Page 6 of Fractured Heart

“We have a long drive ahead of us.” His voice does nothing to soothe my worries.

“Where are you taking me?” The hardened tone of my voice isn’t missed by him.

“Somewhere safe.”

I scoff. “There is nowhere safe for me until each of those cunts are buried beneath the earth.”

“I’m giving you a choice here, Waverly?—”

“That’s not my name!” I shout. He doesn’t react.

“I’m not calling you Doxy.”

“That’s my name.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“You don’t fucking know me!” I clamp my mouth closed as reality slams into me. Here I am arguing back, and it feels natural but also so strange. I haven’t spoken back to anyone in years and in the space of mere minutes this man has me arguing.

“You’re right, I don’t know you but I am trying to help you and I can’t help you by calling you that fucking dreadful name.”

“It’s the only name I have,” I mutter as I stare out the open window, loving how the wind feels against my face.

“What happened to Waverly?” he asks after a few moments.

I stiffen and try to control the anger rising inside me as I answer him. “She died fourteen years ago. She was weak and prayed for some man to save her. She died the night Doxy was born. Doxy is strong, independent and doesn’t need a fucking man to save her. Doxy doesn’t feel, she doesn’t pine for anyone, she is the nightmare all those bastards will come to fear as she plucks them off one by one until she reaches the head of the demon.”

“I’m guessing the demon is Karl?”

I snort. “No.” I meet his shocked gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Who’s the demon… Doxy?”

Pride fills me hearing him call me by my chosen name. “My twin, the demon is my brother and once I finish killing these Irish cunts, I’m going after him and all he holds dear to his heart. I’ll kill him for having a hand in killing Waverly.”

By the time we finally stop the sun is peeking over the horizon and exhaustion is weighing heavily on me. I follow after Trevante feeling out of sorts and defenseless with no gun. Before we reach the house, he stops and turns to face me. He runs his gaze over me. It normally irks me and has dread pooling inside me but he doesn’t look at me like the others, he’s looking past the exterior and trying to see inside me, to understand me.

“Here,” he says as he pulls his gun from his waistband and hands it to me. I take it without argument.

“Why?” I ask.

He shrugs and runs a hand through his hair tiredly before answering. “You’ve survived something no person should and I know you feeling safe is going to be a big thing we need to work on, but the best way I can think of is to let you be the one with the only weapon in the house.” I study him for a long moment trying to get a read on what exactly it is that he wants from me.

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because I can.” Is all he says before turning and heading toward the small home. It’s made out of brick and nestled in the middle of woodlands. It’s the perfect house to bring a victim and kill them where no one would be able to find their body. With that thought in my mind, I flick the safety off and follow after him. The house smells stuffy like it hasn’t been used in a long time, white sheets covering the furniture. From the doorway I can see the living room, kitchen and dining room. “Down that hall are the two bedrooms and a bathroom, we have to share the one I’m afraid.”

“I can shower?” He stops pulling the sheets off the sofa and turns to face me, his gaze searches mine for a second before he sighs and averts his eyes trying to hide the anger in them.

“You can do whatever you like, sleep, walk outside, run, make a mess, look me in the eye and eat whenever the fuck you want.” I roll my lips over my teeth and digest his words for a second before moving further into the house. “There’s a tub, go take a bath and I’ll gather some firewood before I head back into town to grab some supplies.”

That shocks the fucking hell out of me. “You’re leaving me here… alone?” He eyes me skeptically for a moment before nodding.

“Yes. If you’re here when I get back, I’ll make us dinner. If you’re not, then I wish you well, Doxy Da Luca, and hope our paths will cross again one day.”

His words have me scrunching my face. “Why the fuck would you want to meet me again?”

“Because you got out, she didn’t and that is something to admire. You may not believe me but I am on your side and I will help you however I can.”

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