Page 22 of Monster

“How the hell did you get up here?”

“There’s, uh, there’s a ladder,” the girl said, speaking up for the first time. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling based on the tone of her voice, and it was too dark to see.

I let Braxton go, but he reached for me.

I paused for a moment.

Fuck me, but I was gonna skin whoever the fuck was responsible alive for putting this fear in my son.

My boys were nothing if not independent. Fucking fearless, too.

And now Braxton was clinging to me like he was scared something bad might happen to him if I wasn’t close by.

My fists clenched, and I forced the anger from my voice, not wanting to scare him. “It’s okay. I’m just letting Kai know.”

“Kai’s here?” Braxton asked.

I patted his head in answer. Kai was his favorite person in the world. I was sure he would feel comforted to know both his dad and brother were with him.

I leaned over. “Kai?”

“Yeah, Dad. Is he okay?”

“I do. I need you to go outside and look for the breaker box. Or a backup generator. See if that still works.”

Kai didn’t say anything for a moment, but the relief was clear in his voice when he finally responded with a small, “Yeah.”

I saw the ladder against the wall. I moved Braxton back to the girl and set the ladder back on the floor. “I’m gonna go down first. You guys follow, okay?”

I sensed some movement from them, but they didn’t really say anything. Not that I blamed them.

Fuck.

I didn’t know what they had been through—what my boy had been through—before we found them.

There was a small click from somewhere outside, and the lights came on just as my feet touched the ground.

I blinked and watched the two small figures climb down as my men walked in.

I examined Braxton, trying to assess any injuries he might have, but he looked fine. At least, from what I could see right now. Just a little shaken up. The rest would have to wait until we got home, and I asked him myself.

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to calm myself down and not give in to the urge to hold him close to me for the rest of the night.

My gaze moved to the woman who was with him. I didn’t know what her role was in this whole thing or how she came to be with him right now, hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse, but I would find out soon enough.

I took in her back as she climbed down the ladder after Braxton.

She was a tiny little thing.

My first assessment was right.

Maybe an inch or two shorter than Braxton, and my boy might be the tallest in his class, but he hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet, coming in only at five foot five inches. She was probably five feet four, tops.

I would tower over the little wildcat.

And she was all hair. Thick, dark, beautiful hair.

Braxton jumped to the ground from the last step and turned, rushing over to me.

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