Chapter Thirty-Four

Colton waited as Angel closed the computer and shifted to get comfortable. Pudge jumped up on the bed by her side, and Colton didn’t have the heart to chase him down this time. He could imagine this tale would be gruesome, and didn’t mind that his dog wanted to offer her support.

“You’ve seen my scars before,” she started.

Yes. When they’d been naked. They’d touched and kissed each other’s scars with reverence and acceptance in those nights of passion. Neither of them had asked questions, knowing they didn’t want that darkness brought into those moments.

“I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t have scars on my body. My brother, Nicholas, was five years older than me. He’d always been rough. At least that was the word my parents used. Looking back, I realize they were in denial of what their son really was.”

Without thinking, Colton reached out and took her hand. He had brothers. They’d often been rough. They’d hurt each other. But Colton could tell this was different.

“They were good parents. They always made sure we had the things we needed. We went on great vacations. They loved us. We should have been the perfect family, and I’m sure a lot of people thought we were. But there was a darkness none of us talked about. My brother.” She rubbed her forehead and looked at Colton. “Please don’t think they were bad.”

This seemed important to her so he nodded. “Okay,” he agreed.

Though he’d already jumped to the opposite conclusion. Clearly, they hadn’t protected Angel when she’d needed them. In his mind, that was what parents were supposed to do. No matter the threat. But he knew that wasn’t always the case. Not by a long shot.

Bad things happened all the time.

“As I got older, I realized it wasn’t normal for me to be terrified of being alone with my own brother. My friends didn’t have those issues. Their siblings were more protective or annoying than anything. I never had friends stay over at my home. I was worried about their safety.”

Pudge wiggled closer and rested his head on her thigh. He must have sensed her inner pain. She used her free hand to pet him.

“By my senior year of high school, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I had two months of school left. I only had to survive the summer and I’d be leaving for college. I never planned to come back. Nicholas had gotten worse. He hid in his room a lot, but when he came out, the darkness in him manifested in strange ways. He’d take my things and break them. Things I’d loved. Gifts from my parents. I didn’t dare say anything, or he would go into a rage and accuse us of hating him.”

She let out a breath, and Colton tensed, knowing she’d arrived at that worst part.

“I’m not sure why I woke up. It was probably a sound, though I don’t remember it. Maybe it was because the house had grown cold. I don’t know. But I was suddenly wide awake and knew something was wrong.”

She released his hand and wrapped it around her. Her skin was covered in goose bumps. He sat up and pulled her into his arms. Offering his warmth. But knowing the chill came from inside where he couldn’t reach.

“When I listened, I realized there was a sound. Barely there. Muted. I didn’t know what it was, but I was compelled to go look.”

She shook her head. “I must have known it came from my parents’ room on the other side of the house, but I don’t remember why now. I went down the hall and found their door open almost halfway. None of us slept with our doors open. That would be a silent invitation for Nicholas to enter.”

She swallowed and leaned into Colton. He bit his cheek to keep from saying anything. He didn’t want her to stop talking.

“There was light coming in from the street, and all I saw was blood. Blood everywhere. My brother was kneeling over my mother, stabbing her. The sound I’d heard had been the knife sliding against her ribs and my brother’s heavy breaths from the exertion.”

“Oh, God,” he said, unable to help himself, holding her tight. He’d seen the photos, but now he felt the fear behind them.

“I ran to my room and got the cell phone I’d gotten for my birthday. I called 911 and looked for a place to hide. I’d never been able to hide from him before. I knew he would look under the bed, or in my closet. So I went across the hall into his room and hid in the back of his closet. I’d never gone into his room before. I wasn’t even sure if his closet was big enough, but I worked my way inside and hid under some clothing.”

“That was smart. You have good instincts,” he praised her stupidly. He knew the end of the story. He knew her brother found her.

Colton almost wished she would end the story there. He didn’t know if he could handle the rest. Even having her here, safe in his arms, didn’t stop his need to protect her from the past.

“I heard him in my room. When I wasn’t there, he called for me to come out. He said—” Her breath caught for a moment before she went on. “He said he wasn’t going to hurt me.” She surprised him with a small, humorless laugh. “All he’d ever done was hurt me. But I don’t think he understood.”

She shook her head as if she’d just figured that out.

“It didn’t take him long to come looking for me in his own room. He opened the closet, and when he shut the door I thought I was safe. But only a few seconds later, he opened it again and dragged me out.”

Colton jumped, but covered it by running his hand down her back.

“He was babbling something about how I didn’t love him enough, and how our parents hadn’t loved him enough. I tried to tell him I did love him. But I didn’t convince him.”

“There’s no reasoning with a sociopath.” Colton exhaled and felt her shrug.

“He was exhausted. He could barely hold the knife straight. His muscles were trembling with fatigue. He was covered in so much blood it dripped off the hem of his T-shirt onto my pajamas. Because he was so weak, I was able to fight him. I even made him drop the knife. But he was a twenty-three-year-old man and I was even smaller than I am now.”

Colton looked at her in his arms. He’d always known she was small, but he’d never once considered her weak. With the training she’d gotten in the marshals, she would have had a chance against a grown man, but back then she was just a frightened girl, fighting for her life.

“I knew what was going to happen. I won’t say my life flashed before my eyes or anything, but I do remember thinking, ‘This is it? I made it this far just for this to happen?’ Then the knife came down into my neck.”

Pudge whined as if he understood, and rooted his head along her leg.

“The blade hit my collarbone and deflected down instead of up. It got stuck in my shoulder blade, and he didn’t have the strength to pull it out. Not with the handle and his hand being so slippery. He went to his desk to find another knife, and that’s when the police moved in. Nicholas laughed when they told him to freeze. Instead, he held the knife up higher and rushed them. They shot him before he took two steps.”

“And you were finally free,” Colton said, glad to have it over.

But she shook her head and let out a breath.

“No. I’ll never be free.”