AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?”
I shook my head, crashing back into reality. “Nothing,” I answered, and climbed out, following London back into the house I both loved and loathed.
Moonlight filtered through the shrubs, casting shadows along the footpath to the house. I froze, letting London walk ahead. My mind replaced the murky spill with blood. This was where it had happened, where I’d changed forever.
“Pet?”
I nodded, forcing myself to follow him inside. My gaze instantly turned to the stairs and the bedrooms above as Carven strode along the hallway and headed back down the stairs. “He’s not here.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t get it. He’s hurt, probably bleeding internally. Where the fuck would he go?”
“He doesn’t know anywhere else.” Guild stepped into view, coming from the rear of the house.
“Yes,” London answered. “He does.”
We all looked at him as he added. “The one place he shouldn’t want to go.”
“No,” Carven growled. “No.”
My stomach clenched. I tried to swallow the acid in the back of my throat. But I knew…we all knew, even if we didn’t want to believe it. He was going to the orphanage.
No one spoke as we left the house and climbed back into the Raptor.
“You sure about this?” Guild cast London a glance as we pulled out.
“No,” he answered, his focus on the street as he accelerated hard. “But we have no choice.”
I reached for Carven’s hand in the dark, but the moment I touched him, he pulled away.
“I just need to get him back.” His voice was husky as he stared out the window. “Just gotta get him back.”
I swallowed that fist in the back of my throat, driving it all the way down into my chest. Tears shimmered, blurring the fading lights of the city as we left it behind, heading back to the place of my nightmares.
I closed my eyes.
Despair and torture have a certain…flavor about them, as you well know. London’s words floated to the surface of my mind. I tried to remember now, gathering together all the things he’d said. The house was so quiet…so very quiet for one filled with children.
I remembered now. Remembered that night, he’d taken me all too well. The looming presence of the orphanage was terrifying enough, but that was nothing compared to what waited inside. Inside. I closed my eyes, and a tear raced down my cheek. Please let Colt not be there. Please let him not be in that place.
Even as I prayed, London’s words from that night came roaring back.
You were taken before they could do too much damage and placed with a couple who raised you. They didn’t hurt you. I made sure of that…
Daughter.
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the Sons call me that. But it was the first time I truly understood. I’d thought it was used to demean and hurt. But it wasn’t…it was who I was.
Daughter.
Daughter.
And they were his sons.
The moment we turned off the highway and down that long narrow dirt road, I knew in my heart this was where he was. This was where a broken Colt would come. My hands never trembled as London handled the four-wheel drive, skidded around the corner, and raced toward that chained gate.
He never slowed, never stopped. Just slammed the front of the Ford into the steel, watching as the chain snapped and the gates flew back onto their hinges. Then we were hurtling toward that monstrous, towering place. Dust kicked up everywhere. I was already yanking the handle and shoving the door open wide.
I was out before anyone else…
Even Carven.
