Page 106 of Damaged Prince
I sit down, pulling him in my lap and wrapping him up in my arms. “I got you, baby. No one is going to hurt you. I’d fuckingkill anyone who even dared to try,” I vow, rubbing his back as I rock him back and forth, trying to calm him down.
Seeing Eli like this, fuck, it guts me. I feel helpless. All I wanna do is take away his pain.
Daniel. Fucking vile creature, Daniel Ambrose, and his sick fucked up wife, Evelyn.
Two names I’ll never forget.
I know who they are. Eli told me all about what they did to him when he was a young boy. At first, the only thing he told me was that he had been sexually abused. But one night, something triggered him, and he got drunk. He spilled everything, all the details that forever changed me. I don’t think he remembers calling me. I don’t think he remembers his broken cries as he slurred out the words.
But I do. I’m haunted by them every fucking day.
Last I heard, they moved across the ocean to work with some top-tier dance academies. Why the fuck are they back? Better yet, why the fuck are they still living?
When Eli’s sobs simmer into whimpers, I kiss the top of his head. “I need you to stay here, okay? Call Laney, baby.”
“Where are you going?” he asks in a panic, voice cracking. “Don’t leave me, Kai. Please.”
“Shhh. Shhh,” I soothe, patting down his hair. “I’m gonna be right back. Just stay here, keep the doors locked.
“No,” Eli sobs. “It’s not worth it.”
I cup his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes. “You are worth it, Elijah Cross. You are worth every fucking thing. And there’s no way I’m going to be able to live with myself knowing your abuser is across the street. The rats came out of hiding, and now it’s time to get rid of them once and for all.”
“Don’t kill him,” Eli begs, eyes widening. “I don’t wanna lose you. You can’t go to jail.”
“I won’t kill him,” I grind out, even though I really fucking want to. “I just want to have some...words.”
Pressing a hard kiss to Eli’s lips, I pry his hands off me and get to my feet. Leaving him here kills me, but I’m too wound up, too consumed by a murderous rage. “I’ll be right back,” I promise him before doing something so damn hard. I turn away, leaving him there on the floor when all I want to do is wrap him up and keep him safe forever. I storm my way out of the studio and across the street to the place that looks to have moving trucks and boxes outside of it.
“Daniel!” I roar, fists clenched at my side. “Where the fuck are you?”
No one answers. Looking around, I don’t see anyone here. What I do see is some displays of what looks like dance costumes.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Did this sick bastard think he could come back into town and not only open up a fucking store, but have it across the street from my fucking man? And sell dance shit!
No. No fucking way. The only place this monster should be is behind fucking bars.
Like an angry bull in a china shop, I start to rampage. With a scream, I pull down racks of clothes, pick up boxes, and throw them across the room.
“What the fuck are you doing?” A voice shouts. “I’m calling the cops!”
Spinning, my wild gaze lands on the man. I recognize him from the photos I found on the internet. It’s Daniel in the flesh.
As I stare at the sick fuck, I’m not too sure I can keep my promise of not killing the bastard.
“Call the cops?” I laugh manically, my chest heaving as I do. “Go for it. While you're at it, why don’t you tell them how you like to touch little boys, huh?”
“Get out!” Daniel demands, his face growing red. “Right now!”
“I’m not fucking going anywhere,” I growl, prowling towards him.
“Who are you?” he demands. “And why are you here trashing my place?”
“I’m your worst fucking nightmare.” I grab him by the shirt, smiling at the fear in his eyes.
“Let me go,” he demands, trying to fight back.
