“That’s an order, One-Eye. Give Pulse space.” Prez grips my arm, but I yank it away from him.
“No one will tell me not to be next to her. No one,” I growl.
I move around him again and bite back a sound of pain as I sit down next to her. Her hair is matted with blood and the red stains her neck. Her cheek is bruised, her gorgeous pink lips are busted, and her eyes are swollen with tears. I carefully move her hair slightly over her shoulder to see a giant bruise. “Mama, what happened?” I slip my fingers under her chin and turn her head, kissing every bruise I see, including her lips.
Her lips are the softest pillow I’ve ever had the pleasure of feeling. I’ve missed them and I hate that the one time I get to have them right now, is because she’s hurt.
“Who did this to you?” Rage fills me next as I process what’s happened. “I should have been there to protect you.”
“Arrow, can you give—” Alicia winces when she stretches her lips too far and holds her fingers there for a few seconds. “Can you give Kimmy a juice box, please?”
“Sure,” he doesn’t hesitate to say this time, taking Kimmy’s hand in his as he walks her to the kitchen and out of sight.
Boomer sits down next to us, along with Kansas and Arrow. The other members are behind them, listening intently.
“Kimmy’s father had a brother. Vince just got out of prison, and he came looking for him. He was hiding in the back of my car and put a gun to my head. He knows I’m lying. I said his brother left me, but he wouldn’t have ever left Vince, and Vince knows that. He tore apart my apartment, tied me to a chair, and he said… he’d take what his brother got to have if Vince doesn’t find him. I didn’t expect him to be there. He must have gotten out early on good behavior.” She hisses when Pulse presses against a tender spot on her head.
“Sorry, Alicia. I’ll give you some pain meds for the bumps and bruises.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him when I see him!” I say a bit louder than I intend to.
“You can barely walk right now. We will take care of it,” Prez states with a tone laced in his words that says he’ll take no argument on the issue.
“I don’t care. This one is mine. Look at what he did to her!”
“We will find him and bring him here. If you’re up for it, you can do what you want.”
I drag my finger across the edge of her jaw. “I’ll be up for it. I’ll live.”
“He said he won’t be back for another two weeks. He was wearing a cut too, but I didn’t get the name. He’s from New York City, though.”
“I wonder if O’Crowely will know,” Boomer speculates. “He knows everyone.”
“Let’s not ask yet, okay? I don’t want word to spread and Vince to get any angrier. Let him think he has the upper hand, but he won’t give up until he gets answers. And he threatened Kimmy.” She breaks her composure and sobs. “I can’t let anything happen to Kimmy.”
“As long as I breathe, nothing will happen to her. I swear on my life, Mama.” I take her hands in mine, rubbing my thumbs across her knuckles. “Remember, I’m never going to let go. That stands for everything in life. I’ll protect her. Always. Even if it kills me.”
“Don’t talk like that.” Her lip wobbles. “I can’t have anything else happen to you.”
I bring her hands to my lips and kiss them. “I’ll be okay, but I can’t have anything happen to you either. Not like this. I can’t stand bruises on you. You’re too good to have even the slightest mark.”
She places her head on my shoulder and while it hurts me physically, there is no way in hell I’m not wrapping her in my arms.
“We need to plan. We need every detail from start to finish, Alicia.”
“I didn’t mean to bring more trouble to your doorstep, Boomer. I feel so bad because of last time and—”
“—And nothing. You’re family. We protect what’s ours. Start to finish,” he reminds her, and Kansas takes a seat next to her, ready to listen.
While she tells the story, I plot Vince’s death. He dared to threaten to peel the flesh off my daughter. He fucking dared to threaten something too vile.
Well, when I get him, I’m going to rip the flesh from his bones.
And if I have to, I’ll kill every fucking member of that family so the threat to mine is gone.
I held back before. I did as Alicia asked and let the others take care of her ex.
But now? No way in hell am I letting anyone lay hands on Vince but my fucking self.
I’ve heard the better someone becomes, the better they attract.
It makes me wonder if I worsen myself, if I’ll attract the evil in the world.
If that’s the case, Vince should come running.
I have no issue introducing him to his brother.
One. Last. Time.
I’m sore, but I’ll live. If anything, I’m mad at myself. I had my chance to protect myself, but I froze, and I reverted back to the coward I was with my ex.
“You don’t have any idea of where he is?” Boomer asks.
“No. I don’t. He wasn’t exactly conversational.” I wince when Arrow hands me an ice pack and I place it on my lips. “Thank you, Arrow.” He doesn’t like me, but he isn’t showing it right now. It gives me the slightest amount of hope that maybe I’ll be able to get back on track with him.
He’s Quin’s best friend. If I can’t redeem myself, I’ll be on the outside, and Quin will have to feel like he has to choose. I’ll never put him in that position. I’ll never interfere or give ultimatums.
Ultimatums aren’t made out of love, they’re made out of anger and resentment, and there is no way I could ever resent Quin.
Not when I love him so much.
I take his hand in mine and the smallest of smiles ghosts over his lips.
“Daddy is going to a date race.”
Pulse coughs so hard it turns into a full-on fit and his face turns red. “I’m sorry, I need to, uh, I need to get a glass of water.”
“I think we need to focus, Kimmy,” Boomer speaks sweetly to her. “We need to find your uncle.”
“He isn’t my uncle. He is a mean man. I hate him.”
“Kimmy, we talked about using that word,” I scold her slightly.
“Well,” she huffs and crosses her arms in defiance, ready to argue. “I do hate him. Hate. Hate. Hate. He is a bad man. Look what he did to you! I hope he steps in gum,” she grumbles. “And—” she decides to add, snapping her fingers in the air. “And I hope it doesn’t come off.”
Everyone snickers under their breath.
“Wow, you must really not like him then,” Quin chuckles.
“I really don’t.” Kimmy plops down next to Quin and begins to drink the juice box Arrow gave her.
“Okay, we are getting off track. Let’s circle back. Is there anywhere he would go?” Kansas tries to get me to think about Vince again.
I stare up at the ceiling, the ice pack freezing my lip. I rack my brain, but it’s hopeless. I never knew Vince that well. He was always in and out of our lives, either getting in trouble with the law and going to prison or getting lost in drugs and whatever else. We hardly heard from him, but when we did, he always wanted money.