Page 58 of Broken Empire
Inever wanted any of them to see me like this, not after being beaten and raped but they’re just always here.Notone of the three of them wants to leave my side.Idon’t want them to leave butIalso want them to, if that makes any fucking sense at all.IknowIcan’t change any of their minds soIguessI’lljust have to put up with it…
Ihear the door that leads out onto the deck open, butIdon’t bother turning around to see who it is.Amoment later my brother’s body fills my vision, as he gets onto the daybed with me.Hesteals some of my blanket and then pulls me into him.Hethrows his arm around my shoulders andIrest my head in the crook of his arm, against his chest.
“Heysquirt, what are you doing up so early?” he asks as he places a kiss on the top of my head.
Isnuggle into him a little more, loving how it feels safe being next to him.Havinghim here pushes all my wayward thoughts away andIjust enjoy his company, even if only for a little while.WhoknewI’dlove having a brother?
“Icouldn’t sleep.”
“Doyou want me to call the doc for you?”
“No.He’san asshole!”
“Why?Whatdid he say to you?Ordid he do something?” he asks, with a slight panic in his voice.
“No.Relax.It’sjust…”Ilet out a sigh. “Iknow what he’s saying is valid butIjust don’t know what to do.”
“Whatdid he tell you?”
“ThatIshould start seeing a therapist.Iknow it makes the most sense butI’mjust not ready for someone else to know about what happened to me, you know?”
“Wantto talk about it?”
“Notreally, no.ButIappreciate everything you’ve done and are still doing for me.I’msorry you had to kill people for me and get your hands bloody.”
“You’remy sister.Ofcourse,I’ddo anything for you.Iwant you to be okay.Iwant you to get better.Don’tworry about it, this wasn’t the first timeI’vehad to kill people and it won’t be the last.Imaybe shouldn’t be admitting this, butIenjoyed offing those fuckers, since they messed with my baby sis.”
“Loveyou,Hunt.”
“Loveyou too sis.Thereare some things—” he starts but then cuts himself off. “Atsome point in the not-so-distant future just remember that you love me, alright?”
“Ofcourse,I’llstill love you in the future.Butwhat do you—”Istart but get cut off by the door opening again.Ialready know it’s him.It’salways him.Guesshe’s done leaving me alone after one whole ass day.
“Justleave it for now,”Huntersays as he kisses my head again and then gets off the daybed before heading back into the cabin.Leavingme alone out here withMasonand the tray in his hands.
“Howare you feeling?”
“I’mfine.”
Helooks like he’s about to say something but stops himself, as he takes a seat on the daybed next to me before speaking again. “Ibrought you breakfast.”
“I’mnot really hungry,”Itell him as he sets down the tray between us.Isee there’s a bowl of oatmeal and fruit along with a glass of juice.
“Don’tstart babe.You’regoing to eat it andIdon’t care ifIhave to force feed it to you through a feeding tube.”
“Guessyou’re back to being an unbearable asshole, huh?Andwho the fuck died and made you the boss of me?”Isnap at him.Fuckinghell, it only takes him an instant to make me mad, it would seem.
“I’mnot trying to be an asshole babe.ButI’myour man andIneed to take care of you and make sure you’re healing.Andyou can’t start that process by starving yourself.”
“Areyou forgetting the part whereIsaidIdon’t want to be with you anymore?Sothat means you’re relieved of whatever duty you think you have to me.Andwho saidIwanted to heal?WhatifIjust want to die and be over with all this shit?You’refucking assumingIwant the things that you want for me, but you couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“I’mnot going to let you die baby.Iknow you’ve been through a lot and you have every right to be as angry as you are but that doesn’t mean you have to go on some sort of hunger strike.Youcan eat and still be mad at me,” he says calmly and patiently and it just makes me imagine smashing his face in with a hammer or something equally brutal. “Iknow you’re probably imagining killing me in many different ways inside your head right now, but you’re still going to eat this food.”
“Fuckoff and leave me alone you fuckface asshole cunt!”Isnap.
“Quitethe potty mouth you’ve got there babe, don’t you?Maybeyou need my cock inside your mouth to use as a pacifier so you won’t have any room to spew any more of that shit?” he asks with a smirk on his face.Thismotherfucking asshole!
“Fancygetting your dick bitten off, do you?”Iask in the sweetest voiceIcan muster.