“Sami?” Jax’s hand landed on his shoulder and Sami turned tear-filled eyes up to his brother.
“How could you? After everything he did to you. How could you let him go?” he whispered. His heart raced as he tried to calm himself and catch his breath.
“Sami, I didn’t want to, but I had to,” Jax said, looking devastated.
Sami shook his head. “No. You don’t understand…the things he does, the stuff he did. He sold you to two pedophiles, Jax.” Sami stared into his brother’s horror filled eyes as they too filled with tears.
Then Jax closed his eyes and when he opened them, there was steely determination in them. “I know. I was there, but Sami, I need to tell you something—”
“No,” Sami cried out, shaking his head, “Whatever it is I don’t want to hear it. The only thing I want is Marcius dead and this pain, this guilt inside me gone. You don’t know what he did while you…when they took you—” Sami stopped talking suddenly and lowered his head. Shit. He needed to get ahold of himself, get back in control. But that was easier said than done. His power continued to rise and Sami began to feel light headed.
Jax frowned then crouched down in front of him. “Sami?”
Sami sucked in a breath, horrified at what he’d almost let slip.
“Sami?” Jax said.
Sami shook his head. “I-I didn’t mean, it’s nothing—”
“What did he do?” Jax asked putting his hands on both of Sami’s shoulders and Sami didn’t know if it was his brother’s connection to Tierney, or Jax’s own power, but somehow Jax was able to calm him enough that he was no longer about to spiral out of control.
“No, no…I can’t.” Sami shook his head, not wanting to remember what Marcius made him do while Jax was gone.
“You need to tell me,” Jax said and waited.
Just thinking of it had Sami shaking. Oh gods, he’d been trying to bury the memories for so long but now they popped back into his head as if it had just happened. “I-I can’t…” He couldn’t even look at Jax. His shame ran so deep.
“Yes, you can,” Jax said.
“No, you don’t get it…I let you down. It’s my fault.” Sami wanted to throw up as he saw his little friend’s face in his mind as she beseeched him to help her.
“Sami, talk to me, please,” Jax whispered.
Sami shook his head and dragged his gaze up to meet his brother’s eyes. The worry in Jax’s midnight gaze undid him. Sami blinked back the moisture that threatened to overflow like a tsunami. He finally nodded. “I should’ve told you, but…I-I just couldn’t.” Sami swallowed and took a deep breath. When he spoke next, it was as if he was back there in the memories. “You remember how hard school was when Marcius took us away from Tierney and Zander?”
“Yeah, I do,” Jax said.
After Marcius had yanked them from their life with Tierney and Zander, where they were loved, well fed, and homeschooled, he proceeded to neglect and abuse them. Then he sent them to a strange school with human kids. With only one change of clothes and never any lunch, they quickly stood out. When six school bullies ganged up on them, Jax and Sami kicked their asses instead. After that, the rest of the school gave them a wide berth. No one would even look at them, never mind talk to them.
“Well, Marcius made me go back to school. I hated it. I hated him,” Sami said, no longer looking at him, but instead lost in the past.
“What happened, bro?”
Sami swallowed. “Do you remember that girl that lived a few doors down from us?”
Jax frowned. “I, yeah, I think so…the pretty one with long golden hair and soft brown eyes?”
Sami nodded. “Sophie,” he said and the sudden realization that Goldy reminded him of Sophie hit him square in the chest. Could that be the reason for his attraction to Goldy? That she reminded him of his friend from so long ago? Surely not, surely that wasn’t the reason he was attracted to her, was it? “Yeah, Sophie. She was different from the other kids. One day, she came over to where I was sitting outside at lunch and asked if I was okay. I didn’t know what to say to her. She smiled and asked where you were. Gods, Jax…I wanted to tell her, but Marcius said if I told anyone that I’d never see you again. Although I was beginning to think I’d never see you again anyway.”
***
JAX SWALLOWED THE LUMP in his throat while Sami spoke.
“She was nine and a half…like me. She talked to me again the next day and shared her lunch with me. We started to walk home together. Jax, she…she made school bearable and I really liked her. She was really nice and funny. She kept trying to cheer me up. We became friends…she was all I had…you were gone and…”
Jax had a very bad feeling about where this was going. “What happened?”
Sami’s eyes glazed over. “One day Marcius saw us together. That night he gave me an address written on a piece of paper. He—”
Somehow, Jax knew what was coming and the horror and guilt in Sami’s eyes tore at him. “No…he didn’t,” Jax mumbled more to himself than aloud.
Sami, having held it all in for so long was now unable to stop. “He told me to bring her to that building, it was three blocks away. He said to tell her I was supposed to meet my dad there and ask if she would come with me.” Sami looked up at him beseechingly. “I told him no, I wouldn’t do it. Marcius got mad and he made me watch the video he had of those men, and what they were doing to you.”
Jax felt just as sick as the first time Sami had told him Marcius made him watch a video of what the sick fucks did to him. Holding the nausea back, Jax held onto his brother and closed his eyes against the horror. Something wet trickled down his face.
“I’m so sorry, Jax,” Sami whispered.
When Jax opened his eyes, the guilt in Sami’s eyes stunned him. “I told you, none of that was your fault,” Jax whispered, trying not to be violently ill.
Sami shook his head. “Maybe not at first, but later…Marcius, he said that if I refused to do as he wanted, he would make sure they continued to hurt you. But then, he said if I did what he wanted, he’d make them stop and bring you home.”
Jax, his heart pounding, felt his rage beginning to rise. “Tell me you didn’t?”
Sami just stared at him.
“Sami, please—”
“I had to, I couldn’t let them keep doing that to you so I did what he wanted. Marcius promised me he wouldn’t hurt her. The next day when we got to the building, we went inside and down a set of stairs. There were a bunch of rooms with locks on the doors. We could hear crying behind the doors. Sophie and I were both scared, and we started to leave when Marcius walked out of a room and grabbed her by the arm.” He paused and swallowed hard. “I tried to pull her away from him, but I wasn’t strong enough. He told me, ‘Go home, Sami or you will never see your brother again.’ Then he pulled Sophie into a room, closed the door, and locked it. I kicked at it, but couldn’t do anything. Sophie was crying and screaming, and I was so scared.”
Tears were streaming down Sami’s face as he stared at Jax. “I’m so sorry Jax. I knew what he was doing was wrong but if I didn’t do what he wanted, those men would keep hurting you. I didn’t know what to do.” A faraway look entered Sami’s eyes as he remembered.
“What happened Sami?”
“I went home.” Sami focused on Jax and he shook his head. “That evening on the news, they said a lot of young girls had been abducted, and Sophie was the latest to go missing. Then her parents came on the TV… Oh gods, Jax. It was awful. They cried and begged for anyone that knew where she was to call the police.” Sami shook his head again, as if he could rid himself of the horror. “I remember the sight of her parents hugging each other, tears running down their fear filled faces.” He paused and wiped his face before continuing. “I snuck out after Marcius left that evening. You remember how he always went out every night. Well, that was why…he was trafficking in young girls.”
Understanding dawned in Jax’s eyes. Things made more sense now, Marcius
selling him to the two bald pedophiles. Not just girls…
Sami sniffed and glanced blankly around the warehouse. “I went back to the building, but the door was locked. I walked around but couldn’t find any other way in.” Sami suddenly grabbed at Jax’s shirt. His eyes were wide with horror as he stared at his brother. “I called the police, but…”
Jax held Sami by the shoulders, unable to speak for a moment. He never had any idea his little brother had witnessed something so horrible. “Fuck Sami, I am so sorry you went through that,” Jax finally said, not even trying to hold back his emotions.
“I’m sorry, Jax. I couldn’t do it,” Sami said, and even though he continued to stare into Jax’s eyes, he was lost in the past, in the memories he had tried so hard to bury. “I-I went and called the police. I knew when I made that call, that I’d never see you again…that those men would continue to hurt you, but I couldn’t let him get away with what he was doing to those girls.”
“No, you did the right thing,” Jax said appalled that Marcius had put Sami in that position at all.
Sami shook his head and Jax, having acquired a little of Tierney’s gift of empathy, could feel his brother’s shame and guilt, his horror and self-loathing.
“No…I let my brother continue to be abused and hurt,” Sami whispered.
“Sami, those men weren’t ever going to stop until they got tired of me—or killed me. I’d still have been there if it hadn’t been for Little Toni.”
Sami shook his head again, disagreeing, and Jax knew he wouldn’t change his mind.
“I hid and waited for the police but by the time they got there, Marcius had left. The police got the other girls out, but Sophie…they carried her out in a body bag.” Tears ran unchecked down Sami’s face.
“That sick bastard. Fuck, Sami.” Jax’s heart ached for his brother. “What Marcius did was so wrong. I’m so sorry you went through that.” Jax pulled his brother into his arms and held him while he cried. Jax’s anger surged into rage that he had let Marcius go. Sami clung to him.
“I’m sorry, Jax…I couldn’t choose you. Please forgive me.”
A sob tore from Jax’s throat. There wasn’t anything to forgive, but he knew Sami didn’t believe that. “It wasn’t your fault, believe me. All that is on Marcius, but bro…I forgive you. I would die for you. You and Tierney, you’re my life.” Silently, Jax cried along with his brother for all they had lost, all that had been taken from them when they were too young to defend themselves.
When Sami finally calmed down, Jax pulled back and keeping his hands on Sami’s shoulders, he looked his brother in the eyes. “Listen to me, I love you. You will always have me. Okay? None of what happened was your fault, none of it, understand?”
Sami wiped at his face and with a deep swallow, he nodded. “I love you too, but you need to stop dying on me!”
Jax laughed, wiped his face then sobered. “Yeah, I’ll try. But listen, as long as we all have each other, we will be okay.” Jax took a breath and glanced around the building before looking back at his brother. “Sami, I realized something while I was here with that bastard.” Sami stared at him. With a hard swallow, Jax nodded and went on. “I know you might not understand, but I had to stop giving him any power over me. I had to let it go. I’ve been living with so much hate that it was eating me up—tearing me apart.”
Sami blinked in disbelief. “That’s good, but I can’t do that, Jax. He needs to pay. I need him to pay for what he’s done.” Sami shook his head, about to say something else, but Jax cut him off.
“I know you aren’t ready, Sami and that’s okay. We’ll get Marcius. If that’s what you need, we will get him. I promise. I know he can’t be trusted not to come back at us anyway. C’mon.” He stood up and held his hand out to help Sami to his feet.
“Where are we going?” Sami asked.
“I need you to track him with the soul stone in your choker. I planted a car for him to steal just down the road. We—”
“You did what?” Sami asked, appalled.
“Sami, listen. We need to find out where he lives or goes. We have someone we need to go rescue.”
“Who?” Sami asked, frowning as he ran a hand through his hair.
Jax shook his head and growled. “Well apparently you have a sister—if Marcius can be believed.”
“What?”
***
TIERNEY FELT LIKE kicking someone. “Damnit Jax, you need to answer me!” She was so angry with Jax for his latest disappearing act. At least she knew he wasn’t hurt physically. That, she could feel through their bond. But through the soul stones in her choker, she could also feel how upset he was—along with Sami who was feeling totally fucking wrecked.
“I’m sorry babe, we will be home soon,” Jax finally answered her, making her heartbeat quicken in anticipation of seeing him. Gah, she hated being apart from him.
“Where are you? Something’s wrong with Sami. What’s wrong with Sami?” she asked.
“We’re not far and Sami is okay…or he will be. I promise. I’ll see you soon and explain it all then,” Jax told her, his feeble attempt at trying to calm her.
“Are you sure?” Tierney asked, her heart thundering in her chest.
“Absolutely,” Jax said.
“I love you,” she told him.
“I love you too, and I really miss you,” Jax said, making her practically melt.
***
SAMI CLENCHED HIS JAW and forged a connection to the man that he hated above all others. A moment later, through his soul stones, he felt slimy and fought the urge not to let go as he pulled on his power.
“You got it?” Jax asked him, eager to find Marcius even if Sami wasn’t.
Sami nodded and shifted into his dragon.
“Yeah,” he said telepathically then waited while Jax shifted into his dragon as well.
“Good, well, let’s go then,” Jax said.
After taking to the sky, Sami took the lead until he had a direction, then he and Jax flew side by side. It wasn’t long before the connection began to grow stronger.
“You all right?” Jax asked after a little bit, but Sami didn’t say anything.
Since coming into his dragon, he loved flying, but this was the first flight that he detested. Too filled with fury and hatred to enjoy flying, he kept up the connection with Marcius. It made him want to throw up. An hour later, the connection was fairly humming.
“We’re really close,” he told Jax, his heart pounding with the desire for revenge against his father.
“Good, I figure we’re about halfway between Spokane and Seattle,” Jax said.
The closest town was a few miles away and the only other buildings anywhere near seemed to be deserted shacks. After a quick search to be sure no one else was around, the two dragons began to descend.
“Well, that’s certainly a quaint little fortress,” Jax said snidely as they surveyed the little house. It couldn’t be more than one or two rooms. Painted yellow with white shutters around the two windows and white trim, it was so very different from the scum pits where Marcius used to live. They both noted the bars on the door and windows at the same time.
“Huh, the isolation must be the appeal,” Sami said.
Marcius had just locked the door and was hurrying to his car when they landed. Fear flashed across his face as he jumped in, slammed the door, and started the motor. Jax shifted into human form and Sami was about to do the same, when Marcius threw the car in reverse and stomped on the gas.
“I’ll check the house. You want to go after him?” Jax asked.
“Yeah,” Sami growled eagerly then shot back into the sky. He followed Marcius as he drove his car like a terrified rabbit at top speed down the dirt road. Then after ignoring the stop sign, Marcius shot out onto the highway, narrowly avoiding a couple cars.
Dumbass! Sami wondered how far he would run before realizing he couldn’t lose the dragon following him from the sky.
***
JAX KNOCKED AT
the door then tried to open it when no one answered. It was locked which shouldn’t have surprised him considering all the bars on the place.
“Of course,” he muttered and pulled out his lock picks. Not long ago, Sami had laughed at him for taking them everywhere, but now Jax was glad he did.
After he got the barred door unlocked, Jax went to work on the deadbolt of the main door. A couple seconds later, he cautiously pushed the door open.
“Hello? Anyone here?” There was no answer so he stepped through, and immediately came to a stop.
***
SAMI WAS GROWING impatient to catch Marcius, when his brother’s voice filled his head. “Hey, Sami?”
“Yeah?”
“I know you don’t want to let Marcius go, but we can always find him later. I need you back here—right now.” At the tone of Jax’s voice, Sami’s heart began to race with fear and he didn’t even ask why, he just cursed Marcius and turned around.
Upon arriving back at the little house, he found Jax standing tense in the door, blocking the way.
“What’s happening?” Sami asked and tried to look into the house. All he could see was a large room with a tiny kitchen and living area.
“Sami,” Jax said. His voice was oddly hoarse and suddenly Sami knew why.
He pushed past Jax, stepped inside, and took in the little house. It was one big room with only one other door. Bathroom, maybe? Sami’s heart stuttered as a familiar sense of déjà vu slithered through him. Huddled on the bed, wrapped only in a comforter was a pretty young girl with light brown hair.
“Fuck, I …” Jax swore and Sami wiped tears from his eyes. Gods, to find out he has a sister then find her like this? This was too much.
Sami turned to Jax, his heart beating furiously. The memories this had to be bringing back to his brother. “Hey … ah … are you okay?”
Jax closed his eyes briefly. Sami knew he was swallowing down the horror as memories of his own abuse filled him. Sami wished he could help him.
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