How can you love someone who took away your freedom?
Alivia Lewis returns home after two years when her brother goes missing and her toxic family needs her help to get him back from the Red Shadows, her father's rival gang. Now she's put in a positi...
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"You're lucky she's not dead," Cassy whispered. My cheek still hurt from when she slapped me. I'm so scared of myself. I do things without thinking, I hate that about myself. It's like a darkness inside me takes control and I don't know until it's too late.
We all have a darkness inside of us. The only difference is that mine has too much control.
I've never overthought so much in my life before. It truly felt like I ruined everything this time. It's not like I can't remember doing it, it's just that I want others to feel pain and I can't stop. Until it's too late. "I know," I replied Cassy. She was so angry at me, it was so obvious. They all are.
"You need to start taking the pills again," Cassy says softly. Those words I hated so much. They don't understand at all. "No, they give me nightmares of Grace," I denied, hoping she would get that I don't want to talk about this. "But look at you! You almost killed Alivia today, Kay. Are you human?" Cassy shouted.
"I don't get what you're talking about because you have no problem killing or torturing people otherwise," I snapped.
"Yeah. People who deserve it! Not this crap. We don't strangle people for fun," Cassy defended. Before I can reply, the door opens and Landon walks in with Ashley trailing behind him. His eyes scanned the room and they darkened in anger when they landed on mine. His hands rolled into fists and he stomped his way to me.
This isn't going to end well.
"Landon," I whispered in an attempt to get him to speak to me but it doesn't work. The only thing it does is get him even angrier. "No! Don't flipping talk to me right now, Kayden!" Landon screamed at me and I take a needed step back.
"Okay," I mumbled but clearly, Landon wasn't done yet. "Do you see her neck? Do you see her wrists? You did that! You abused that girl for what? She went for lunch with her brother, so what? She came back!" Landon screamed at me. "Baby," Ashley attempted and placed her hand on his chest to control him but it doesn't work.
"With a loaded gun and a phone that she's been hiding from all of us!" I reminded them. Landon scoffed and rolled his eyes disappointingly. "Use your damn head for once. Of course, she would get some sort of protection. And before you say what if she was gonna kill us all, she's too innocent for that," Cole speaks up for the first time.
I stare at Cole who leaned on the wall in disbelief. What's he got to do with all of this? They've barely spent time with her. She's not a fucking saint like they picture her to be. "I don't get why you guys are so clung onto her in the first place. She's my problem, not yours," I snapped.
"You idiot," Jace muttered and I turn to him. Oh God, not him too. "No. You are the problem here, Kay. Not Alivia," Jace spoke up too, following Cole's lead. "How am I the problem here? It's not like I meant to hurt her like that, I just got blinded by the rage and it took me over," I fumed, my hands were itching to punch something.
Someone.
"Don't be there yapping about it when you know you could just take the fucking pills to suppress your issues," Cole says only a second later. They're rather expressive today. Landon's hands fisted into the hoodie I wore before I can realize what was happening.
"I swear, if you put your hands on her body like that I'll leave. I have been next to you since day one when you started this gang and you wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for all of us. I fucking love it here but if you hurt that innocent girl like that one more time-" Landon began to threaten and no one stopped him.
I've done a lot of fucked up shit in the last four years with the circle and never once has Landon ever threatened to leave. That scares the shit out of me now. "I won't, I promise. I'll take the pills," I interrupted him and the entire room goes silent. Landon releases his hands and Ashley grabbed him into a side hug.
"Thank fucking God," Jace muttered.
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-A L I V I A L E W I S-
I woke up in the room alone. My body was resting on the comforts of my bed. I was no longer in my outfit and instead,d I wore a pajama set. My hands raised automatically to brush my hair out of my face when I winced at the pain that shot up my arm.
From my wrist.
My eyes fell on the bruise and I just laid there as the memories hit me hard. I'm alive. God, Kayden keeps teaching me how thankful I should be alive. In the worst place possible. My neck felt so much worse. I could still feel his large hands around my neck. Barely putting any weight into my hands because of how badly the bruise hurt, I got off the bed and walked into the bathroom.
My eyes shut as I stood in front of the mirror. My hands were shaking out of nervousness. Years I've worked with my father's men and none of them did anything remotely close to this. I feel weak that Kayden can put his hands on me like that.
I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose before opening my eyes and the girl staring back at me in the mirror looked so broken. Kayden'shandprintt wore proudly on my neck with red and purple bruises where he pressed his force. It was so obvious. His four fingers on the left side and his thumb are printed on the right.
My eyes shut as the tears ran down my red cheeks, breathing seemed so difficult at the moment. My only regret was not taking the gun out sooner or checking the windows before going into the house. There were so many things I could've done to prevent that.
The other door to the bathroom opened and my eyes shot open. I almost forgot we share a bathroom. I stare at Kayden in the depths of his eyes. My body was rooted to the ground, my thoughts were blank and I'm sure my face was ghosted. Kayden's eyes finally leave my eyes and they landed on my neck where his eyes softened. My fists formed, not because I was angry but because I was scared and afraid of shaking in front of him.
His lips parted as if he wanted to say something but the words were never heard. Instead, Kayden's hand dug into his sweatpants pocket and his hand resurfaced with a small bottle. I barely get a glimpse of it because he threw it at me and automatically, I caught it.
"What's this?" I asked while looking st the unlabeled bottle in my hands. It was a familiar orange bottle with a white cover and a blank prescription tape. "My medication. I stopped taking it because it made me more dangerous. More feared, more ruthless, a better gang leader," Kayden stated softly.
Medication for what? What he's saying is that the medication makes him less violent.
"I know I haven't given you any reasons to trust my promises but I mean it, what happened last night would never ever happen again," Kayden sincerely told me and I mentally rolled my eyes.
Sure, buddy.
"I'll take the medication. I promise, I won't put my hands on you like that ever again," Kayden continues to promise.
