Page 5 of Their Dark Rose

“We have to tell her,” he says to Falk, while his blue eyes narrow at me. Eyes like his daddy’s.

I hear Miss Jones’s heavy heels clicking. Her green floral dress disappears as she scurries out the door.

She left me.

Finn didn’t. He shows up beside Mason. Scaring me.

“Tell me what?” I wipe my cheeks angrily, shouting, “Where are my parents?”

Neither of them bends to look me in the eye. My teachers do it to make me feel comfortable. The men above me don’t. They stay high. Far. So very far.

“You won’t be seeing your parents for a long while, Briar.” Finn finally crouches, leaning his forearms on my table. “You’re coming with us.”

“Why?” My fists clench.

Falk tightens his grip on me.

Mason presses his hand to Falk’s shoulder. “Careful, you’ll break her arm.”

Falk turns to Mason, slightly tugging me with him. “Her parents broke a hell of a lot more than an arm.”

“It’s not her fault.” Mason’s teeth gnash, making a grinding sound. “We didn’t come here to hurt her. As much as I don’t want to be anywhere near her, we’re not hurting her, Falk.”

I bite my cheek. They won’t see how their words make my heart bleed.

Fuck them.

“No one’s going to hurt you,” Finn is quick to reassure me I’m safe.

My soul doesn’t feel so safe right now.

I shrug his hand off me. Tears—furious this time—flow down my cheeks in rivers.

“I want my mommy! Where’s Mommy?”

I haven’t needed her in forever. Most of the time, she loves sleeping and her medication. I love reading my books and doing my homework. It’s no biggie. Most of the time.

But she has to wake up now. She has to take me away.

Anywhere except here where the ground shakes. Where the men I thought to be our friends hate me.

I bite my cheek harder, bleeding into my mouth.

“Your mommy,“ Finn says in a mean tone. He shakes his head, looks at the floor and at me again. “She’s not here. Your mommy and daddy are in trouble. They got into an accident and took our parents away.”

The booming in my heart stops in a second. Daddy explained once that the angels took Grandma and Grandpa to heaven. I remember those were his exact words.

Daddy and Mommy aren’t angels. That I know of.

Angels don’t get so sick and need their medicine every single day.

This has to be a lie. Whatever they’re hiding, it’s a lie.

I hate being lied to.

“No!” I scream. “They didn’t!”

“Yes.” Falk yanks on my wrist again. “They did.”

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