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Kaiden’s face contorts with rage, his molten silver eyes blazing with a fire that matches my own. “That son of a bitch,” he growls through gritted teeth. Axel’s expression darkens, a storm brewing behind his cool façade. It’s clear that we all share the same burning desire for justice, for vengeance against this monster who dared to touch someone we hold dear.
But amidst the anger and hatred swirling around us, fierce determination is etched into Odi’s features. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears although it’s no longer those of sadness, but of anger, and her hands tremble in her lap before she notices and curls them into tight fists. She’s carried this burden alone for far too long, probably fearing the consequences of speaking out. But now she’s finding the strength to stand tall and face her demons. I couldn’t be prouder of her for that.
When she continues, her words take on a hard edge. “He helped Mum get a promotion at work, which made her busier than ever. And he offered to watch over me. Taking me to school, letting himself into the house, just generally feeding off my fear. I didn’t know when he was going to strike again, only that he would.”
My heart aches for Odi as she recounts the horrors she endured in silence. Her words are carving deep wounds into my soul, and I can barely stand to listen as she recounts the details of months of abuse, of being assaulted, tortured, drugged and raped over and over again. Of being shared with masked men and locked in a box. Kaiden and Axel look ready to be sick when she goes over that detail. I long to jump to my feet and run away, but I don’t. I force myself to sit and listen to every word. If Odi is strong enough to not only live it and survive it, but to recountit to us, the least I can do is stomach the words as she relives her own personal hell.
My heart stops when she tells us of her pregnancy. Odi’s voice trembles as she reveals the truth, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and pain.
“I found out and tried to hide it for so long,” she whispers, her hand instinctively resting protectively on her stomach which is completely flat, but she’s lost in the memory. “I... I didn’t know what to do. I thought about getting rid of it, but then...” Her voice trails off, and for a moment, the room is filled with an overwhelming silence.
“He was so happy. I wasn’t in a good place. I wasn’t sleeping, barely eating, I’d let my grades slip at school. It wasn’t hard for The General to convince my mum to send me away to a school in Switzerland. He even paid. Told mum I was going to be his daughter-in-law one day, so he wanted to take care of my future.”
Bile floods my mouth, and I hastily swallow it back down with a large gulp of scotch. It’s so fucked up. All of it. But the realisation that he knew I wanted to marry Odi even back then makes me hate myself for abandoning her even more.
Aside from Odi’s untouched glass, ours are all empty. I refill them, virtually to the brim with shaking hands, and toss mine back in one.
“It was a school – and I use that term loosely – for disgraced girls like me. It wasn’t so bad, because he wasn’t there, you know? But then I had Rose. On my birthday of all days. And The General showed up and—” she breaks off with a heart-wrenching sob that guts me.
“He took her,” I whisper.
She nods, tears snaking down her face in silvery tracks once more. This time though, her tears tell of her heartbreak and all I want is to pull her into my arms and offer comfort, but how?What could I possibly say to this warrior of a woman who has endured so much alone? Like a cuddle from me is going to do shit now.
“And he left me there to rot.”
The weight of Odi’s revelation hits me like a ton of bricks. The room seems to spin, and my mind is flooded with a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, rage, sorrow—all intertwine in a violent storm inside me. How could anyone do this to her? To the woman I love with every fibre of my being?
Axel clenches his fists by his side, his face contorted with a mixture of anger and concern. Kaiden’s jaw tightens as he clenches his teeth, his hands trembling with barely contained fury. We are united in our desire for justice, for vengeance against the man who has caused Odi so much pain.
But amidst the tempest of emotions, I can see the flicker of determination in Odi’s eyes. She refuses to be a victim any longer. “I wanted to keep her,” she says, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. “I wanted my child to have a chance at a better life. I wanted a better life for myself. I worked my ass off and got the scholarship to Trinity. Took self defence lessons. Tried…failed…to get over the trauma. Found some pretty unhealthy coping mechanisms. Then I ended up here, and I guess you know the rest.”
Kaiden rises from his seat with a newfound determination etched on his face as he begins to pace. “We will make him pay for what he’s done to you, Odi. I promise you that.”
“No.” One word spoken with the steel of an entire army. “He’s mine. Once I have Rose back, no one is making him pay but me.”
Axel lifts his head and locks eyes with Odi, his gaze burning with intensity. “You’re not alone anymore. We’ll fight by your side every step of the way.” When she opens her mouth to protest he continues, “Wewillhelp you, but we won’t coddleyou. We won’t take your revenge from you, no matter how much I want to. But, Odi, promise me one thing? You’ll kill themall.”
As Axel’s words hang in the air, Kaiden’s eyes meet Odi’s, a fire burning within them. He steps forward, placing a hand firmly on her shoulder. “We’re with you, Odi. We’ll help you get Rose back and make sure The General pays for everything he’s done. I’ll hold your damn purse again if I have to while you kill the bastard yourself,” he vows. “All of them.”
Something she said is niggling at the back of my mind and I can’t let it go. I take a moment to compose myself, the weight of Odi’s words still heavy in the air. “Odi,” I say gently, my voice laced with concern. “You mentioned that you tried to get over the trauma and found some unhealthy coping mechanisms. What do you mean by that?”
Her eyes flicker with a mixture of shame and vulnerability, but she meets my gaze head-on. “I... I cut,” she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was the only way I could numb the pain, escape the memories even if just for a little while. When sex didn’t work, I turned to cutting.”
My heart sinks at her admission, my mind racing with worry for her well-being. “Odi, we need to get you help,” I say firmly, reaching out to grip her hand tightly.
Tears well up in Odi’s eyes as she nods, that flicker of determination returning. “You’re right,” she whispers, her voice filled with a newfound resoluteness. “I can’t keep running from my demons. I need to face them head-on if I want to save Rose and find justice.”
Axel steps forward, his voice filled with unwavering support. “I know a therapist who specialises in trauma,” he offers. “They’ve helped numerous people through similar struggles. We can set up an appointment for you.”
Kaiden adds his agreement, his face etched with determination. “We’ll be right here beside you every step of theway,” he assures Odi again, his voice steady and reassuring. Odi’s eyes dart back and forth between the three of us, her breathing shaky but determined.
“Thank you,” she manages to say, her voice filled with a mix of gratitude and something else. Something stronger and more determined than I’ve ever heard from her. “I want to move forward but I never had the means to pay for therapy. I know once I have Rose back and I have my revenge, things will be easier, but it won’t magic the trauma away. I know that Icando this alone. But I don’twantto.”
“You won’t have to,” I assure her, squeezing her hand tighter. I’ve not said the words, but it’s time. No more living in denial. No more beingThe Son –the baby of the group, coddled and kept from getting my hands truly dirty. Odi needs to know that we choose her. That I choose her, now, in this lifetime and all of the next. She needs to hear me say it. It needs to be said. “We will support you completely, in whatever you decide to do. But know this, Odi Kemp, however it happens, The General must die.”
She lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Zie. You don’t know what it means to have the green light on this from you.”
I squeeze her hand again, silently telling her I’ve got her back. I feel like such a fucking idiot for the way I reacted when the news about Rose first came out. The things I said. My denials. But if Odi can accept my vow of support without throwing my own stupidity back in my face, then I’ll damn well make it up to her for the rest of my life. Even if it means helping her to kill my father. Hell, if she gets cold feet and decides she can’t do it, I’ll do it myself. I don’t think that will be an issue though. She’s always been stronger than I gave her credit for.
