Page 25 of The Aftermath

I wrap my arms around her and whisper in her ear, “We’re not going to talk about any of it tonight, but you are going to tell me what the hell happened.”

“You need to have your shoulder looked at,” she says softly.

“I’m fine. Sleep, my little Angel. No one can hurt you now but me.” She sighs. She actually fucking sighs and relaxes in my arms as I hold her. She’s okay with me. She’s safe with me, isn’t she?

I’m probably the worst one for her right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere.

Chapter 14

Angel

I hurt. Everywhere. I roll over and groan, blinking my crusted eyes. I reach up and rub them, trying to focus on anything in the room. I can hear talking, but I can’t make out who it is. I shove myself up off the floor anyway. I’m still exhausted, feeling like I haven’t slept in days.

With a yawn, I look down at myself in disgust. Ignoring the ache in my whole body, I walk out of the room and down the hall toward the living room. I realize I’m in Ry’s basement. I’ve been here more than once with Tamsyn.

As I walk into the living room, Rylan, Levi, Tamsyn, and Silas are all sitting on the couch. They look up when I enter, but my eyes stay on Silas’s. He looks away, and my heart instantly shatters inside of me.

“You’re okay,” Tamsyn cries as she rushes toward me, pulling me into a hug. I hug her back when Rylan moves. He walks to the table, grabbing water and some bottles of medicine.

“You need to take these. One is for pain the other is antibiotics.”

“Thanks,” I mumble as I open the bottles and shake the pills into my hand. I toss them into my mouth and then swallow them down with the water as Tamsyn drags me toward the couch. I don’t get that far when Silas reaches out and grabs me around the waist, pulling me onto his lap. Tamsyn just laughs, but I don’t. He doesn’t say a word as he holds onto me, but the others start talking.

They aren’t really talking about anything when Silas leans in closer to me.

“You ready to tell me what the fuck happened?” I don’t miss the slight growl in his tone, either. I shake my head. There’s no way I can tell him what happened to me. What they let happen to me.

“You’re going to tell me,” he adds as I shove out his lap. I spin around, tired of all this shit.

“No, Silas. I’m not. I’m not telling you what happened because I don’t fucking have to!”

“Is that what you think? That you don’t have to?” he stands up, prowling toward me as I step back.

“Oh fuck,” Levi mumbles under his breath.

“That’s exactly what I think! I am so tired of everyone thinking they run my life for me. I’m sick of being told what I’m going to do, when I need to be quiet, who I’m going to marry. I’m so fucking tired of all of it!” I scream louder now. Silas continues his slow prowl toward me with a deadly glint in his eyes. I shouldn’t push him. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t handle this anymore. I feel like I’m breaking apart, and no one can fix me.

“I fucking killed for you, Angel, and I’m going to continue to kill for you to be with me. Isn’t that what you want?” he growls as he looks at me. He’s what? He has to be kidding.

“What? You’re going to continue to kill who?”

“What the hell is going on, Silas?” Rylan asks. Whatever it is Silas is doing, the others don’t know about it. Silas rums his hand through his hair and looks between the two of us.

“I don’t have details to give you. Any of you. What I’m doing is … so far from the fucking rules,” he mumbles, keeping his head down.

“Silas, what the fuck? We’re brothers. Whatever it is, we have your back,” Rylan tells him.

“I know you do, and that’s why this is so fucking hard for me, Rylan. Because I can’t fucking tell you right now.” Rylan nods his head as if he understands.

“Well, you know where the fuck we are when you can,” he reminds him. Rylan walks over and fist-bumps Silas before sitting back down on the couch. I don’t know what to do with myself, so I stand here like a fucking fool.

“As for you, if I have to lock you in that fucking room with nothing to keep you safe, I’ll do it.” Now he’s looking at me. His eyes are on fire, burning straight through me.

“I’m not your pet.” He laughs.

“No, you’re not. You’re so much more than that, aren’t you, Angel?” My insides tremble at his words, a tear sliding down my cheek. He walks closer and cups my face in his hands before licking his lips. “I don’t know what you need from me. I’m not good at this shit, baby. You need to tell me what you need me to do here because, honestly, I thought about choking you to death last night.” This is his way of trying. This is Silas trying to be good to me. Another tear slides down my cheek, and I feel like I can’t breathe.

“I just need you, Silas. I’m sorry. Everything … it just became too much, and I didn’t know what to do.”

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