AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kyle ripped from my dad’s grip angrily. He was raging and it scared me in a way none of my brothers ever had before.
“Kyle’s spoiling for a fight,” Harris replied, never taking his eyes from Kyle, even as he pushed me behind him. “Kailan, get Evie out of here,” he added.
“No!” I cried. “Stop this now Kyle. I…I’m sorry I c-can’t tell you what you want to know but it’s n-not Harris’s fault.”
“What happened? What did you want to know?” Matt asked as he came up to Kyle’s side and grabbed his arm, halting him where he stood.
“He wants Evie to tell him about her nightmares. He wants details about everything she’s fucking been through and he won’t take no for an answer,” Harris explained, the anger still tinging his tone.
“What the fuck, bro? What are you doing?” Matt asked as he got angry too and wrenched Kyle backwards, giving him a shove to push him back further.
“We should know!” Kyle snapped. “We should know everything!”
“Kyle, look at Evie right now,” Mom cut in. “Look at your sister. Look what you’re doing to her. When we walked in here she was eating and smiling. She was relaxed. Now she’s shaking and crying. You’re scaring her. You’ve never done that in her entire life, but right now your sister is scared of you and all of this anger.”
Kyle stopped trying to push past my dad and Matt and looked at me. A range of emotions passed over his face as he seemed to be trying to process what mom had said.
Kailan appeared at my side and pulled me into his arms. I went easily, desperate to look away from Kyle and the situation he had created. The tears started again and I pushed myself against Kailan, not caring that he was drenched with sweat.
“Come on, darlin’,” he said gently as he slid his hand under my thighs and scooped me up easily. “Let’s get you out of here.” He carried me bridal style through the living room and up the stairs.
“Harris,” I whispered, worried about him.
“He’ll be fine. He can handle whatever tantrum your brother throws next, believe me,” Kailan assured me. When we got to my room he lay me on my bed and stood over me, watching with concern.
“I…I’m okay. I just….why did Kyle even ask me that?” I asked shakily.
“He’s angry, Evie. Angry you were taken and hurt. Angry he couldn’t stop it. Angry Soloman is still out there taunting not only you, but your family too. He’s pissed and he can’t process it all. He thinks if he knows what happened to you, that it will help with the anger, but it won’t.”
“I c-can’t tell them, Kailan. I can’t even t-talk about it. It’s too m-much,” I said as I fought not to cry again.
“You don’t have to. No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. I promise you. We won’t let that happen.”
“Evie?” There was a knock on the door, followed by Nick’s voice.
“Come in, brother,” Kailan called back, then Nick was there, hurrying towards me.
“Are you okay, baby? Harris gave me a quick rundown of what happened,” he explained as he sat on the bed beside me and pulled me into his side.
“Can you stay with her? I need to shower and change,” Kailan asked, and Nick nodded. “Be right back, darlin’, okay?” I nodded too, then Kailan left the room, I guessed to use the large family bathroom down the hall.
“Evie? You gonna talk to me?” Nick pushed, but all that came were tears.
“Just h-hold me…please Nick. Hold me,” I pleaded, and he did, pulling me onto his lap and clutching me close. I rested my head against his chest and cried hard as I tried to reason why things between me and my brothers, who I had adored and idolized my entire life, kept on going to shit whenever I was with them. Were they just angry because of all that had happened? Kyle certainly was. I had never seen him as angry as he had been the last few times I saw him, and mom had been right – he had scared me that morning. I had never in my entire life feared my brother before, but I had as he went for Harris.
The thought that they were all angry with me wouldn’t stop going through my head. Were they disappointed I didn’t fight harder? Did they blame me for all that had happened? I didn’t blame them if they did, but I had fought. I had tried so many times to escape, and when I realized that was pointless, I had fought to live. I had fought the need to give in to Soloman and beg for my death. I had chosen to live and I had never given up. Was that not enough? It certainly felt like they were angry with me, especially Kyle. Maybe it had been a terrible idea to come back home. It seemed my and the guys presence was just making things worse, and it wasn’t helping my own state of mind either.
“Where’s Zack?” I asked as the tears subsided. I swiped at my eyes, then looked up to Nick.
“With your mom. She offered him snacks, so he went to her instantly,” he chuckled. “You feeling a little better?”
“Yeah. I just…I don’t know why things are so h-hard with my brothers. It’s never been this way between us. We bickered, especially when I was a teenager and they got even more protective, but we never fought. Not like this. I hate how angry they are,” I sighed.
“A lot has happened, Evie. I know they haven’t gone through the hell you did but they’ve ben through their own version. They spent months and months thinking they’d lost you, then they found you again, only for you to be taken. Now Soloman is stalking all of you. They must feel so powerless right now,” Nick explained.
“I’m just so tired of fighting with them.”
“Do you want to stay somewhere else? We could call Asher. I’m sure he could find us somewhere secure to go. You only have to say the word, baby. We’ll do whatever is best for you,” he told me.
