up to ask. Now I’m so close to him, I can see the dark rings around his eyes and how pale he looks beneath the bruises.
When I remember how Tucker took the time to cover Violante after the last lesson our father imparted and how he tended to me after Father tried to strangle me, my heart softens. Tucker is being the caring and protective brother I used to know. Did he care this whole time, or were these acts of kindness sparked by guilt? Shaking my head to clear the doubts, I brush stray hairs from his face as I swallow another mouthful of water.
As I begin to recall earlier events, I vaguely remember seeing the lifeless body of our father when my brother lifted me up from the dining room floor and cradled me in his arms. Realization hits me; Father can’t hurt us ever again. Then, another thought slips into my mind, and sliding out of Tucker’s bed, I quietly leave his room.
I walk quietly along the upstairs hallway to my bedroom and slowly push open the door. When I see the dark figure in my bed, my heart stutters and my breath catches. Even though I know my fear is needless, it still doesn’t ease until I look closer and notice the feminine curves shaping the blanket draped over the sleeper. Deep, even breathing reaches my ears, and I let out the breath I’d automatically held to hide my presence. Curiosity urges me forward, and I make my way over to my bed. The thin curtains at the window don’t shut out all the light, and in the faint glow coming through them, I see the sleeping face of Violante.
Her time in the basement has washed all color from her face and hair, and the tattoos snaking their way elegantly up her arms are stark against her pale skin. Buried underneath the ink, I can see the evidence of the bruises my father has given her, and anger stirs within me. However, the longer I stand there, staring at her peaceful form, the more it subsides until all I can feel is relief that she’s no longer bound within my father’s iron cage.
Fear creeps in as I realize that now she’s free, she’ll probably leave, and my heart clenches at the thought. I’d never trap her here like he did, and I wouldn’t blame her for wanting to get away from all the pain my family has caused.
I gently stroke her arm, tracing the pretty designs. I can hardly believe she’s real. Her eyes fly open, and she lets out a terrified scream. My heart jumps, and I quickly place my palm over her mouth to silence her.
“Shhh, it’s me, Farren. You’re safe. You’re safe. Tucker got you out of the cage. You’re in my room. You’re safe, I promise you. We both are.”
Tears start to fall as I repeat the words, over and over, feeling them in my soul for the first time in far too fucking long. Her dark eyes are wide, reflecting my tearstained face. She reaches up with shaking hands and removes my hand from her mouth, entwining her fingers in mine. Before I can do anything, she pulls me close and kisses me. Happiness lights up my soul, eradicating the shadows my father cast over it, and I kiss her back with everything I have.
I lie down next to her without breaking the kiss and let her pull me close. There are no bars now to keep us apart, nothing but the shared agony of what my father put us through in his despicable pursuit of a cure for something that’s inherently a part of us. He cracked our spirits, crushed all hope, and doused everything light inside us, but he didn’t succeed in breaking us completely. Her kisses are like a balm, mending and repairing the fractures in my soul, and I pray she’ll let me do the same for her.
Violante bursts into tears, and I pull her into my arms. She lets me hold her, and wrapping her arms around me, she clings to me for comfort. My father is the one who did this to her; he tore her apart to teach me a lesson, but for some inexplicable reason, she trusts me to keep her safe.
Wrapped tightly in her arms, I make a silent promise, then and there, to do everything I can to earn what she’s freely given me.
About Ally Vance
Ally is an International Bestselling Author