Page 31 of The Heart of a Villain

And then seagulls chirp loudly, biting my flesh again, ready to tear me apart bit by bit, which makes me jump in place and sit up.

Despite the dizziness in my head urging me to lie back down and catch a break, I wave the birds away, knowing full well how vicious they can get. These creatures can eat a whole rabbit while hungry, and I can’t give them more of an opportunity to hurt me.

“Go away!” I rasp, hitting one of them, and digging my fingers into the sand, I get up, running toward the forest, barely comprehending what goes on. “Just go away!” I shout, although it emerges as more of a squeak from my dry throat.

Once under the protection of the countless trees around me, I lean against one and breathe heavily, trying to understand what’s going on.

That’s when the memories of last night flash in my mind, bringing devastation and fear right along with them.

The fire. The boat. The pain.

I glance down and see a deep bruise on my stomach, which must have sent me unconscious in the ocean. Rubbing the bruise, I wince and then study my environment, realizing the storm must have passed a long time ago because judging by the sun sitting high in the sky, it’s midday.

Where is Rafael?

Without a shadow of a doubt, I know they would’ve come after me. Maybe they decided to take a break during the storm and fell asleep? How can they sleep after what happened to us, though?

Gulping for more breath, I straighten up and then freeze when another thought crosses my mind.

Mom.

Then, without thinking, I run toward the mansion so she’ll know I’m here and that help is on the way.

If she escaped the intruders, she would hide in the greenhouse with the secret passage that leads outside in case of emergency. According to her, no one would ever search for her there. It was one of the first things she shared with us when she got pregnant with Lavender and made us promise to keep our mouths shut about it, even from George and William.

My mom loves them, but for some reason, she never shared any secrets with them, and a weird feeling always lurked in her gaze whenever it landed on the people who worked for us. As if she was afraid for them.

The wind whooshes around me, the wet clothes almost unbearable on my skin as my bare feet slap against the hot ground, burning me in the process. Yet I focus only on the one goal that fuels my blood with determination and hope.

To save my mom no matter the cost, so in turn Rafael can save us.

My twin would never, ever give up on me. I might not trust anyone in this life after my father turned into a monster. But my twin… I can always count on him.

He’s my always and forever.

Flying through the forest, I aim straight for the secret passage, walking through it quickly and groaning when I see no signs of Mom among the pots and soil bags. I wipe the sweat from my brow, as the air is almost nonexistent in here.

Looking under the table and opening up the bigger cupboards that could fit a grown-ass human inside, I don’t find her there either, so I crawl to the window to assess the situation outside.

“Oh, no,” I say when the mansion comes into view—damaged beyond repair, it seems, as the sunlight shows every crack and change.

While most of the brick structure stands upright, it’s missing half of the roof. Almost all the windows are broken, the shattered glass lying around the perimeter. What were once massive double doors made out of the finest oak tree… it’s just a pitch-black, hideous gaping wound, inviting you into the darkness that inevitably awaits you inside.

Because if our family house looks this bad from outside… it must be destroyed on the inside.

I loved this house, as it held so many memories for us, but ever since Father changed, I wished to run far away from here and start anew.

So maybe this is God’s way of helping us.

Mom taught us everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t like it. Although our ruined legacy still hurts me in ways I didn’t anticipate.

“It’s okay, Rush,” I murmur to myself, rubbing my arms before going to the greenhouse exit, as there is no soul in sight.

The bad men must have left once they did their crimes because who would stay at such a place?

Which means Mom chose another space to hide in, and I need to find her. It can’t be good to stay around so much damage. Wouldn’t the smells be toxic to the body?

Emerging from the greenhouse, I call, “Mom!” Stumbling on one of the rocks, I kick it, but then I pick another up just in case. “Mom!” I go straight to the mansion, scanning the space, yet not spotting anything. “Mom!” I shout this time, the birds flying up from the trees and squeaking their displeasure at the disturbance. “I’m here! Come out. Mom!” I scream louder, dreading to go inside the house, but I speed up my pace, fully intending to do whatever is needed to save her, when I catch something out the corner of my eye.

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