Page 16 of Saviors

Reid

Rage singed my blood, burning a path through every particle of my being. A red haze coated my vision. My muscles strained with the effort it took to control myself.

There had been very few occasions when I’d been this angry. In my youth, I’d let this emotion guide my actions. Resulting in chaos, death, violence and my time spent in juvie.

I no longer allowed the rage to take over. Like everything in my life, I was its master. I made the decisions.

We’d brought Violet back to her parents because we didn’t need the complication. We had businesses to run. Bonds to protect.

I could already see my brothers’ yearning for her. Keeping her would be wrong. She needed to heal. She needed family.

But as I watched the crestfallen look on her face, I realized she didn’t have any. These people gave her life, but they hadn’t protected it. They didn’t care about her as a family should. The feelings I saw in her expression were all too familiar. And in that moment I made a decision that could be our ruin.

I waited until she had disappeared around the kitchen corner before approaching her father. “You know.”

It wasn’t a question. I’d seen it in his eyes. In the lack of response to her story. They weren’t shocked. Devastated. Worried.

Either what they said was true, and Violet was a liar. Or they knew she’d been abducted. She didn’t strike me as untrustworthy. Someone looking for attention. And I’d heard the truth from her captive. Seen with my eyes the evils he’d done.

Her father’s shoulders stiffened. His fingers flexed where they were wrapped around his wife’s hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His denial made sparks of fury burst inside me. Threatened to shatter the iron grip on my control. I hated people like him. Parents. Teachers. Authority figures. The ones who were supposed to protect kids, but didn’t.

My movement was fluid, lightening fast as I crossed the room to him. His eyes widened in horror as I grasped his neck. My fingers were firm around his throat, cutting off any sound of protest. His wife squeaked as I yanked him from her grasp. But the noise died as I glared at her. “Open your mouth and I’ll snap his neck.”

She froze. Her lips pooping shut as she stood still. I turned my attention back to the man who was making pathetic attempts to free himself. His nails dug into my hand. The feel of his skin on mine only made my rage grow.

I hated being touched without my permission. Hated not having control over it.

“You know they’re trafficking people.” The venom dripped from my tone, but I loosened my grip enough for him to speak. I wished I hadn’t, because his excuses were as pathetic as he was.

“They were just trying to make something of themselves. Have more than this life.”

“At the cost of other people’s lives.” I could practically hear his brain rattling in his useless skull as I shook him. His teeth clacked together. The violent sound ran down my spine. Sending a thrill across my skin.

“You don’t know what it’s like to have nothing. To wonder how you’ll pay your bills.” He sneered, making assumptions. Judging me by the clothes I wore now. By the expensive cologne and fancy car. “My boys are striving to be better than that.”

My appearance was just that. An appearance. An act. A part I played because it was necessary.

“Actually, I do know. And I never destroyed anyone to get a nice life.” His face reddened as I cut off his air again. “Let alone my own flesh and blood.”

Footsteps filtered through my haze of rage. I dropped my hold, letting her father slump back into his chair. He rubbed at his raw throat, but stopped as Violet walked into the room. Not wanting to explain. Hoping I’d keep his secret.

Tears clung to her dark lashes. Her green eyes shined with unshed ones. Maverick and Connor stood behind her, boxes in their arms. She clutched a pillow to her chest. It had a pink case.

The sight of her with that small childhood item made her seem younger than her twenty something years. She looked fragile. The urge to protect her reared up inside me, stronger than the rage that consumed my blood. “Go wait in the car, pretty girl.”

“Mom?” Her voice cracked as she lifted her gaze to her mother’s. “I’m sorry we fought. But… but I would never have disappeared without a word. I wouldn’t have abandoned my family.”

“What do you want me to say, Violet?” Mother and daughter stared at each other for an infinite moment. The pain on Violet’s face carved a home in my heart. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I wasn’t sure if it would help her or harm her more.

Violet’s lips pressed together, and she nodded. Without another word, she walked away. My brothers were quick on her heels. Guarding a girl we didn’t even know. One that was quickly becoming the center of our universe.

“You can’t take her.” Her father said like he had any claim to her. As if she wasn’t an adult who could make her own choices.

“Why?” I slid my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t give into the urge to kill him. “Afraid she’s going to tell everyone what your sons are doing? What you’re allowing? Or maybe you’re in on it.”

“How dare you!” His shout bounced off my chest, not affecting me. He was a fly. I was a mountain cat. His outburst didn’t even register.

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