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With a final look at me, Dad stalks away and into the bathroom. It grates on my fucking nerves hearing Dad shuffle around in the small room and hearing his mutters as he talks to Theo. A minute later, Dad walks out first, his gaze shooting to me, before a limping Theo comes out. Dad tries to block my view of him, but I see the bastard anyway. His back is to me, but I still bare my teeth and a growl emits from my throat. When Theo stops in the hallway, I silently dare him to turn around.
Dad shoves him forward. “Keep fucking moving, boy,” he growls.
My glare stays on their retreating backs until they’re out of view. I look down to Vicki.
“He doesn’t leave this house with Aria. Got it?”
It only takes her a second before she’s giving me a tight nod and walking down the hallway in the direction Dad and Theo went. I twist my head from side-to-side to help relieve some of the tension in the muscles, take another deep breath, and go to the bathroom. What greets me has my stomach feeling like it’s full of razor blades. Ella is in the bathtub, her legs spread open as she holds Jules in her protective arms. Her face is in Ella’s neck, her knees drawn up to her chest, and she’s got a death grip on Ella’s shirt. I can see the blood on Ella’s shirt from the cuts on her head.
Never in my whole fucking life has something hurt so damn much as watching Jules cling to Ella. My chest feels like someone just ripped a hole in it and is gouging out my heart with a dull blade.
Ella’s eyes lift to mine and the heat in them makes the blue orbs blaze bright, but underneath the anger is an innate sense of pain. She’s angry but also hurting for what Theo did to Jules.
Jules pulls her head from the crook of Ella’s neck and her eyes lift to me. Her face is covered in smeared blood and more starts seeping from one of the cuts right above her left eyebrow. I grind my teeth together to hold back the agonizing noise wanting to break free from my throat.
“Baby,” I whisper hoarsely. The pain and tears in her eyes shred my insides.
Before I’m halfway to the bathtub, she’s already lifting her arms to me. Ella watches as I bend down and carefully scoop up Jules. Her arms snake around my shoulders and she grips me tight, burrowing her face against my neck. She’s shaking like a fucking leaf.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I croak against her hair.
I need to take her to the hospital to get her head checked over, but there’s something else I need to take care of first. I step back from the bathtub to allow Ella to step out.
“Grab some gauze and peroxide,” I tell her, and she nods.
I hate to do what I’m about to, but there’s no way around it. I’m not letting her out of my sight.
I carry Jules out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into the living room. Fresh anger sprouts in my blood when I see Theo sitting on a chair with a blood-soaked rag held to his face. Vicki is standing with her arms crossed behind the chair, her expression dark. Dad is standing a few feet in front of him, his glare glacial as he stares down at his son. Both Mom and Aria are nowhere to be found, and I’m grateful she must have taken Aria someplace where she can’t witness what’s going on.
I set Jules down on the couch and squat down beside her. I cup her cheeks so she’s looking at me. Her red-rimmed eyes stab me right in the fucking sternum.
“It’s almost over, but there’s something I’ve gotta do first. Can you hold on for a few more minutes?”
She licks her trembling lips but gives me a nod.
“Good girl,” I murmur, then kiss the uninjured side of her forehead. Ella comes back into the room with my requested items and sits beside Jules.
I stand and turn to face Theo, making sure I’m in front of Jules so she doesn’t have to look at him or have him see her. Only iron will and the woman behind me keeps me from pouncing on him again. His eyes are trained on me, and the sinister ire he’s feeling is palpable.
“Vicki, call the cops,” I say without moving my eyes from Theo. She pulls out her phone to do what I asked.
“Tell me, brother,” Theo sneers tauntingly, “is her pussy as good as you remember? Or was it only good when you had to force her? You’re just as fucked-up as I am.”
I ignore his jabs to provoke me. Jules is more important that fucking up his face further.
My voice is calm despite the fire raging through my body. “You ever fucking touch her again, you mark my words, Theo, there’s nothing on the face of the planet that will keep me from killing you.”
He throws the rag on the coffee table and gets to his feet. His wince of pain is satisfying but not nearly enough. An evil grin spreads across his face and his teeth gleam with blood. “You think you’ve won, but you have no fucking clue.”
I ignore his provocation and cross my arms over my chest.
“Aria,” he yells.
“She’s not going with you.”
“Fuck you, Luca. She’s my kid, and I’m taking her with me or I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.”
“Give it a try, you motherfucker. We can stand here until the cops get here and let them decide, but you know damn good and well they won’t allow that child to leave with you after seeing what you did to Jules.”
