Jace wipes the blood from his lip but doesn't say anything.
"How do you guys know Declan?" I ask them.
"Dec ran with us at school." Dominic shakes his head, staring at me in disbelief.
"He talked about you," I whisper. I start to put the pieces together. "He said Jace and you guys were the only people I could trust. If anything ever happened to him…he said to stay with Jace. That he'd find you."
"He said he had a sister. He never told us your name." Mason keeps his eyes firmly planted on me. "Just that she was an angel the devil would be scared off."
I laugh and cry at the same time. "That was his favourite saying," I tell Mason.
Mason smiles softly and I see a hint of darkness leave him. It grows silent as we remember my brother.
“How did you guys not realise that? You didn’t know who she was?” Jace looks around the room in shock. “You got her emancipated!”
“Well, we were calling her Laney for a while. You always called her Ro and I never knew Dec’s last name,” Maverick shoots back.
The guys agree with Mav.
“I knew Declan’s sister was called Rory but I didn’t make the connection.” Luc shrugs. Alec agrees.
Jace seems puzzled by the Laney bit but he seems too busy staring at me to question it.
“That’s why your name was familiar,” Alec muses. “Jace had me look into your disappearance years ago.”
“What happened?” Luc questions “None of us know the real reason your father moved you." My eyes flick up to his but they're unreadable.
Silent overtakes the room as I struggle to start.
"When my father came home that night, he was drunk. H—he was furious." I remember the anger in his eyes.
Jace grips my hand, a warmth shoots through me. Like coming home. Tears swell in my eyes and I hold onto his hand tightly.
"I nearly came out of hiding but Dec had told me not to don't come out, no matter what. My father, h-he threw him around a bit but that wasn't uncommon. Dec was always jumping in, taking beatings that were meant for me. Then he pulled out a gun." I sob, tears streaming down my face.
Mase brushes my hair from my face. Dominic puts a hand on my leg. All the guys gather around, comforting me in some way.
"After my father…Marcus, shot Dec," my voice trembles, "he made sure the place looked like a robbery gone wrong. I snuck out the window and I ran to Jace's house, just up the road. The cops came looking for me there and I told them everything. I told them I was there, that I saw him pull the trigger. They said they believed me," I whisper motionless.
"What happened?" Jace murmurs, a sickened look in his eyes like he knows the answer.
"You left. Your parents went down to the station. I was alone and he came looking for me." Jace pulls away and standsup. He braces himself on the wall, his head dropped and his fists against the wall.
"I heard him coming so I hid in your walk in wardrobe. I rang youoverand over again. He reached into the wardrobe and pulled me out," I whisper. "He said he couldn't kill his second unwanted burden because it would put too much heat on him so he had to find a way to keep me from testifying.”
Mason starts breathing heavily. I look over at him concerned. I link our hands and he seems to settle a little. Maverick grabs Mason's other hand.
“I don't remember everything, I managed to block most of it out." I continue. "I-I blacked out after a while. When I woke up, I was here. I couldn't get up and walk around for almost a week."
Jace slams his fist against the wall, making me jump. Mason squeezes my hand.
Jace breathes heavily. "Why didn't you call me?" He says hoarsely. "Why didn't you tell Mum where you were?"
I sigh. "At first, I wanted to, Ineededto. There was a burner phone in one of the cupboards of the kitchen. I managed to call Helen while he was out. I didn't know where I was, I hadn't gone outside yet. When Marcus found it, he broke every one of my fingers. Made me put them back into place. Once Dec was gone, there was no one to protect me."
Jace's shoulders shake uncontrollably. His forearms are pressed against the wall, his head dropped low between his shoulders.
I untangle myself from the guys and slowly rise from my position on the bed. I lightly place a hand on his back.
