Page 21 of What's Left of Me

“And you just kept him?”

I snorted. “You learn quickly. Four doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to. He’s been through hell and back and in the end, he chose to be part of our family. We help him. When he first came here, he was in a bad headspace. Sometimes he falls into it, but we’re always there to pull him out.”

The movie began, and Angel dimmed the lights. I watched Phoenix as much as I did Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. He didn’t laugh but a few times I caught a timid smile, and I realized that when he did smile or laugh, it was probably a beautiful thing.

Afterward everyone mostly retired to their rooms, and I went to the tech room to dig a little bit. Nothing new since I’d checked last, and no new bodies were discovered. Earlier Nick had gone through the missing persons files to see if there was anyone new taken around the same areas some of the victims’ family and friends’ had said they were last seen, but there was nothing.

I was at it for hours, and my eyes started to feel like sandpaper. I had to stop. Thirst brought me to the kitchen for water and I was surprised to see Phoenix sitting in the dark, a glass of his own in front of him.

He hadn’t heard me—at least, I hadn’t thought so—and I took a moment to observe him. His gaze was glassy as if he were tired or sad. I suspected it was both. Not wanting to scare him, I made sure to walk a little heavy to the cabinet for a glass.

Hey,” I said as I gathered the pitcher in the refrigerator. “Can’t sleep?”

“I slept.”

I nodded, poured my water, and went to join him. “Nightmare?”

“Always.”

I remembered the nightmares that used to plague me. Not so much anymore, but every once in a while, one crept through. Maybe if I shared this with Phoenix, it would help.

“I used to get nightmares every night—hell, anytime I closed my eyes.”

He looked at me, his head tilted. “Because of the foster home?”

“No. See, my sister, Scarlett, was brutally murdered. I should say, tortured, raped, and murdered. Rich and powerful peopletook her and did horrific things. When we found her…” I swallowed loudly. “I can never burn that memory from my mind. And for years, I would have this same dream where I was being held back while they hurt her. She would call my name, scream it, and I couldn’t get to her…couldn’t save her.”

Phoenix was silent for a beat. “I am so sorry, Noel. That’s terrible. Did they ever catch her killers?”

I snorted. “Nope, but we did.”

“You?” His brow furrowed.

Sure, maybe I shouldn’t tell him every family secret. All Hazel and Phoenix knew was that this house was safe and we could protect him.

“My brothers and me, we hunted each one down and didn’t rest until every one of those fuckers died horribly.”

His eyes were as wide as saucers. “You…what?” He didn’t seem afraid. Shocked, yes.

“It went deep—cops, senator, corporate moguls.” I sipped my water. “They killed our foster parents too, the ones who adopted me and my brothers, and we later found out Mason’s parents who he thought died in a house fire, were also killed. If we didn’t do something, more people would die. We had to stop them.”

“And you did?”

I stared into Phoenix’s hopeful eyes. He wasn’t horrified about what I’d told him; he needed to hear it. His monster was still out there, and I’d slayed all mine.

“Yes.”

“Is that when the nightmares stopped?”

“That’s when they changed.”

“How?”

“After that, I was able to save her every time.”

Phoenix nodded slowly and drank his water. Neither one of us spoke for a while, but for the short time we sat there, the haunted look wasn’t in his eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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