Page 19 of Saviors

She didn’t know us. Or that we had no intention of hurting her. Even if we did, this tiny knife wouldn’t stop us. But if it made her feel better, she could have it.

I’d let her slice my throat if it made her happy.

10

Violet

Idrifted into consciousness. My senses came to me slowly. The clean scent of the sheets. The murmur of voices. The softness of the mattress.

Something was wrong. The bed was too comfortable. Nothing like the cot I slept on at Simon’s. It was too loud, even in the relatively quiet room. My closet had been soundproof, so no one could hear me.

As I became more aware, I realized the voices were unfamiliar. My stomach dipped. My limbs tensed.

Oh god, what now? Was Simon bringing ‘friends’ to me again? I couldn’t take anymore.

My heart slammed into my ribs, beating an unsteady rhythm. I tried to fain sleep for a little longer. Hoping to delay the pain that I knew was coming.

My fingers curled under the pillow like I was preparing for a fight. But instead of the softness of sheets, I was met with something hard. Metal. My fingertips traced the outline, trying to figure out what it was. I gasped when I realized it was a knife.

“You can open your eyes, belladonna.” Fear coated my mouth. They knew I was awake. They were watching me. I grasped the weapon tighter.

“I promise you’re safe, little bloom.” A second voice spoke.

I shouldn’t believe him, but I did. Recollections tried to penetrate my sleep addled brain. My mind was slower these days, like it wasn’t forming memories to protect itself. But instinctively, I felt comforted by these men.

Flashes of last night came flickering through my consciousness. I held the weapon by my side under my leg to conceal it as I sat up. The sheets shifted down, revealing the borrowed sweatshirt and leggings I’d put on yesterday. I inhaled a full breath, realizing at least they hadn’t undressed me. They hadn’t touched me.

As I glanced at their faces, I started to remember the three men in front of me. Going back to my house. My parents’ rejection. An expensive dinner in the backseat of the car.

My heart ached as I took in the room around me. Everything was pristine. The walls were painted a soft beige. The furniture looked crisp and new. A bed, dresser, nightstand, floor lamp; all in a light wood color. It was like a hotel room.

There were several doors. One was wide open, revealing a hallway. A second was cracked open, showing a sliver of an upscale bathroom. Curtains hung in front of another door, so I assumed it led to a balcony. The fourth was closed; closet maybe.

“Where am I?” My voice sounded raw. This time it was from disuse. Months spent rarely talking except to beg for mercy.

“At our house,” Reid answered as he handed me a glass of water. It was cool against my fingers, but I didn’t take a drink.

I didn’t know why they’d brought me here. Or why I’d agreed to go. I’d been in a trance last night. Lost in my grief. I didn’t even remember going to bed. Had I fallen asleep in the car?

But I knew one thing. “I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?” Maverick asked. He was seated in an armchair at the foot of the bed. Though he looked the scariest with his thick muscles, tattoos and shaved head, I found myself endeared to him. I was simple, feed me and I was happy. Not to mention he was who I had to thank for the knife in my hand; still hidden.

“We want you to,” Connor said from an armchair by the head of the bed. It was so close I could extend my leg and touch it with my toes.

They didn’t match the rest of the room. Their fabric was black. They’d dragged them in here to watch me rest. I couldn’t tell if it was caring or creepy. But it was the first time nightmares hadn’t plagued my sleep in months.

“What about my brothers?”

I’d lived through all of this for them. I still hadn’t gotten in contact with them. They needed to be warned about Simon.

“We’ll find them.” Connor’s hand extended in the air like he was going to touch me. It would’ve been gentle. A sign of reassurance, but I flinched. He dropped it.

“Until then, you’re safe here.” Reid said.

Safe? It was a foreign concept. Nothing would ever be safe again.

But as I stared at these three men who’d done more for me in twenty-four hours than my family had in twenty-four years, I knew this was the closest I would get.

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