Page 14 of Blood and Redemption

“Rocco,” Ren starts, warning in his voice.

He doesn’t care. He’s got that darkness in his eyes as he stares only at me.

“I snapped. Strangled her until she stopped begging me for her life.” Reaching the island, he leans against it and jerks his head toward Ren. “At the time, I’d never dealt with a dead body before. Didn’t know what to do with her. So I went to someone whohas.Someone who is all familiar with dealing with killing his own.”

My breath catches in my throat as his upper lip curls, the memory not a good one for anyone involved.

Ren killed our father for good reason.

Our mother had already run away long before. He didn’t have anyone to direct his anger at, and I was right there. Like mother, like daughter.

I don’t like the memory. It’s one I’ve purposely blocked out. Moving out here made it easier, and now I understand why Ren’s tried so hard to keep me away from it all.

The past was terrifying. Haunting.

The fight that broke out. The yelling. Ren lost his eye, but the loss of our father was greater.

I barely hear the sound of my brother’s chair scraping back before I see him on the move.

“Aurora, leave.” My brother isn’t polite, the order is a demand.

He doesn’t want me to see him get violent. Not after last time.

“She’s not a fucking child,” Rocco barks out a laugh, finally tearing his eyes away from me. “She’s a full-grown woman, trust me—”

I gasp as I hear the sound of bone against flesh. I can’t even blink before my brother swings his fist, hitting our guest.

“What did you do?” The words come seething, and in this moment, there isn’t any exhaustion on his face. It’s something darker. As he watches Rocco stumble and hit the ground, his fingers curl and uncurl like he’s debating how he wants to do a final blow.

I knew this was going to happen.

The last man who’d put his hands on me ended up bloodied.

“You want to diethatbadly? When in the fuck did you become such a coward?”

Rocco doesn’t deny his claims as he sits on the floor, and my chest hurts.

My legs shake as I move. I don’t think as I put myself between both of them before my brother can do more damage.

Between them, my breath comes out shaky. “Please stop. Ren,please.”

When I look over my shoulder, Rocco doesn’t meet my gaze. He looks frustrated.Angry. But at whom?

He stays on the ground, cradling his cheek. Already, the skin is swelling. “Don’t go telling people stories that aren’t yours to tell.”

Ren’s nostrils flare, and his knuckles grow pale from how tight his fists are. “You’re a grown man. The past is in the past. Get the hell over it.”

He wants to do more, I can see it on his face.

I’ve seen him angry before. When he doesn’t think I’m looking, I am.

Even if I don’t understand these bonds and ties, I know Ren wouldn’t forgive himself if he shattered this relationship because of the heat of the moment.

A shaky breath rattles through me before I pivot, my knees hitting the ground hard enough to bruise. Rocco flinches when I reach for him, but I don’t stop. My fingers brush his swollen cheek, feather-light.

“It’s not his fault.” The words scrape my throat raw. “I asked. I wanted to know.”

I can see the emotions in his eyes. Not just pain and anger, but something deeper. Buried under everything, pushed to the surface. Vulnerability.

---