Page 104 of Graves

My gut clenches as I look at my brother, whose eyes are still on my angel.

“Say that again?” he asks softly, though a steeliness has passed behind his eyes.

“Max-im. H-he w-was here. He-he—” She breaks off into another round of sobs, worst-case scenarios flashing before my eyes.

Dominic is pulling out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen as he no doubt pulls up the apartment’s security cameras. I reach out for his phone, forcing him to turn it, so I can watch as well. Fury passes across Dominic’s face when Maxim enters the room seconds after I leave. We watch the entire thing, my muscles tightening with each second.

My stomach turns when I watch him shove his loaded gun into her mouth, forcing tears to fall down her face before he licks them off her. As much as I want to look away, I don’t allow myself, letting the anger I feel inside of me fuel me for what’s next.

“Take her,” I say stiffly.

Dominic looks at me with pure rage on his face as he stares on.

“TAKE HER!” I snarl before he does as I say, scooping her out of my arms as I leap to my feet.

I reach for the glass bowl on the counter, smashing it against the wall as I begin to spiral. I destroy anything and everything in sight, letting out an animalistic roar as I do. He knows about her, he’s seen her, touched her. There is no more time for waiting, no more plans. He has to die. Right now.

Running down the hallway, I hear Dominic call out to me, but I don’t waste my energy entertaining him. I enter the war room easily, loading a bag up with any and every weapon I can get my hands on before I’m tearing out of there.

My feet carry me to the front door quickly, and I have my hand on the knob when I hear a soft, broken voice call out to me.

“Don’t go, p-please, Zay.”

The sound shatters my barely beating heart, and I turn to see my angel’s tear-filled eyes begging me. Doesn’t she see I don’t have a choice? That I have to go? I have to protect her, I’ll die a hundred deaths before I let anything like this happen to her again. Still, I’m no match for those watery eyes and crestfallen face. I drop my bag to the ground, covering her back with my body as Dominic and I hold her between us.

“We’ve got you, angel. We’ll take care of this. You’re safe. You’re always safe with us.”

Dominic and I share a murderous look, our minds firmly made up. Prison or someone else taking him out won’t do, not even close. He crossed a line, and now he will die a bloody death at our hands once and for all.

Chapter Forty-Six

DOMINIC

It took a while for Blake to calm down, and I understand why. Maxim can make the strongest men break with just a look. He pulled nearly every intimidation trick he could have with Blake, and she didn’t waver. She was composed and calm until he left, then the dam burst, and rightfully so. She’s so fucking strong, I don’t even think she sees it. Zayden and I do, though.

Zayden ended up scooping her from my arms and carrying her into the bath. They just sat there silently as I massaged Blake’s head, slowly lathering her hair until thewater ran cold. Afterwards, we got her dressed in comfortable clothes and tucked her into my new bed. I’ve been tired of staying in the spare bedroom or Zayden’s room since mine is the largest in the house, and since there is no way Zayden would sleep without Blake for even a single night, I purchased an Alaskan King, the biggest and best on the market.

Blake is lying in between us, her head resting on my chest and her legs intertwined with Zayden’s, before she breaks the silence.

“Is he the man? The one you’ve been worried about from the start?”

I share a look with my brother before turning to look at her beautifully mismatched eyes, giving her a tight nod. She lets out a disappointed sigh as her head nods.

“Makes sense. I get it now.”

The room is quiet again for several more minutes before she swallows roughly.

“How do you guys know him? He’s not from here, right? His accent…” She trails off, goosebumps smattering her skin as she does.

Zayden reaches over, rubbing his hand up and down her arms like he’s trying to soothe them away. I know he won’t talk about it. He never does, and part of me doesn’t want to go there either, but a larger part of me knows it’s important.

“The night our parents died. I didn’t lie when I said I was the only one at the neighbors. I was. Zayden snuck out to follow them. We were nine, and he was too curious for his own good.”

I pause, looking over to see Zayden spacing out, a torturedlook on his face as he stares blankly at the back of Blake’s head.

“He followed them out of the apartment complex and one block over to their dealer’s house. He hid in the bushes and peeked in through the side window. Zayden watched as our dad was getting high, his brother, our uncle, was trying to force himself on our mother.” I grit my jaw, remembering the way Zayden recounted what he saw, what he felt, and how he wanted to help her but didn’t know how. Peeking over at my hollow brother, I mourn who he used to be, who he was before that night.

“She fought with him, and then when the police barged in and guns started blazing, our uncle was too pissed Mom wouldn’t give in, and he slit her throat, right then and there. Somehow he was able to sneak out the back before the cops could find him, and everyone else in the house died, so no one was sure who was in that house. Except for Zayden.”

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