Page 121 of Firefly
Gone. Thank God.
“How long?” I ask carefully.
“A few days,” he says.
Not enough. Never enough. Still… I breathe easier immediately.
He studies me briefly. “You look tired.”
“I am. It's been a long night,” I answer, and he nods again.
“Good.” He starts toward the front door before pausing. “Keep this behavior up and perhaps there’s hope for you yet.”
Hope. A funny word coming from a man who destroys everything he touches.
I wait until he disappears inside before heading upstairs. My cheek still throbs from Brayden's slap. My throat aches where his fingers bruised my skin.
And somehow through all of it—all I want is Hayden. His hands, voice, and rage. Because unlike Brayden's cruelty… Hayden’s violence has always come from love. Twisted, possessive love but love nonetheless.
I close my bedroom door quietly before collapsing onto the edge of my bed exhausted. The house feels too quiet without my father stomping around downstairs, and for the first time all night, I finally let myself cry.
Not delicate tears. Broken ones.
Because I'm trapped between monsters and somehow only one of them feels safe.
I don’t know how long I sit here before the cold night breeze suddenly brushes across my skin. I gasp, turning my head towards the window, and slowly… it slides open.
Hayden
“Lips Of An Angel- Hinder”
After leaving the gala…
My mind was spiraling like crazy so I came to the Dungeon in hopes that Braxton was here and ready for his fight tonight, but from the looks of it, he’s getting his ass handed to him inside the cage. I know he’s got a lot going on. His girl, Presley, had some shit happen to her and now their youngest brother, Axel, is locked up at Hillsboro Institute. So I get it. But if he wants to keep winning, he needs to fucking focus.
“Braxton, get your head out of your ass! Fucking focus!” I yell as his opponent sends a jab right into his chest, knocking the wind out of him.Jesus.He stumbles back against the cage, shaking his head, then ducks and dances around the guy. The guy keeps gunning for him, but he whirls out of the way and jabs him in the ribs, sending him to smash against the metal cage, then lays punch after punch as the guy falls to his knees, only for Brax to use his own and catch him right in the jaw.
Blood sprays across the mat and the crowd goes wild. One last hit to the side of the guy's head, then boom lights out, and I ring the bell. The crowd cheers again as Braxton walks over tome. I grab a bottle of water from the cooler and hand it to him. He takes it and pops the top, chugging the cold contents down.
“What is with you tonight?” I ask, and he rolls his eyes.
“A lot.” That’s all he gives me, so I punch his arm and he looks at me with a raised brow.
“Start talking because the idiot in that ring was twenty miles from here and won the fight by the skin of his teeth. So what the fuck is going on?” I ask again, and he sits on the stool, dumping the rest of the water over his head.
“You know the Radleys right?” he asks. Of course I do. I fucking hate all of the founding families. Rich pieces of shit.
“What did they do now?” I ask, sitting down on the bench next to him.
“To make a long story short. They have my girl. They won’t let us near her, and I’m at my wits end. Her phone has been disconnected, and I can’t seem to get her alone. But fucking Mav and Casp have both been with her recently. I’m livid about it,” he spits, and I laugh. “This isn’t funny, Hayden. You of all people know what it feels like to have the person you love ripped away,” he snaps, and my smile instantly wipes away.
“The difference is Ophelia’s dad is the judge and he put me away for years for something I didn’t do just to keep me away from her. The Radleys hold power, but not like that. Stop being a bitch and go get your girl. What’s the worst that could happen?” I say, and he shakes his head.
“You don’t understand. The things they do to her. I just don’t want to put her in more jeopardy then she’s already in, but fuck, man. I just want to hug her. To tell her to never stop fighting, that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere!” he spits, and I nudge his shoulder.I know the feeling all too well.
“Then go fucking do it. She’s at her house right?” I ask, and he nods. “Then sneak into her room. Fuck it! That’s what I used to do with Ophelia. Her house is heavily guarded and I still madeit through the idiots and spent plenty of nights without getting caught,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“Until you did.” He nudges me back, and I laugh.
