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“What’s been going on here?” His thumbs are hooked in his belt, his lip pulled up in a sneer.
“Bar just closed for the night. We’re leaving,” Rhys says in an even tone, not showing any of the hatred he has for this man. We realized a long time ago that any display of emotion was a weapon Scott Marsten could use against us. His favorite was to try to play us off one another, but we were always a unified front. He could never get us to sell the other out.
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about, boy.” His eyes zero in on the blood staining Archer shirt and my own. There’s no question that something bad happened here. We’re both a mess.
There’s no point in telling him that Colton Zima stabbed Archer. My father might be sheriff, but he doesn’t give a shit about upholding the law. I’m about to interject with some bullshit excuse for the blood when Archer speaks.
“It doesn’t really matter what happened here tonight. It’s none of your business.”
“You think you’re above the law?” Scott pulls out his baton. Most law enforcement officials don’t even carry the weapon these days, but not my father. He would never give this stick up for a taser. He likes the physicality of striking someone way too much. Seeing him take out the club as if he’s thinking about hitting one of us is too much. It’s the last straw on a fucking unbelievable night.
“Like you, you mean?”
Narrowed, mad eyes swing in my direction. “Always did like talking out of turn. Isn’t that right, Magdalena?”
“Simply speaking the truth.”
Archer and Rhys are rigid next to me, both coiled so tightly that one wrong move from Scott will have them both attacking.
Scott either doesn’t notice or pretends he still has the upper hand over all of us, as if we’re still children he can brutalize and frighten. Six months ago, he could have. He still had the power to intimidate and frighten me. Memories of all the ways he’d hurt me are too ingrained in my psyche to ever completely forget, but I’m not the same person any longer. I might be quiet, but I’m not meek. There’s a fire in my blood that’s always been there. Before it was only a spark, with Archer it roared to life.
I’m stronger because of his love. It’s because of his belief in me that I’ve been able to understand something about myself. I’m worth it. Worth being loved and cherished. My father spent years beating the message that I was nothing into me. I thought I’d come to terms with the remnants of his indoctrination when I became an adult. I didn’t realize they were festering beneath the surface, an infected wound I couldn’t see.
My healing wasn’t because of just one thing. It was the culmination of the love of my brother, the support of my friends, and learning to believe in myself. And Archer. We may not have admitted our feelings for each other until recently, but he’s always been by my side. Lifting me up in ways I never even noticed at the time. I’m so damn grateful for him.
“What truth is it you think you know?” Scott takes a step forward, his fingers flexing around the baton. Archer and Rhys twitch beside me, not moving, but ready just in case.
“I know what you did to our mother.” I hadn’t planned on confronting him about this, but now that the opportunity is right in front of me, I can’t stop.
“You don’t know a damn thing.”
“Why didn't you just let her leave? She wanted to take us. We could have been out of your life. Not a problem for you to worry about. Instead, you had to keep us as your personal punching bags.” My voice is deathly even. The words tipped in ice. My magic moves under my skin, imparting power even though I don’t know exactly how I’m doing it.
Almost as if he’s compelled to answer, Scott spits out his response. “He needed you here.”
My brain stutters at the admission, not comprehending his meaning. He?
“Who?” Rhys commands, his voice rough with anger. When he doesn’t get a response, I snarl out the same question, that same power, thick on my tongue.
“Who?”
“Anthony.” Scott almost chokes on his name, the vein in his temple pulsing as his face turns red.
“This was all about the fucking Axis? Is that why you killed our mother, too?”
“He knew you unworthy shits would be powerful someday. When our Axis couldn’t open the veil, he wanted you all to stay close.” He looks disgusted by the idea. I know it’s because he wasn’t strong enough to accomplish bringing down the veil. None of them were.
“And our mother?”
“An obstacle.”
That’s it. That’s all he has to say about the murder of my mother. Someone who just wanted to get herself and her children out of an abusive environment. She deserved so much better than the life she lived. Rhys and I did, too.
I take a step forward, Rhys and Archer doing the same. “You’re right about one thing. We are more powerful than you. So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave us alone. Pretend we don’t exist. Whatever little commands Anthony gives you regarding any of us, you’re going to ignore them. If you see us around town, you turn the other way.” My face remains unemotional, but my words drip with disdain.
“Why would I do any of that?”
“Because I know where you buried her. I know it all.”
“You won’t do a damn thing. You’re still the scared little girl who runs away from everything.”
I stare at him for so long a bead of sweat drips down the side of his face. A slow smile spreads over my face.
“You have no idea who I am.”
Scott must see something in my eyes that has him questioning himself, because he takes a step back. Holding up his baton, he points it at me, then at Rhys. “You’re not as clever as you all think.” With that, he takes off down the street.
A confrontation with my father is not how I wanted to end the night. I’m exhausted and my body aches, but there’s one more thing I need to do before we go back to Archer’s house. Turning to look at my brother, I let him know what I want to do.
