Page 64 of Broken Pieces

Mad peers over her shoulder and sees its contents. Everything she’d need to run from us.

I zip it up with so much force that I nearly break the zipper. Then I shove the phone in his face again. He goes pale as he reads the messages and sees the picture of Violet on a bed, inher underwear.

“You were with him all along? I thought he was trying to hurt you.” She frantically shakes her head as she looks up at him with tears in her eyes. It’s just more theatrics.

"No. I thought that was from you!"

My breathing gets heavy as rage overwhelms me. I’ve always been the calm one out of the two of us, but right now I’m acting more like Mad, unhinged and dangerous.

“Time to go,” I say as I reach into my pocket to grab the other sedative.

Violet catches sight of it and starts to panic even more. “What is that, Max?Maddox?What the hell is that?”

“Hold her still, will you? Wouldn’t want to do this wrong.”

Before Mad can restrain her properly, Violet jabs her elbow into Mad’s side just enough for his grip to loosen and she slips out of his hold.

She takes off across the grass, not looking back as she runs. Mad sprints after her, his long legs easily eating up the distance and he’s on her before she can make it onto the sidewalk. He reaches out, grabbing her backpack and yanking her back into his chest.

He wraps one arm around her shoulders and flattens his palm against the side of her head as he pins her to his chest. I come up beside them and hear him soothing her. “You’ll be okay,” he murmurs softly into the top of her head. “We need to do this.”

I’m not sure why, but it makes me angry that he’s suddenly being so nice to her. If he thinks we’ll go easy on her after this then he’s dead wrong.

She grabsat him as I stab the needle into her neck and wails out a long cry. I should have done it gently, but my hands are shaking too much to have any precision.

“Please, Max! What is that?”

“You’ll be fine, just calm down,” I tell her, without an ounce of care in my tone.

Mad holds her still as the drug quickly gets to work and her cries grow weak. “Give her to me,” I bark, the need to take control too strong to ignore.

“I don't think that's a good idea.” Mad looks down at my shaking fist around the bat. I toss it aside and reach for her, lifting her to my chest.

I bite down hard on my tongue so I don't make a sound as the pain becomes too much.

I can do this.

I have to be able to do this.

Violet's head is floppy, but she’s just about awake. It should only be a few more seconds before she’s passed out completely.

“Max?” She whimpers and my heart slows as I look into her eyes. Her soft cheeks. Her plump lips. It’s all distorted somewhat from the mask and the sweat in my eyes, or maybe it's tears? But,fuck, she’s so beautiful up close and she’s ours.

All ours.

I close my eyes letting myself feel the weight of her in my arms, testing my muscles and forcing them to hold.

I am not weak.

For her, I can be anything.

I can be me again.

“Max?”She whispers my name so softly, like it’s a prayer carried on the wind, blowing delicately over my skin.

The night air suddenly touching my cheeks makes my eyes snap back open. My mask is in her hand and she looks up at me with what I think is relief.

She’s…happy?

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