“Macy was supposed to be my wife. It was set in stone from the time she was ten years old. But then that asshole Aiden had to come and take her away. When they had you, they were firmly against including you into the festivities. The Council allowed it for a time, but it only lasted for about a year and a half. When Daisy came along, they refused again. One night, I caught them trying to leave town. The Council was informed and decided the best course of action was to kill them both. They knew Macy and Aiden wouldn’t silently leave town, they’d notify the authorities of what was going on in Sweet Haven. We couldn’t allow that to happen.” His smile widens evilly. “I snuck in their house one night, killed Aiden, then took from Macy what she denied me for years before blowing her brains out all over their pristine white walls. Donald and Sandra took you in. It was sweet justice for me because every time I took you, I imagined Macy watching from where ever the fuck she was. She left me for Aiden, so I took something priceless from her. I took it over and over again.”
Vomit works its way up my throat, but I swallow it down, refusing to give the man what he wants. The knowledge of my pain.
“Peterson,” I mutter then strengthen my voice. “Who in the hell is Macy Peterson?”
My gut tightens because I already know the answer, or at least some form of the answer.
“Didn’t you know?” He laughs sardonically. “She was Dale and Mae’s daughter.”
“You’re fucking lying. They’ve never been able to have kids.”
“Wrong. They chose not to have any more kids. The stuck-up sons-a-bitches didn’t want to bring another child in our world.”
My body starts to vibrate and my vision goes blurry. I pull in several deep breaths of air and try to calm my temper. I loosen my arm around Remi when I realize I’m squeezing her too tight. She hasn’t complained, but I know my hold is robbing her of breath.
Just then, Elijah starts to whimper, and I notice Leland’s arm is squeezing him too tight as well.
“Loosen your fucking arm or you’ll hurt him,” I growl, shuffling Remi and I forward a couple of steps.
He shrugs, like it’s no big deal he’s crushing a tiny baby. “He’ll need to get used to pain. Might as well start now.”
“You hurt one goddamn hair on my son’s head, Leland, and nothing on this Earth will save you from my wrath.”
“Your son?” He laughs psychotically. “Your son?” He repeats. “I don’t think so. It wasn’t your semen I forced inside Remi. It was mine.”
“It may have been your seed that mixed with Remi’s egg, but that boy is still mine.”
In my peripheral vision, I see Emo step out from around the corner on stealthy feet. Thankfully, Remi doesn’t even twitch, even though I know she sees him.
I don’t know what he plans to do, but I do know he’ll take care in his actions. One wrong move and Leland could crush Elijah, or drop him on the hard wood floor, causing multiple injuries. I may not have announced my feelings for Remi and Elijah to my brothers, but he can still sense how important the two are to me. My brothers and I have always been able to read each other.
Elijah’s whimpers escalate into full-blown cries, and Leland scowls down at him.
“Shut the fuck up, you brat,” he spits, roughly jostling him around in his arms.
Remi and I both stiffen.
Everything happens quickly, or slowly, depending on how you view it. It was quick but felt agonizingly slow.
A board squeaks when Emo takes another step. Leland makes a move to turn around. “Leland!” I roar his name and his eyes move back to mine. It gives Emo just enough time to rush him, wrap his arm around Leland’s neck, and put him in a choke hold. Releasing Remi, I run faster than I ever have in my life, just as Leland drops his arms, leaving Elijah to fall to the floor. Remi screams behind me.
Fear gathers in my chest, worry that I won’t make it in time. I drop to my knees and skid the remaining inches, thrusting my arms out and catching Elijah’s delicate body in my hands just before he hits the floor. I’m tipping forward, and to keep from crushing him, I roll to my back. I cradle him to me football style before sitting up and getting to my knees. Pulling the blanket away, I take stock of his body. Remi drops to her knees beside me.
“Oh, thank God,” she says hysterically. “Give him to me.”
“Just a minute, baby. Let me check him over.”
While she sits sobbing beside me, her hands covering her mouth and Elijah wailing, I run my hand down each leg, his arms, his torso, back, and head. Relief slams into me when I feel nothing abnormal.
“He’s fine,” I inform Remi, my tone gruff with emotion.
Grunts of pain and flesh pounding flesh greets my ears. I look over and find Leland on his back with Emo straddling him, throwing fist after fist against his face.
I hand over Elijah to Remi and she cuddles him against her and falls to her ass. His crying lessens the moment he’s in his mother’s arms. Climbing to my feet, I stalk over to Emo, who’s still busy trying to obliterate Leland’s face. Leland isn’t moving anymore.
“Emo,” I bark, and get no response. When he pulls a knife from his hip and holds it against Leland’s neck, I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “Emo!” I say louder.
He stops and scowls up at me.