by M. G Rayne
“We sorted it out with the police and paramedics. We need to make plans for the funeral.”
This is going to hit my baby hard, but I need to keep her from falling into the pit of guilt.
“I’m gonna make a few calls and catch up on stuff from yesterday. Then I will have a talk with Pretty Bird.”
Reika.
“Faster, Reika.”
“But, Daddy, it hurts.” Standing on the edge of the garden of my parents’ house is surreal. What the hell is going on here? Why am I watching this?
Watching my younger self training with my dad is freaking me out. I don’t remember a lot of things I did with Dad, but I remember the bruises and the breaks that came with it.
“It’s meant to hurt. How are you going to become stronger if it doesn’t hurt?” Hearing the tone of my dad, as I see the younger me on her knees on the ground covered in blood, cuts and bruises all over her body, guts me. Seeing the nearly eleven-year-old me not daring to move because my father’s punishments were far worse than the training itself, makes me want to run over and hug her, just to give her a little bit of comfort.
“Daddy, I want to stop, it hurts so much.” I knew then I shouldn’t have said that, but it was too late to take the words back.
The landscape shifts - instead of being in the garden we are now in the basement under the garage. This has to be a memory and dream together. Screams come from further into the lair, as I called it as a child. Slowly making my way toward the noise, I see myself hanging from the ceiling in chains.
“What do we do if people want information from us?”
“We don’t say a word.”
My father picks up a knife and slashes my side with it. My younger self screams out in pain and shock.
“What did you do wrong there, Sweetie?”
With a shake of her head, she doesn't answer, which brings a smile to my father’s face. Seeing the torture he put me through as a child makes me hate him. He always passed it off as lessons to make me a stronger woman. To be the best I could be. Now, I know he trained me to do his bidding.
“Good girl. We are going to speed up your training.”
Fear fills her eyes. My heart breaks. She doesn’t know it yet, but not long after this she will become what her father made.
I’m instantly awake and launching myself off the bed. Tears are streaming down my face. I still ask myself how a father could torture a child like that? Shakes rake my body as the dream starts to fade from my mind. Then everything hits from the night before and my legs give way. Sitting on Kane’s bedroom floor, I am wallowing in self-pity when I am suddenly ripped up from the ground.
A hand wraps around my throat and my body is slammed into the wall. Opening my eyes, I see the person in front of me. Liam is glaring down at me with pure venom in his eyes. He looks like he wants to squeeze the life out of me. He can for all I care, I don’t give a shit anymore. Pulling me forward so our noses are touching, he growls and slams me into the wall again with so much force it rattles my brain.
“What have you done to my brother?”
Staring at him I don’t even bother with an answer because I don’t have one to give him. This seems to piss him off. He tightens his grip around my throat, my oxygen is limited. My breathing is coming harsher. Most people would be fighting to get oxygen, but I do not care. Everyone would be better off if I wasn’t here.
“Why are you not fighting back, Pretty Bird?” He smirks as he says this.
I know my face is showing no emotions at all. I lift my eyes again to his. I just stare at him, showing him I don’t care. Confusion comes to the front of his eyes, he obviously wasn’t expecting this reaction.
“Kill me,” I whisper in a hushed tone.
“What?”
“Kill me,” I scream in his face. I am so fucking sick of people threatening me. If they are going to do something, they best fucking do it.
He lets go of me and I land on my ass. I watch as he paces up and down in front of me. I can’t bring myself to care, a dark void inside me just begging me to fall into it. I am sick and tired of destroying anything I care about.
Pain roars through my rib. When I look at Liam, he is pulling his leg back to kick me again. Welcoming the pain he is willing to dish out, I laugh out loud.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Do it again,” I say hoping he will.
“You’re nuts.”
“And you're a weak-ass little bitch who is stuck in the shadows of his brothers.”
‘Whack!’ He lashes out with his fist, which connects with my jaw. Pain flashes across my face which brings a smile to my face.
“Bet it’s a real pain. Everyone respects Kane because of his aura, how he commands a room and demands respect.” Emotions come full force on his face. Good, now let's see if I can get him to truly lose his shit.
“Then there's Marcus. The happy-go-lucky psycho who has an amazing personality. All the women want to be around him. To fuck him if they get the chance!” Wow, that hit a nerve, his whole body vibrates he is so pissed off.
‘Whack!’
‘Whack!’
Punches rain down all over the place - my face, body, stomach. My forehead splits open with the force of his last punch. Laughter bursts out of my mouth, I can’t help it. I think I have finally snapped. In hysterics, Liam takes the opportunity to start beating the shit out of me. Under the force of his brutality I feel a snap in my side. All I can do is laugh.
Wrapping his hand in my hair, he drags me up off the floor. Pain floods my body causing me to cough. Blood starts to spill out of my mouth as I cough from the pressure of trying to expand my lungs for air. Using the height difference between us, he drags me forward by my hair so I am eye level with him.
“Get out of my brother’s life, Reaper. If you don’t, I will make you.”
Slamming me onto the floor, he strides from the room as I cough violently from the impact. Dragging myself up, dizziness comes out of nowhere which causes me to wobble on my feet. Best get cleaned up. I make my way to the connecting bathroom. I stop when I see my reflection in the mirror. Shadows line my right cheek bone. The cut on my forehead stretches from between my eyebrows up to my hairline. It isn’t too deep, unfortunately. My ribs that were injured in the fight have been broken again from Liam’s assault. The blood from the cut is dripping down my face in small rivulets, but what really draws my attention is my eyes. The girl staring back at me, is defeated, broken. There is nothing in her eyes, just an endless void. I stare at myself for what feels like hours, when I realize if Kane or Marcus see me in this state they will ask questions I do not want to answer. Looking around the state of the art bathroom, it's filled with all the modern conveniences. Full length shower with three heads, sunken bathtub, his and her sinks. Without thinking I throw my fist into the mirror so it shatters, emotions start to build within me again at losing another part of my family. In a blind rage I tear through the bathroom destroying everything in my wake. Glass is smashed, laying all over the floor. The shower doors are also in pieces on the floor. The destruction before me fits my injuries perfectly. I don’t want to destroy their relationship, so I will keep the encounter between me and Liam to myself.
“What the fuck, Hellion.” I spin to face Marcus, who is leaning against the door frame with a shocked expression on his face. I feel fresh blood dripping off the end of my nose. As I'm about to wipe it off, my movements have drawn his eyes to my face. With a horrified expression he runs toward me.
“Hellion, what did you do?” Looking at him, I don't say a word, just lift my shoulders to give a slight shrug. He grabs my arm and drags me from the room screaming for Kane as we go. Not stopping in the bedroom, he drags me out the door and down the hallway to the kitchen. He propels me toward the stools around the island, and pushes me down to take a seat, while chastising me like a small child. Not paying attention to what he is blabbering about, commotion catches my attention from down the hallway.
; “Where is she?” Great, so he heard Marcus screaming for him like a girl. God, why are they being so dramatic? It’s just a little blood. With a huff I wait for the thousand questions that are going to come. Charging into the kitchen, like he’s about to tear the house to pieces, he heads straight in my direction.
“What did you do?” he asks, gently touching underneath my eye. His eyes study all the marks on my face. He engulfs me in a bear hug. I try not to make a sound, but a hiss escapes my lips. Slowly releasing me to arms length, he studies my body. He notices I am leaning to one side, so he drops his hand to my ribs and gently touches them.
“Motherfucker,” I roar. Fucking hell, the pain from a light touch has brought tears to my eyes. Fuck me, that hurts.
“Get everyone in here now,” he screams to his brother while as gently as he can, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his body.
Men start filing into the kitchen from all over the house, waiting like good little dogs for their master to talk. Last to enter is Liam, still with a pissed off expression on his face. Our eyes briefly meet. His widening a little at the marks all over me. Releasing his hold of me, Kane paces up and down the line of people with so much anger radiating from his body, everyone he passes tries to step back afraid of what has him so riled up.
“I will ask this once. Who laid their hands on my girl?” His anger ignites further as he surveys the other men.
Murmurs start like shock waves throughout the men until they are all mumbling to themselves and turning to look at each other in suspicion. I am just about to tell him, I did it to myself when Marcus joins his brother in front of the line-up.
“Whoever it was best own up to it. Because if you don’t, my brother is going to tear you to pieces.” The noise from the men are now protests anyone would pick up. All of them are talking at once trying to tell the brothers that none of them had anything to do with the marks on my body.
Liam is still looking in my direction when both Kane and Marcus spot him standing at the back of the crowd.
“Was this you, brother?” Kane asks as his chest rises in fast movements, his anger is growing to a whole new level.
“Wasn’t me. I can’t stand the bitch. Why the fuck would I want to touch it?” At Liam’s answer Kane’s whole body starts to tremble with suppressed rage. Striding toward his brother to get in his face, he cocks his head to the side. I can’t see his facial expression from where I am sitting, but his body language is enough to tell me Liam is in deep shit. Everyone takes a collective breath and holds it waiting to see what is going to happen between the two titans standing toe to toe. The noise quiets down to silence, not even breathing can be heard in the room. Kane reacts so fast no one sees him move until his forehead connects with Liam’s face. Liam’s legs give out from underneath him from the power of the headbutt. Kane steps back so he can see the rest of the men who are wide eyed and heads flicking between me and Kane. He clears his throat.
“Listen up. Reaper here is my girl. If any of you show her disrespect I will take great pleasure in making you wish you were never born. You got that?”
“Yes, boss!” Rings out around the kitchen from the men acknowledging Kane’s words. My usual reaction to someone laying claim to me doesn’t come.
“Can I talk now, asshole?” I say so he is able to hear me but others at the back cannot.
“Not now, Baby,” he says, looking over his shoulder at me. The man who has just scared the crap out of all the men here looks at me with such care in his eyes. I feel the wall I have built up around my heart start to crumble a little. Still I can’t stand and watch him pull these guys to pieces for something that has nothing to do with them.
“I destroyed your bathroom. The marks are from me losing my shit,” I say meekly to the room.
“Bullshit, Hellion,” Marcus says while begging me with his eyes to tell the truth.
“Piss off, Marcus. You have seen what happens when I black out, when things get too much?” I continue my rant until they see sense and let these poor bastards out of the room.
“I don’t deal with emotions well. I woke up from a nightmare and then everything crashed into me and I just lost it.” I turn to look at Kane and see concern in his eyes, and an emotion I don’t have a name for.
“Sorry, dude.” That's all I can say.
Catching Liam's face, I see surprise written across his features. He really expected me to tell his brothers what went down.
“Fuck off,” Kane shouts over the voices of the men who are all talking amongst themselves. I catch a few talking about who I am and if I will stay with Kane. How did he find someone like me and how much of a psycho am I?
I sit watching Kane bark orders at people to get someone in to fix his bathroom and other things he wants done. It causes butterflies to start to swarm in my stomach. Looking at all the activity as people hurry off to do his bidding, I can’t help but admire how his jeans fit his ass perfectly.
“I see what you’re doing, Hellion,” he whispered into my ear. God does this stalker just watch to see my reactions constantly. He really is becoming a pain in the ass.
With a chuckle I just shake my head at the troublemaker. The pain throughout my body is starting to dull. Thoughts and emotions start to drip back in about Mel. Guilt is making itself known. My hands start to shake in my lap and my breathing becomes heavier. I try to take deep breaths to calm myself, it’s useless. My whole body starts to shake again as moisture fills my eyes. Arms wrap around me from behind with whispered words. I am unable to hear, but my body starts to relax slightly. Spinning on my stool, Kane’s arms wrap around me again as he holds me as tight to his body as he can.
“I got you, Pretty Bird. I’ll fight your demons when you want me too.” A lump is brought to my throat from his words. How can he be so nice to me after everything he’s seen and heard? Thoughts of the night before makes me realize I haven't seen Tom yet. I don’t know what happened to him after we left.
“Where’s Tom?” I mutter against his shoulder, not expecting anyone to be able to hear me with the death grip I have on him.
“He’s coming by later to talk.” Unease grows in my stomach. I am not sure what his reaction is going to be. Flashes of him in the hallway come to the forefront of my mind, bringing a choked gasp to my throat. Kane begins to make shushing noises to try and calm me, which only helps a little.
“Where is she?” What did they do last night? All I know is Kane brought me back here and that's it.
“She’s at the funeral home. That’s why Tom is coming to discuss funeral arrangements.” What the actual fuck? Rising to my feet I start pacing the kitchen.
“How?” I am lost for words.
“How what?” Kane asks me while grabbing my wrist to stop my pacing.
“How did you sort it so fast?” I can’t, I am not ready for this.
“We told everyone what happened. My buddy down at the home owed me a favor so we have two days to get everything sorted.”
How the fuck do they think I will be ready to do this in two days time? My heart breaks again at the thought of saying my final goodbyes to her. It was never meant to be like this. I keep thinking she will walk through the door at any moment and tell me this is all a prank. I really wish that was the case. Tears fall from my eyes, two days and I am going to lose another piece of my soul. Arms surrounded me once again, the hug is different from last time.
“I'm sorry we weren’t there for you, Hellion,” Marcus says. his voice breaking a little with emotion. I let my emotions calm, preparing myself to see Tom.
Chapter Sixteen
Reika
This waiting game we are playing is driving me insane, my emotions are on a rollercoaster again. I don’t want to be here discussing what we are going to do for Mel, normal people would know what their family would want. I haven’t got a clue what she would want. There’s a knock on the door as my brain is trying to figure out what to do for the best send off. Nerves settle into my bones which causes my h
ands to shake slightly. Noticing, Kane comes and sits at the side of me and tucks me into his side for support. Voices can be heard coming down the hallway, a sick feeling turns my stomach. Standing up, I want to start pacing. I need to move. After the funeral is done, I am going to have to talk with the guys about getting back in the ring. The beating Liam gave me helped dull the pain I am feeling, but it is no longer here and I don’t like the emptiness inside.
Tom comes around the corner and I freeze when I see his face. His eyes are dull and lifeless. My other half of my family unit, he isn’t the same person. His expression is cold, the thought of what he might say guts me. I have never been unsure how to act around him, I want to run over and tell him how sorry I am, but I can’t.
“Hey,” I say in a meek voice as I take a step toward him. He turns his eyes in my direction and his look stops me in my tracks.
“Hi. We going to decide what needs to be done? I have things to take care of.” Ice runs through my veins.
“T, Tom, can we talk?” I reply, stuttering the words.
“I’m busy, Reika.” He called me by my name, he hasn’t called me by my name since we were kids.
“Tom, please?” I’m not past begging. I can’t lose him too.
“I will call you later ,ok?” A tear escapes from my eye. He lost his family too. He needs time.
“Yeah, sure.” I take a step back to where Kane is sitting on the sofa, he pulls me back into his side and kisses me on my forehead.
The whole time Tom is here, I am lost in my own head. Memories from being kids play like home movies behind my eyes. The first time I met Mel and Tom, me and her having sleepovers and stealing snacks to hide under our beds for later. Mel telling me about her first kiss or when she lost her virginity to her jock boyfriend. The first ever time we went to a nightclub without Tom knowing and me vomiting all over the floor of our room. Me dragging her to martial arts training and her complaining because she broke a nail. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as the thoughts continue. Hugging myself with my arms, I try to keep myself quiet so no-one notices. Every fun thing we did together, and the not so good things, reminds me I won’t be able to talk to her about what’s happening between me and Kane.