Page 57 of Saviors

The worst scenarios raced through my mind. I could break a bone as I hit the water. I could drown. The limb I was standing on could snap and send me tumbling to the dirt instead of the lake. I could smash my skull in.

I could die.

“You won’t.” He said it was such confidence. So sure.

Didn’t he see how bad it could get? Didn’t he know life was cruel? It kicked you while you were down. Took everything as soon as you were happy.

And I was happy with them. For the first time, maybe ever. I wanted to protect that feeling.

My fears pushed the truth from me. Forced me to tell him what this world was really like. “I’ll die.”

He smiled knowingly, and that dimple made another appearance, making my heart flutter. “But then the pain would stop.”

My lips parted in shock. I didn’t expect his words. But before I could think about them, I let go; flinging myself off the branch.

The air in my ears drowned out everything else. My body felt light. It wasn’t being pressed down with agony or rejection.

A scream tore from my lungs as the water rushed towards me. But I didn’t flinch. I accepted my fate. I took a deep breath in anticipation of living.

The lake cradled me as I hit it. There was no pain. No breaking. It was warm and comforting. It felt like coming home. Like letting out an exhale.

I was laughing when I resurfaced. Maverick was right there, wrapping me in his arms. Surrounding me with his strength and warmth. Instinctively, my legs circled his waist, keeping him close.

“You made it.” My skin tingled as he brushed the wet hair from my face. His bright expression matched mine. I felt the connection deep in my bones. “I’d never let anything happen to you, belladonna.”

Tears burned my eyes as I threw my arms around him. Emotions welled up inside me, fighting to burst free. But instead of coming in waves of suffering, they came soft and sweet. They came with a warmth, smoothing my broken pieces back together.

* * *

Maverick held my hand as we walked into the house. My limbs were heavy as we headed up the stairs. It had been a long time since I was tired from physical exhaustion instead of emotional pain. I knew when I hit the pillow, I’d be asleep in minutes. I wouldn’t be plagued with nightmares.

We stopped outside my bedroom. I tilted my head to look at him. My chest ached as I tried to think of something to say. But I didn’t know how to describe what he’d done. What he’d given me.

“Thank you.” The words sounded so flat.

His free hand skimmed my cheek until he grasped my chin. “Stop thanking us.” He was whispering, but it felt loud. Heavy with a meaning that settled next to my heart. “You help the people you care about. That’s what family does.”

He closed the distance between us, pressing his mouth to mine. The kiss was gentle and over before I was ready for it to end. “I’ll come back after I shower.”

One of them always slept with me. It helped keep the nightmares away. I wasn’t sure I needed it tonight. But I wanted it. Wanted more time together.

He left me at my door before he heading to his own room. I stepped inside. As I stripped off my swimsuit and put on pajamas, I tried to figure out why his words had affected me. It wasn’t until I was pulling the covers down on my bed that I realized it.

No one had ever helped me. Sheltered me. Not without guilt.

I was a burden to my parents. An inconvenience. A disappointment. I wasn’t wanted. I hadn’t known unconditional love.

Until now. Until them.

32

Violet

The music in Eros hummed under my skin. My body swayed to the steady beat. I’d started to find comfort in these walls. In the red leather and black velvet. In the crowd.

I couldn’t be approached, so I became anonymous. An observer. And I saw a lot.

Tonight, a woman across the room captivated me. She wore a midnight blue dress. It was almost modest, covering her from neck to ankle. But it molded to her slender body like a second skin. Her dark hair was shiny, flowing over her shoulders, making her pale pink lips stand out.

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