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Our sister, Bethal, is six years older than my twin and I and two years older than Isaiah, but when her piece of shit boyfriend started beating her, we’re the ones she called for help. She might be older, but we’re all giants compared to our tiny ass sister.
Her ex was a failed boxer and twice her fucking size. The stupid fuck was lucky we only put him in a hospital bed and not a fucking coffin.
If that wimpy ass bitch hadn’t pulled a gun on us, we might have done jail time. Instead, we got off on self-defense. The fact that Beth is a heaven-sent angel, and the fire department, animal shelters, and most of the homeless shelters in the area knew her well helped our case. No one believed for one second that Beth instigated her ex into hitting her. And even if she had, he was bigger and stronger than her. He could have just walked away.
Instead, he beat up a five-foot, one-hundred-pound woman.
“Is that her?” Zach asks as we park in front of our old building.
“Blonde hair?” I ask. Zach shrugs, before jumping out of the car. I follow close behind him, as we walk up to the only girl standing outside the building. She looks lost and scared.
“Sapphire?” Zach asks as we stop a few feet away from her. We haven’t seen her in like ten years. I think we were thirteen or so. But she shocks the shit out of me when she looks up, sees us both, and then launches herself into my arms.
She buries her face in my chest and wraps her arms around me tightly. I hold her back, surprised she even recognized us. She’s trembling, and I can’t help but notice how small and frail she is.
“Hey there, hotcakes, how you doin'?” I ask as I grab her shoulders and push her back just a bit. She looks up at me with vibrant brown eyes that are rimmed red and filled with tears. She’s pale, and I can see the fading bruise on her cheekbone. I think she tried to hide it with makeup, but her tears washed it off.
My blood boils, but I keep my anger under wraps. I don't want to startle her.
“My brother called. He talked to some old man who said you looked like you could use some help. Come on, let's get you to our hotel. We’ll get you your own room, don't worry,” I tell her, hoping her hug is a sign she’ll trust us enough to help her.
“No!” she snaps as Zach takes a step forward.
“Okay, you don’t have to go with us, doll. We’re just trying to get you to your brother’s, but we have clients coming later, so we won’t be able to do much before that. Unless you just want us to call you a cab?” Zach tells her, as we both watch her closely. Her blonde hair is wrapped in a messy bun. She’s wearing a large hoodie that doesn’t fit her small frame and tight blue jeans. She’s a wreck.
“My last client canceled, so I can take her to the airport or something,” I offer, but Sapphire shakes her head frantically.
“I don’t have money for a ticket. Or for a hotel room. I wasn’t saying I don’t want to go with you, I just…” she trails off, looking down at her feet.
“It’s okay, sad eyes, you don’t have to explain. Just tell us what you want,” I encourage her, and she nods, looking back up at me through her blonde hair.
“I don’t want to be alone,” she whispers, but it’s loud enough for us to hear her.
“Okay, well, let's get you to the hotel first, and we can go from there, okay?” My twin encourages her to head for the car, but she surprises both of us again when she hugs him next. She's holding him so tightly, like he's her lifeline. Anger sizzles in my gut, riding my shoulders like the weight of a heavy burden bearing down on me. The urge to not only protect her, but fix the pain in her pretty brown eyes is so strong that it shocks me.
I meet Zach’s eyes over her head, and the look he gives me tells me he’s just as confused and pissed off as I am.
What the fuck happened to this girl? Last we heard, she was engaged to Anton’s dumbass cousin, Thad. Clearly, we’re missing something vital. Is that little prick abusive, and not just a shithead?
CHAPTERNINE
Sapphire age 23
The next twenty minutes go by fast, as the guys get me into the hotel, up to their room, and settle in. This hotel room is huge… I know they do tattoos, but how much does that pay? Enough to afford a two-bedroom suite in a nice hotel, apparently.
I escape to the bathroom to get my shit together and clean my face as soon as I set my bag down.
I look like a mess. The concealer I used to hide my bruises came off with all my crying, and I desperately need a shower. But I feel safe. For the first time in the last week, no, the last few years, I feel like I might just be okay.
I remember the twins from way back when I was a teen. They were goofy soccer players, too lost in sports to notice the girls in our school fawning over them. Which was pretty much the opposite of Antonio and Isaiah, who were fuck boys if the rumors are to be believed.
“Alright man, calm the fuck down!” I hear Jer shout, seconds before there’s a soft knock on the bathroom door. “I don’t want to pressure you, Sapphire, but your brother is about to launch nukes at this hotel room if I don’t pass you the phone. You don’t need to come out, I can slip it under the door?” Jer asks, making me chuckle. I pull the door open, and he smiles at me brightly.
The two men are identical twins with matching blue eyes. Even still, they’re different in a lot of ways too. Jer is clean shaven and has short blond hair. Zach’s hair is the same color but long, and he has a short beard. It’s flattering. Hell, both men are stupid attractive.
Their style is different as well. Zach is wearing tight black jeans with rips in the knees and a black t-shirt. Jer looks like a preppy clone of his brother. His shirt is white and his jeans are blue and hole free. Colorful tattoos decorate his arms, but Zach has sleeves of black and white ink.
I hold my hand out to Jer, and he hands me the phone, stepping back so I can talk to my stepbrother.
