Page 57 of Redeeming Violet

“I need to know. I can’t explain why, but I’ll try. He took something from me. He hit me. He scared me. He tried to sell me as a sex slave. He stripped me of my clothes and my dignity. He let his men gawk at me in my bra and panties. Cutter saw me like that. Cutter watched him slap me. I’d thought he’d bought me and I had to lie to myself that I could take it, I could be strong. But I knew I was going to crack and crumble when I left that room. I don’t think I’m a vengeful person, but I have to know what happened to him.”

I tried to keep my reaction in check, but hearing her sweet voice tell me the vile things he’d done to her made my blood boil all over again.

“Brace baby, because it ain’t pretty. We walked in, I located Ortega.” I stopped to take a deep breath and prayed I was giving her what she needed and not what was going to scar her. “He took one to the hand, then thigh. I wasn’t feeling extra generous and didn’t give him the manner of death he would’ve preferred. Instead, I took my time. I don’t want you to think I’ve ever taken pleasure in killing; however, this time there was a level of satisfaction when my blade punctured a few organs. He died the way he deserved, slow and painful. Let’s just say his face looked worse than the black eyes he gave you, and he died knowing what if felt like to be beaten while helpless.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, and raised her face to the sun again. “Thank you for ending his life and making me safe.”

“You’re welcome, baby.”

“You’ve never said that.” She giggled. “You always tell me nothing to thank me for.” She deepened her voice and tried to mock my typical answer.

“You ready to get back on the road?” I asked.

We still had another two hours, if not more, until we got to Cooper’s house and I was eager to see my brother.

“Will you talk to me about Eric?”

“Yes, but not here. We’ll talk about him tonight.”

I started the Mustang and took a moment to appreciate the rumble of the engine before I headed back to the freeway. The next hour was spent making small talk the best we could as the wind rushed past with the top down. Then it dawned on me, this was the first time I’d be alone with Violet out in the open. No thoughts of kidnappings, blackmailing, or terrorists. For a few days, we could do anything we wanted. There would be enough grief and sadness in the days to come. For now, I just needed to be; we both did.

Another hour later I pulled into the driveway of my brother’s house and took in Violet’s sleeping form. She looked so peaceful I hated to wake her. Cutter had said she did get some sleep on the plane from Brazil, but after everything she’d been through she needed to sleep for a week.

“Where are we?” she asked. With her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses, I hadn’t realized she was awake.

“Cooper’s house,” I told her.

“Your brother?” She sat up straight and took in the house in front of us. Cooper lived in a nice older neighborhood in Tarzana. He bought this particular house because it had a three-car garage. The two extra bays were used to fiddle on one of his many projects. I didn’t doubt that if I peeked inside there would be an old hot rod or muscle car torn apart. Ever since we were kids, my brother had been taking stuff apart and fixing it. Our dad tried to push him to get a degree in engineering, but Cooper refused. He explained it would no longer be fun if it was work.

On cue, the middle garage door opened, my brother appeared, and Violet shrunk into the seat. This was why I hadn’t told her where we were going. I didn’t want her to have time to over think meeting Cooper.

“Come on.”

“I can’t meet your brother,” she told me.

“Why not?”

“Umm… hellooo…. have you seen my face?” she asked, each word drawn out and sarcastic.

“I have. It’s beautiful.”

“I have two black eyes, Jaxon,” she huffed.

“And?” My answer may’ve been nonchalant but the reminder of her black eyes and how she’d received them made my skin heat and anger once again simmer.

“Jaxon.” Her plea broke my heart.

“Baby, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. The marks on your face are going to fade over time, but you know what won’t?” She shook her head. “Your strength. Your bravery. I hate that you were hurt, and you have to look at the bruises for a few weeks, but you are beautiful, you are strong, and you don’t have a goddamned thing to be ashamed of. My brother knows what happened.”

“Okay.” I hated that she still sounded so defeated, but I wasn’t going to let her hide away.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Not really, but I don’t want to sit in the car all day.”

“Come here,” I told her.

“Come where?”