Page 52 of Guarded

“Ya.” She sighs before following through with her confession. “Silas was against it, but I couldn’t stand seeing her sad, so I took her myself.” Her eyes shift to the side.

The monster they call Leatherface was Thalia’s half-brother. Unlike Adrian, who she always knew existed, Cassiel was a surprise. He was a link between Adrian, Mireya, and Thalia that didn’t make sense on the surface. He shared a mother with Mireya and a father with Thalia and Adrian. That made him my blood, as well.

“I figured it would be easier for me to face him since he wasn’t conscious. But it wasn’t.” Thalia says.

I sympathize with her because I feel like I can’t make sense of anything, either. Cassiel had hurt my family, and he had saved us all at the same time. He saved Lucia but also used her as a pawn to get to Genesis. He was the reason my friend had fallen off the radar.

“Is this necessary?”

“I can’t risk one of you mamacitas shooting me now, can I?”

I shake away the memory. I didn’t have time to bring it back to the surface. I may not want Cassiel dead, but I have far from forgiven him. He and whoever rode beside him that night.

When Thalia and Lucia leave, I make my way back to the washing room and grab a clean set of sheets. I slow my steps and stand outside Nero’s room. Groans sound from beyond the door.

I lift my fist again to knock and drop it. I do this several times before I turn the handle and let myself in. The bed is empty, but I see the light shining from the bathroom. Another deep groan sounds. Following the sound, I stop in front of the bathroom door and gasp. On the bathroom floor is a barely conscious Nero.

Chapter 15

Nero

12 YEARS OLD

“Get the fuck up Pedazo de mierda!” Evangeline shouts.

I try to stand, but my legs wobble beneath me. Holding my breath, I wait for Evangeline to strike again. Her foot flying straight to my stomach.

“You vomited all over the playground, you fucking pig.”

Another kick and pain erupts in my abdomen. I cry out and stay there, glued to the bathroom floor.

“I’m sorry, Mommy. My tummy hurts. I told them not to call you,” I cry.

This is why I begged them not to call her.

“Oh, honey, your mother isn’t mad. She sounds really worried. Mommies always worry about their babies.” The school nurse said, but I knew better.

Evangeline was the best of actresses. She knew in a regular world that mothers worried about their children. Saw them as extensions of themselves. Not Evangeline. She hates me, and when I cause her any inconvenience, I pay the price.

“Get up, Nero!” Evangeline screams again. I vomit again, unable to control myself.

“You fucking pig!”

Another swift kick to my stomach, and the pain leaves me motionless. I want to run. Hide. But I can’t move.

I close my eyes as her footsteps fade into the distance. I think I’m dreaming when I feel her pick me up. Maybe I finally went to some place beyond where all mothers love their children. Where I’m free from the harsh words and the pain. Then I feel the ice-cold water, and I scream as my head is shoved under.

“Nero! Wake up!”

It takes me a minute to register the soft voice. My body shakes, and the little boy in my nightmare struggles to get out. I open my eyes and gasp, my arms reaching to the arms around my shoulders.

What the-

I wake up and see Ariella’s green eyes staring down above me. I think it’s another dream, but I can feel her skin and smell her floral scent. She’s sitting with her back against the headboard of my bed, her legs at my sides, and my head resting on her left thigh. I grab her hand, resting on my chest.

“Hey. It’s okay. You were having a nightmare. You’ve been out for two days,” she whispers, running her other hand through my hair. I let out a small sigh.

The last thing I remember was the ride home from the hospital. One of the brothers had caught something, which trickled down to everyone. I couldn’t hold anything down and just crashed on the bathroom floor. My eyes roam to the balcony, where the yellow rays barely make their appearance.

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