The Protectors: New Generation Book 1

49 - More Problems - Dominic POV

The next day brings an urgent message from Grace for me to call her. I excuse myself from the group and rush to the clearing.

When Grace picks up, all I hear is sobbing.

"Damn, Grace what's wrong?"

"Father hit Evan last night."

The thought "seeing red" never meant anything to me until that moment. I ask her to hold on, and I sit and put the phone on speaker. There isn't a reason to melt my phone right now.

"Explain what happened?"

"Evan came home in a good mood. He had passed some test, and he has been talking to that girl. Oh, what's her name?"

"Does it matter?"

"Julia. That's her name. He was so excited. He came in babbling to anyone who would listen. Father came out of his office obviously annoyed but Evan didn't catch it. Evan started talking to Father, and he just smacked Evan and told him to 'Shut up!' When tears formed, he was smacked again, this time harder. Father said he didn't want to hear his nonsense about stupid things in life. He told Evan he needed to concentrate on his future and not getting in the pants of some silly teenager."

The grass next to me is smoking, and I try to calm myself by breathing.

I scream at the top of my lungs and try to talk.

"Dominic, are you still there?"

"Yeah."

"Did you just scream?"

"Yeah."

Silence fills the air.

"I'll figure something out, Grace."

People start dotting the tree line.

"I have to go. I'll figure something out. I promise."

"Can you make it soon, please. I don't think Evan and I can take any more of this treatment. I'm afraid now."

"I love you, sis. Stay strong and I'll contact you as soon as I come up with a new plan."

She's crying.

"I promise. Please trust me," I say and hang up before anyone makes it to where I'm sitting.

I know they are going to be concerned but I can't deal with that now. I carefully pick up my phone and head in the other direction. Someone calls my name and I try to ignore it, but I hear it again. I know they'll follow so I tell them I need some alone time, for them not to bother me and I run off into the forest furthest away from the cabin.

I walk for what seems like forever before I stop. Let's hope no one is going to follow me this far. What the hell am I to do now? Father is taking his frustration out on Evan in a physical way. What's to stop him from hitting Grace? What's to stop him from hitting Evan harder the next time?

The darkening forest matches my mood, The thoughts bouncing around in my head keep me from thinking clearly..

If I hadn't gotten so distracted by this training and Ande, I could have had them out by now. If I had a better plan before EJ showed up, I could have had this fixed. If I had chosen a different budget, I could have had my own apartment and they could be living with me.

It is a constant stream of doubt and guilt. I want it to end, but my anger still hasn't dissipated. I want to throw something, lash out, anything, but I'm afraid I'll burn the whole forest down. What the hell good is having magic if you can't use it when you want? My thoughts go to my adoptive father, and what it would feel like to watch him burn. To set fire to his trophy house with him in it—after I got everyone else out, of course. What would he think when I saw what I had really been doing? What I've actually become? The situations I can get myself out of.