“Colton, we’re your parents. We raised you, tell them to let us go, now.” Her voice tries to carry authority, but it falls short. She should be begging for forgiveness. She should be, but she’s not.
“Colton,” his father demands his attention. “You kidnapped our son and now us. The bible says that you should honor your mother.” I don’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. The punch landed hard on the side of his face, snapping his head to the side. His mother screams.
“You don’t get to preach at him. You answer his questions and listen.” I look to his mother. “The same will happen to you. I have no issue hitting a piece of garbage like you.”
“He asked you a question.” Conor yanks Daniel’s head back. The size difference is comical.
“I don’t have to tell him anything.” Daniel juts his chin out as much as Conor’s grip will allow.
“That choice is really going to make the next part extremely painful. You sure that’s your answer?” I look between the two.“Rebecca Peterson, you had a baby just to sell him. Colton wants to know why.” She will be the one that I break first, so that is where I start. I pick up a pair of metal snips from the tool cart. Her hand is tied to the chair arm at her wrist. Conor understands immediately and grabs her hand. She tries to keep it in a tight fist, but she can’t. Conor splays her hand out, and I place the sharp metal cutting edge against her pinky finger.
“Are you going to answer the question?” I ask one last time. She shakes her head. I look back over my shoulder at Colton. His eyes are fixed on where the blade is already cutting into his mother’s finger.
“A stór, look away,” I tell him. Eyes that are open a little too wide glance up at mine. He turns his back on his parents. As soon as he does, I remove the first finger. The screams emanating from this bitch should be music to my ears, but they fall flat.
“Nine to go.” I place the snips on the next finger. “Ready to answer?” I don’t wait for her to answer. I just apply the necessary pressure, and the finger falls to the floor. Liam steps in with a blowtorch and cauterizes the stumps. Don’t want her to bleed out or pass out from the blood loss.
“The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one,” Daniel yells into the room. Spouting scripture like an armor that will protect him from me. I don’t mind, I will be the evil one, the devil on earth, if that is what Colton needs me to be.
“Why?” I ask again.
“You are the evil in this world. I shall not be swayed in my faith.”
“Your faith? Is that what you call it? Faith in what? A false prophet who sells babies to monsters.” I hear from behind me. Colton is no longer looking away. He moves closer to his parents. Something has changed in his demeanor. He’s standing taller,meeting his father’s glare with one of his own. His angelic face shows his righteous fury, and it’s beautiful.
“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it. Money. You joined Moses for the money.” He looks to his mother. “You had a child, created a life just to profit from it. You are what’s evil in this world.”
“You were supposed to be sold. We had a plan. You were small for your age. We had a buyer. Then you hit a growth spurt, and the buyer pulled out. It took us six years to get your replacement.” Daniel grits out with pure hate.
Colton steps back, stumbles for a second before he catches himself. I wrap my arm around his waist to steady him. Seeing his reaction, his father continues. My vision darkens as I process the words Daniel just said. They were going to sell Colton.A stórwas to be given to someone for money. I want to rip this fucker’s head from his shoulders. I want to inflict so much damage that they both beg for death.
“That’s right. You’re the reason Oliver is here. Once we handed him over, your usefulness would have been done.”
Colton sways in my arms. His father’s words are like physical blows to him. I try to tighten my grip on Colton, but he pushes me away and steps closer to his sperm donor. I don’t stop him.
“You fucking piece of shit,” Colton says calmly, just as he rears back and punches Daniel in the face.
Chapter 37
Colton
The impact of my fist against Daniel’s face sends a shock all the way up my arm. I have never hit anyone before. Violence has never been part of who I am.
After everything I saw growing up, after all the beatings and fear and cruelty that surrounded me from the time I was sixteen, I made myself a promise that I would never become like them. Never raise my hand to another person. Never let myself turn into someone who uses fear and pain to control people.
But the second he said Ollie was only here because they couldn’t sell me, something inside me shattered. Father, no, not Father. Daniel. He lost the right to be called anything else a long time ago. Rage pours through me so fast it feels impossible to contain. It burns through my chest and down my arms until I’m shaking with it. I want him to hurt. I want him to feel even a fraction of what he put me through.
For the first time in my life, I understand how violence can consume someone, how it can take over until it is the only thing left. I want to hit him again. And again. I want to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze until he stops breathing. The thought horrifies me.
But not enough to make me stop.
I pull my arm back to hit him again, but Ronan stops me. I round on him. I’m about to yell at him for trying to take this away from me when he holds up my hand.
“You’ll break your hand or wrist if you hold it like that.” He repositions my thumb and straightens my wrist. “Power comes from your core.” His hands move my hips and shoulders to show me the follow-through of a punch.
Stepping back, he motions to Daniel. Realization of what I’m doing dawns on me. I look down at my fist and then at Ronan. He told me that I was his light and he was my darkness. He would do this for me so I wouldn’t have to. But he’s still willing to step aside if this is what I need. Do I need it? Does it need to be by my hands that they suffer? Will I be able to live with myself if I follow through with the fantasies running through my mind? This isn’t me.
“I have my answer.” I turn to Ronan. “You’re my darkness,” I remind him as I turn back to the two people who were supposed to be my parents, the ones who were supposed to love and protect Ollie and me. All I see are two worthless people who mean nothing. “I will raise Ollie, and he’ll never know about you. Your life ends here, and mine will be lived with purpose. Fuck you. I hope you burn in hell.”
