William’s POV

I hated myself. I hated myself so fucking much.

Why didn’t I go there to check on her? Why did I trust them? Why didn’t I ask to at least talk to her? Why?

Why?!

They chained my little girl up. They were keeping her in a cage. There was blood on the floor so they must have hurt her badly. What did they do to her? What did they do to my little girl?

“I should have gone there,” Alexander mumbled. “I should have taken her home with me.”

I looked at him and tightened my jaw. I would never let him take her home. She was my sister. Mine!

But being with Alexander would have been so much better than being with those fuckers. She would have been safe. Alexander and Elijah would never have hurt her.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't feel my body. I couldn't leave the fucking car.

None of us could. I parked in front of the house five minutes ago, but all four of us were just sitting in the car, unable to move and go to her.

I wanted to go to her. I wanted to take her into my arms and tell her that she was safe. I wanted to take her into my arms and tell her that I wouldn't let anyone touch her ever again. I wanted to do all those things, but I was so ashamed. How could I look her in the eyes and tell her all that when I made the biggest mistake of my life when I didn’t fight for her?

I should have fought for her. I should have fought my parents. I should have fought Alexander’s parents. I should have told them to go fuck themselves. I should have taken that little girl. I should have raised her. She should have been my child. My little girl.

But I was 17 when she was born. Alexander was 16. We were two young idiots who kept partying, fucking random girls, and hating each other so much that we couldn't even walk past each other without fighting, punching, and breaking something. What would we do with a newborn?

But I should have done it. I should have taken her. I would have found a way to raise her. I would have given up drinking. I would have given up everything for her. I would have been the best dad to her. I would have fucking done whatever I had to do to raise her.

Why the fuck didn’t I do it?! Why?!

Elijah opened the car door and left without saying a word. Damien followed after him.

Alexander and I remained in the car.

“I am done fighting with you,” Alexander said. “I am putting aside everything bad that’s between us. Don’t get me wrong, I still hate your stupid ass, but I am putting it aside.”

I looked at him and saw him gulp.

“I am doing it for her,” he continued, staring through the passenger side window. “She needs us. She needs our love. She doesn’t need us to fight and hate each other. She needs us to love her.”

I gritted my teeth and tried to take a deep breath. It was hard, though. Something heavy was sitting on my chest.

“I won’t let you take her from me,” Alexander said and looked at me. “She is my sister as much as she is yours. If you try to take her from me, I will make sure that you regret it, William. Every stupid shit we did to each other won’t even compare with what I will do to you if you try to take her from me.”

I clenched my fists and tightened my jaw.

“Otherwise, I am done fighting,” Alexander sighed and looked back through the passenger side window. “I want to make her life better, not worse. She’s been through enough. She doesn’t need her family to make her go through more shit. She needs her family to love and support her.”

Alexander opened the door and left my car before I could say anything. I agreed with him, though. She didn’t need us to fight.

I took a deep breath and did the same. I couldn't avoid her. She needed me.

I didn’t even realize that I entered the house. I didn’t even realize that I was walking upstairs and toward her room. I just found myself standing at her door, looking at my little girl who was sitting on her bed.

Luke was next to her. He was holding her hand in one hand and Damien’s phone in the other. His eyes were wide and filled with anger. I knew that he was looking at the photos of the basement.

“What the fuck is this?!” Luke shouted as he looked up at us. “Is this fucking real?!”

Damien nodded and I saw the moment anger exploded inside Luke. He let Sophia's hand go and stormed out of the room. Damien followed after him.

I looked back at my little girl and my heart shattered into millions of pieces. I could imagine her chained to that wall. I could imagine her locked in that cage. I could imagine her laying on that floor bleeding and crying.

I wanted to take her into my arms, but I couldn’t move.

“Oh, my baby,” Alexander cried out as he approached her and sat next to her.

He lifted her up and put her on his lap. I watched as her eyes widened. She visibly tensed up and stopped breathing.

I wanted to rip her out of Alexander’s arms, but I knew that she would react the same toward me or maybe even worse. Alexander talked to her. She knew him. She knew his voice. I never even approached her. She didn’t know me like she knew Alexander.

A wave of jealousy and anger toward him washed over me.

Alexander wrapped his arms around her tightly. He pressed her to his chest and kissed her temple.

“We saw the basement, Sophia,” Alexander said, his voice breaking. “We know what they did. We know what you’ve been through, baby.”

Sophia glanced at him and gulped.

“I am so sorry, Sophia,” Alexander cried out. “I should have taken you from them sooner. I should have been there for you. I am your big brother and I didn’t do shit. I am so sorry for that, baby. I will never forgive myself for it, but I will do whatever I have to do to make sure that nothing like that ever happens to you again.”

Alexander cupped her cheeks and made her look at him.

“You are safe,” he added softly. “You are so loved, Sophia. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. I promise, baby.”

I couldn't see the look on Sophia's face because Alexander turned her head toward him. I saw the look on his, though. He looked like he was about to start sobbing.

“I can see that you don’t believe me, baby,” Alexander said, his voice laced with pain. “I know that you are scared. I know that you grew up with those monsters and you probably think that we are the same.”

I clenched my fists and looked at Elijah. He was leaning against the wall with his head bent down. I could see tears on his cheeks.

“We are not like them, Sophia,” Alexander continued. “Did they tell you that we are?”

I looked back at my little girl and my heart raced. Did they tell her that we would hurt her?

“Tell us what did James and Elizabeth tell you about us,” I heard my brother’s voice.

I looked to my left and saw Damien leaning against the door frame. I didn’t even hear him come.

“They said you took me back to finish the revenge,” Sophia said quietly and I looked back at her immediately. “They said to behave. They said to do exactly what I was told. They said not to complain about the things they did because you told them to do it. They said that you would either kill me or give me back to them.”

The room was completely silent after she stopped talking. I wasn’t sure if any one of us was even breathing.

I felt the anger inside me rise to a whole new level. My vision blackened.

They had no fucking idea what was coming to them.

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Hi, guys. 😊

I am really sorry for the slow updates. I wish I could update more often, but that is just not possible at the moment. I am so in love with this story and the characters, and I am so excited whenever I get a chance to write a chapter. I see every one of your comments, and I appreciate them so much. I promise to update as much as I can, but it will be slow. I apologize once again because of that.

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