Page 45 of Fierce Secrets

The only reason my father hadn't acted sooner was his reluctance to orphan two innocent kids. He'd planned to warn Anthony first, give him a chance to make it right.

In the end, I'd made the decision easier for everyone. Anthony's death solved the embezzlement problem, and bringing Gray into the family gave us a loyal soldier who'd never question our methods.

All while keeping Meredith safe and innocent, just as she deserved to be.

Or so we'd thought.

After calling in the cleaners, I'd helped Gray finish dealing with the kitchen. "Shower," I instructed. "Bag your clothes. We'll burn everything."

He'd nodded mechanically, heading for the master bathroom. While waiting for him – knowing he needed time to process what we'd done – I went to check on Meredith.

Her room was empty at first glance, but my gut knew better. Dropping to my knees, I peered under the bed, and it pained me to find her. She was curled into a tight ball, trembling as she watched me with wide eyes.

"Meredith, it's okay, you're safe now," I'd coaxed her out. "He won't hurt you again. Never again."

She'd crawled out slowly, and I pulled her into my arms, ignoring the blood still staining my shirt. Her tears soaked through to my skin as she clutched at me, her entire frame shaking like a leaf.

We'd killed right in front of her, and the guilt of having her witness it hit hard.

"How hurt are you, do you need an ambulance?" I'd asked softly, and she sucked in a breath.

"No. Just bruises. Gray checked me over fully already," she'd mumbled.

"He got you to remove your shirt so he could see any bruises that looked bad?" I checked, and she nodded weakly. Internal bleeding was always a possibility with beatings. My father had promised to send his own medic along with his clean-up crew, and they'd be here shortly.

"How's your head?" I'd asked.

"Fine."

"Good, someone is coming to check you over, a paramedic," I'd lied. Technically, Old Man Thomas had been a paramedic before he'd gotten involved with my father and then became a doctor. He'd become the family's trusted doctor and go-to man for anything we needed to keep under wraps from the hospital.

"Is he gone?" Her voice was barely a whisper as I'd held her close.

Meredith. The girl who'd stolen my heart without knowing it. The one I vowed to protect ever since that day where she'd patched me up.

"Yes." I'd stroked her hair, something protective and possessive surging through me once more. "I'll always protect you."

"He's dead?" Her voice was so small, it crushed me inside. The light and joy this perfect creature in my arms usually carried was gone right now, and it broke me.

"Yes, Mer."

She stiffened suddenly, pushing away from me. The look in her eyes gutted me – pure fear as realization dawned.

"You killed him." She scrambled backward, pressing herself against the wall. "You killed my father."

I stood slowly, hating how she flinched at my movement. I wasn't about to say it was a joint effort, not when she was this distressed. Right now, if she needed to focus her rage and emotions on someone, I'd accept it. I'd let her target me while she came to terms with this, even if it crushed me.

"I did it for you. To save you."

She wouldn't look at me, her sobs coming harder now.

I wanted to hold her again, to make sure she was okay, but right now, I knew I wasn't the person she needed. She needed her brother, her only remaining family. The sound of Gray's shower shutting off gave me an excuse to leave, though every instinct screamed to stay, to make her understand.

One day, she would.

I took Gray's bloody clothes, instructing him to be with Meredith, that she needed him right now. He'd not argued, instead going to her, and I'd headed down the hall as she'd wailed and cried, years of suffering unleashing. A part of her would feel guilt as well, because despite what he'd done to her, I knew she'd loved that monster.

He'd been her father, after all.

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