Page 24 of Saviors

I wondered why three grown men were sharing a home. I had a lot of questions about these people I barely knew. But I didn’t feel that I could ask them. What if they cast me aside? Where would I go then?

My feet carried me to the living room at the back of the house. A wall of windows showed a beautiful view of a yard. A fog hung over the lawn, making the trees bordering the property look like something out of a horror movie.

But I found it comforting. I felt as if I could stand here for hours and watch the dew dry from the grass. A bird as it hopped from tree to tree. Listen to its song as it called to his friends.

I’d spent months in a closet. No window. No light. No noise. Except the sound of approaching footsteps. The doorknob clicking open. The jangling of a belt. The hiss of a zipper.

They echoed in my head. Haunted my nightmares.

I pressed my hand to the cool glass. My forehead followed a second later. I let the cold seep into my skin and ground me. Remind me I was here. I was alive.

But it didn’t feel like enough. I needed to protect my family. I still had to find my brothers. Make sure they were safe.

My breath coated the glass as I took a deep inhale. It caught in my lungs and I jumped back as I saw a figure lurking outside. My heart hammered in my chest as it circled the property, looking for a way in. My stomach dropped to my knees.

Simon was here. He’d found me. I knew he’d never let me go. I should’ve returned to him right away. But now I couldn’t. Now that I had a taste of freedom.

Tears burned my eyes. My head whipped around frantically, searching for a place to run and hide. A door caught my attention.

It was to the left of the small set of stairs I had walked down from the kitchen to get into the living room. Maybe it led outside. Maybe I could escape.

A sweat broke out on my skin as I raced across the room. My slick hand slipped on the knob. I clawed at it. A whimper falling from my lips.

Please. Please. I can’t go back. I can’t.

I jerked as the latch clicked. Yanking it open, I nearly avoiding it smacking me in the face. Another set of stairs was in front of me. But I was beyond caring. I just needed to put distance between Simon and me.

The heels of my feet slammed into each wooden step, sending a jarring shock up my legs as I rushed to get away. I didn’t hear the grunts until it was too late. Until I’d reached the bottom and had no way out.

The growls and puffs of air came from a man. Then the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh. Another grunt of pain.

My eyes widened as I took in the scene. Two huge guys were fighting. It was fast and violent. Fists flying. Bones crunching.

Blood filled my vision as a man punched Maverick. The drops of crimson hit the floor. Shining like a warning light. A second later, he followed them.

“What are you doing?” I screamed. My knees gave out as I crawled to him.

Without thinking, I reached for him. My fingers brushed the cut on his lip, coating my skin in red. My stomach rolled and my thoughts flipped with the tumbling movement.

What was this place? Who was fighting Maverick? Why?

“Violet!” Maverick hopped up. He grasped my hips and lifted me from the floor. “What’s wrong?”

“H-he was hurting you.” I gasped, too shocked to fight against the arm he had wrapped around my waist.

“We’re sparring.”

“Sparring?”

“Practicing.” His words penetrated the shock coating my brain. That’s when I observed the rest of the space.

The floor was covered in soft mats like you’d find at a gym. One wall was entirely mirrored. A corner of the room housed a rack of free weights and a bench. Another had a punching bag and speed ball. I hadn’t noticed the ropes I’d ducked under to get to them. Or that I was standing in a small boxing ring.

“This is Charlie. He’s one of our guards.” Maverick said. “We workout down here at least once a day.”

Charlie smiled good-naturedly, but the blood on his teeth ruined the effect. “Sorry, we scared you Miss.”

Or maybe it was the sheer size of him. Maverick was big and thick, with muscles bulging all over his biceps and chest. And Charlie was the same. They were both shirtless, their strength on display.

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