put her hand on the woman’s arm.

“Everything is going to be just fine, Anne,” she assures the woman.

Anne smiles and nods, but there’s still concern marking her features when she walks off.

“Where did Em go?” Victoria asks, turning to me once Anne and Rachel have headed outside to one of the waiting SUVs.

"She went to go pack up Brielle's belongings," I inform her.

Victoria looks down the hallway in the direction I have to assume is Brielle's room.

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