“Xander,” I yell, wanting to save him the way he saved me.
I see him mouth the word “run,” and as badly as I want to stay and help, I know when my brother tells me to do something I should do it.
“You’re no better than him, Xander. Two fucking weak, pitiful excuses for men.” My father’s voice carries, following me as I climb the stairs to my room, locking the door. Tears slip down my cheeks.
I wish I was stronger. I wish I could protect us like Momma did.
But Momma’s gone. It’s just Xander and I.
Xander’s voice drags me back to reality, pulling me from the horrendous nightmare.
“Our uncles will be pleased to know you actually showed up tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, I’m sure they will be.”
Out the corner of my eye, I watch Keira’s face absorb all she’s seeing. The paintings, the marble floor, the high ceilings, the chandelier, the glitz and glam—the part of my life she’s never seen.
I keep a tight grip on her arm and pull her closer to my body. She nearly trips over her own feet, a gasp escaping her lips, but rights herself before doing so. Her heels clack against the flooring, echoing throughout the space. We walk through the foyer and straight into the open kitchen that leads to the garden.
The place is lit up, just as it was when we were kids.
I hear voices, two of which I know, and a few others I don’t.
When we enter the room, the voices dwindle to nothing more than breath. Alleyes move to Keira and watch as a soft blush creeps up her cheeks. She has no idea how beautiful she looks tonight. And she has no clue how much these evil fucking men are going to want her by the time the night is over.
“Damon.” Uncle Dom, the man I’m partially named after, breaks the silence first. As he pushes from his chair to stand, the wood scrapes against the floor, causing Keira to jump. I ignore her tells and focus on the task at hand.
Dom’s face is worn, a permanent expression of tired. When he smiles, it seems unnatural.
“Uncle Dom.” I force a smile, letting him hug me.
He pulls back and directs his attention to Keira. His eyes reflect hunger for something other than food as he drinks her in. The gun digging into my back reminds me I could easily shoot each and every one of these fucks in the head…just for looking at her.
But I don’t…I won’t…at least not yet.
“And you must be Keira.”
She nods, nibbling on her bottom lip. She averts her eyes to the floor as if she’s submissive.
“All this trouble over such a small little thing.” Dom shakes his head, as if he doesn’t understand.
Well, he would, if he had a fucking heart.
“Yes, Uncle. All this trouble over Damon refusing to let go of something he doesn’t actually own.”
I clench my jaw. Dom must sense my hostility because a burst of laughter erupts from his throat as he slaps a hand on my back.
“Now, now, boys. You can always share her. Hell, I remember a time when you shared everything. I’m sure she could survive at least one session with the two of you before you’d have to kill her.” I feel sick to my stomach, and I can practically see the horror appearing on Keira’s face. Now, she’s going to freak the fuck out and worry about me sharing her with my brother.
She visibly shies away. Seeing her like this is worse than getting punched in the face. I look at her, hoping she remembers everything I’ve told her, willing her to trust the promises I made this morning instead of believing the words I speak now.
I direct my attention to Xander. “Times of sharing my toys with you are over. You’ve broken them one too many times.”
Memories of the last woman we shared come to mind.
“Please, no. Please, stop…” she screamed, her eyes pleading with Xander, begging for him to stop.
All I did was stand there, swirling the whiskey in my glass, having already gotten my fill of her. I can still remember the sound of her shriek as he fucked her face and placed the barrel of his gun beside her head, warning if she pulled away, she was as good as dead.
