AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To rape her.
To not help her.
To allow her trauma to continue unfettered. Not only that, but he also added to it.
And not just her trauma, but the women who were there with her and had to watch, who knew their fate would be just as bad. Until we rescued them.
When I’m standing in front of him, I start to land blows on his face. I make sure each one counts. I hit him twice for Sofia, breaking his jaw with the second one. He screams, but it’s like listening to an orchestra.
I continue to rain down punch after punch, one for each one of the women we rescued that night.
His blood is splattered on my clothes, each punch causing him to look more broken. Just like my sister was. Just like I’ve been for the last ten years.
After I land the last punch, I reach for my knife. Alek lets out a sound of protest when I wrench his head back and slice his neck, making sure to catch his carotids. When I step back, I don’t take my eyes off him until he’s covered in his own blood and he’s no longer breathing.
I close my eyes for a moment and think about Sofia. This time I picture her smiling face instead of the way I found her that night, broken and lost, or the way I found her dead. No, this moment is one where her life should be celebrated.
I don’t know if she would approve of what I just did. Honestly, she probably would be horrified, but it had to be done. The world is a slightly better place now.
I look at Kirill and give him a chin lift in thanks. He simply nods in return. I turn and meet the eyes of my brothers before I start to walk away. I know the cleanup will be handled. I know my brothers have my back.
But there’s someone I need to see, someone I need to hold, and it sure as fuck isn’t one of my brothers.
CHAPTER 9
REBEL
I’m cutting some fabric in my sewing room, taking advantage of the message Tyler sent me telling me he had some club business to take care of, when someone starts to pound on my front door. It startles me at first because it sounds like whoever it is wants to break in. My heart is pounding as I pad to my front door, my shears clutched in my hand.
“Rebel,” Tyler’s voice booms through the door and I rush to unlock it. Something in his voice tells me he needs me and right this fucking second.
The moment the door is unlocked and starts to open, he throws it wider and steps through. I get a glimpse of him, and the blood splatter covering him, before I’m engulfed in his arms. My shears drop to the ground with a clatter.
Tyler kisses the top of my head, his voice a desperate rumble, “The shears were a good choice, Hellcat.”
I melt into him, feeling the tension radiating through his entire body. I’ve never seen him this strung tight and he’s not exactly a relaxed man on his best of days. True, I haven’t known him for a long time, but we’ve spent a lot of time together since we met.
Something is wrong. I can feel it.
And then, of course, there’s the blood.
I whisper against his chest, “Whose blood is this?”
“A man who deserved his fate,” he grits out through his teeth, fury rolling off him.
As I tilt my head up to meet his gaze, I notice how the muscles of his neck are bulging. I run my hands up and down his back, hoping to soothe him, hoping to give him what he needs. I make a humming sound accepting his answer. For now.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he grunts.
I narrow my eyes at him, his steely gaze taking me in like he’s memorizing me. When I step out of his hold, I can feel his reluctance to let me go. My eyes trail over him and I grimace. Not because he’s covered in blood splatter, but because I was just pressed up against it.
He holds his hands out to his sides, a challenge in his eyes and his words, “This is who I am, Rebel.” His hands fall to his sides and his shoulders curl inward, like he has something to be ashamed of. His words are broken this time, “This is who I am.”
I reach up and cup his jaw in my hands, forcing him to look at me instead of the floor. My voice is fierce, lined with steel and love, when he meets my gaze, “I know who you are Tyler. You’re a giant of a man with a heart of gold. You’re haunted by your past and it’s defined you for so fucking long.” I shake my head and hope he can see the sincerity in my eyes. “You’re loyal. You’re strong. You’re incredibly talented. You’re a man who loves his bike and his club.”
“And you,” he rasps, and I freeze.
