Page 32 of When Kings Fall

The angel among the demons had saved me, she’d sacrificed for me, she’d hurt for me.

All because I hadn’t been strong or capable enough to save myself. Or her.

How the fuck did you even begin to figure out how to live with all that?

My dad wanted me to focus on my future.

My friends, Mason, and Colt did too.

But as hard as I tried to push forward, the past and those brutal memories were locked around me constantly pulling me back.

“You were right, Dad. I’m not strong enough to go after them. I’m not ready.”

“You don’t need to be. It’s being handled.”

“Yeah, I know. It is, it’ll be dealt with.”

He ruffled my hair. “I’ve taken the next couple of weeks off to spend time with you. We’ll get you past this.”

I smiled back.

But once again I didn’t feel it.

And I knew in my bones that getting past it wasn’t an option for me.

Not until I was ready to face what had damaged me.

And I would be ready.

I’d build myself up.

I wouldn’t stop.

I’d do whatever I needed to in order to get to that place that meant I could come at those motherfuckers.

I’d take back the power they stole from me and shove that shame back down their throats where it belonged.

Because the inescapable truth was, I knew that I’d never feel peace until I destroyed them.

11

~Colton~

I blocked the doorway to the bedroom we’d assigned to Bree. “Leave her, brother.”

Lev’s gaze was unsteady as he looked at me, clearly wanting to just shove me out of the way and go after Bree, but resisting because he didn’t want to do anything aggressive to me, and likely because he was hesitating on his course of action itself too.

Mason was at my side in the very next moment, reminding him, “You rushed out right after she blew out of the living room and she told you she needed some space.”

“Well aware, brothers, but it’s been two hours now. She didn’t even come down when we texted her for lunch. Sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies—her favorites.”

“She obviously just needs some more time,” Mason assured him. “Probably at least a couple more hours, maybe the day, Lev.”

Despite his calm words, it was clear to me that he was stressed as hell and worried just like Lev, just like we all were.

He even had a box of Cheerios with him and he shoved his hand inside and came away with a handful that he then stuffed into his mouth.

When he caught me looking, he tossed me some and I caught them in my mouth easily. Years of practice where I’d sit with him when he was stressed and binge eating them and I’d have him toss me some wherein I’d catch them in my mouth to entertain him. It always managed to get him to at least crack a smile.

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