Page 80 of Shattered Silence Duet

“I’ll hide her,” Atlas says, like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“Fuck, Atlas, I get it. Ido! But they’ll figure it out, and if we go to them and show them the injury, I don’t think it will be enough, not yet.”

“We need to get Mina to tell us what’s going on,” I state, making them turn their frustrated gazes to me. “It’s all well and good saying what we want to happen, but it’s up to Mina. We ask her if she wants to stay here, even just for tonight, so we can help figure this out. Maybe simply knowing we’re going to be here for her will help her open up to us.”

The room falls silent after that. None of us want her to go back, but we’re all afraid of making things worse. When Ben finishes cleaning her wound, we move her to the living room. She leans against Atlas and we all take seats around them, afraid to let her out of our sight.

After a while, Mina stirs, and her eyes slowly blinking open. She gazes around at our concerned filled faces and I witness the moment she remembers what happened. Shame fills her gaze as she tries to sit up.

Atlas murmurs a soft, “no,” holding her tightly to his chest. His arm is draped across her side, and she winces. Instantly, he lets go, concern flashing across his face as he helps her sit up.

“Do you have other injuries?” he asks, gently tilting her face toward him. Mina makes a motion, signaling that she wants to type.

“Here,” Ben says, passing her the phone.

She takes it, her eyes flicking to the screen before her face fills with panic and fear, and she bolts upright, urgency radiating from her. She types quickly, our phone pinging with the message.

Mina:I have to go home.

I glance at her, as do the others, all unsure of what to say. We wanted a chance to talk about this, to tell her she could stay here.

She presses on, typing again, and this time clutching the phone to her chest after pressing send.

Mina:Can you take me home please?

“Mina,” I say tentatively, sitting forward to be closer to her. Her worried eyes meet mine and I can feel the urgency in her. “You know, if it’s not safe to go home, you can stay here, with us? Even just for tonight.”

She stares at me for a moment and I see a wave of emotion roll through her, surprise, hope, worry and fear. Finally, her eyes drop and she shakes her head.

“Okay, but I want you to think about it. If you need somewhere safe to stay, you’re always welcome here.” She nods, standing and moving to the door.

Atlas follows her, but worry keeps me glued to my seat. My chest tightens as I watch them leave. The silence in the room is heavy, filled with unspoken pain. As the rest of my brothers rise to accompany them out, I follow, needing to glimpse her one last time.

Dom moves in front of her as she reaches for the door. He tilts her chin up as he asks, “promise me you’ll be okay tonight? That you can go home and just sleep until morning?”

She nods, her response hesitant but sincere. He stares at her for a moment, clearly seeking for the truth before he nods back.

Atlas takes his place as he looks down at her. “You text me anytime, day or night, you hear me? I will always be there for you. You just have to ask for help.”

His words are quiet but firm, and when he squeezes her hand, something in her seems to ease. She gives him a smile before waving goodbye to the rest of us.

The door closes with a thump and the six of us stand there staring at it until slowly, one at a time, we turn away and head for our rooms, nobody wanting to talk about what happened and what we were potentially sending her home to.

Chapter 49

Mina

The next morning is a little better than the previous one. I don’t see my mother at all, my arm feels slightly better than yesterday, and I think my fever has eased up. Whatever Ben gave me and did to my arm must be helping.

Sleep, however, was rough—I tossed and turned, hot one minute and cold the next. But it seems like the fever has finally broken.

As I approach our usual morning meetup spot, I notice an SUV idling on the curb. I stop walking, rubbing my arms as a shiver rolls over me. Who is that? And why are they here? Not wanting to stop beside it, I decide to keep walking and decide I can text the twins when I’m around the corner. Suddenly, the back door opens, startling me, and a familiar face jumps out, smiling at me.

“Good morning, Princess!” Ben’s voice makes my heart leap. Without thinking, I run the short distance to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He picks me up effortlessly and pulls me into the vehicle with him. He kisses my forehead, and I glance around to see Atlas driving, Jasper in the passenger seat, and Dom and Max in the back with us. I wave at them all, smiling broadly. Seeing them calms me in a way nothing else does.

I had thought they were upset with me for lying and making Atlas take me home yesterday, but they seem okay today. Atlas even turns to give me a small smile and squeezes my hand tightly before focusing on driving.

“I want to check your arm and clean it for you,” Ben tells me. Oh my god, knowing he’s taking time out of his morning to take care of me makes my heart warm and I feel a goofy grin cover my face. He must know I can’t clean it properly at home. The state of it yesterday must have made that painfully obvious. He probably thinks I’m a clueless kid who doesn’t know how to take care of herself.