A short goodbye to Khatri turns into him assuring Angel and me that he can handle a sleeping toddler and all but shoving us inside the elevator.
Reaching others, we find them already settled into their car. Seiji, Grace, Hazel, and Rick take a separate car while Angel and I take one, so we have an extra vehicle in an emergency. Ignoring how they whine about us being late because Angel can’t keep it in his pants, my mate helps me into the passenger seat.
For the half-hour we’ve been on the road, I can’t stop anxiously twisting and turning the rings of Angel’s fingers. His paw of a hand is resting on my thigh under the hem of my dress, rubbing soft circles where my stockings begin.
The club is more than an hour’s drive from the hotel, and till now it’s been quiet. I can sense the silence is bothering Angel, but he hasn’t pushed me to talk, even when my unease is lingering in the air.
“You’re awfully fond of my rings, sweetheart. Want your own?”
“No, I’ll just twist my fingers off,” I reply absentmindedly. Playing with his fingers, I’m looking through the windshield, and counting the white cars to keep sane.
“But you have no problem twistingmine?”
“Nope.”
It’s not my fault his hands are always so warm and familiar. I feel grounded with his hand in mine, but even with my guardian Angel beside me, tonight I can’t stop the horrors of my past from playing in my head.
Ever since I found out about Harvey, my mind has been playing cruel tricks on me, trying to convince me he wouldn’t want anything to do with me after what we went through.
After everything he went throughbecause of me. I can’t stop thinking that he would see me as a living reminder of his horrible past, and it’s fucking with my head.
“This is all your fault!”
No.
“He is lying in a pool of his blood because of you—because you insist on being a weak little girl,” She grabs my hair in a tight fist and I taste blood in my mouth. “Always crying for daddy when you know he won’t be coming. No one is coming, and it’s all your fault.”
Please stop.
“Don’t listen to him, monkey. None of this is your fault.”
Harvey is in so much pain. They hurt his back because they caught him giving me his bread. Again.
This is all my fault.
It was always my fault. Always. I can’t breathe.
“I’m sorry Harvey… I’m so s-sorry,” I sob into her hold, but she doesn’t let me go to him.
“Close your eyes, monkey,” Harvey gasps just before the evil witch lashes his back again.
“Don’t you dare look away little girl, or I’ll do worse to you. You don’t want me to call Micah, do you?”
I shiver in fear at his name. I don’t want him to come.
“It’s all right. We are all right,” Harvey gasps out before falling asleep.
They always wait for him to fall asleep before punishing me. Please wake up Harvey.
“Now you’re all alone, little girl. It’s Micah’s shift today, and he is furious.”
Not him. Please, not him. plea—
“Nevaeh!”
I jolt in my seat, flinching hard from the sudden volume and bumping against something hard beside me. Anxo quickly rolls down the windows and parks the car, gesturing me to take deep breaths.
Anxo.Angel. You’re not there anymore, Nevaeh. You can’t be there if Angel is with you.
