𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 ⌜𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿⌟

29. 𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗖𝗛

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 29. 𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗬

"𝗦𝗢 𝗗𝗜𝗢 is traveling to America?"

You sat at the table, your elbows placed on the surface as your fingers laced through your hair. Echo sat across from you, Buck was leaning against the counter. Daylight had come, and you could hear the boy's giggles as he played in the bedroom in the back of the house.

"He must not have received the word about us escaping here," Echo said, glancing at Buck. "Our plan to throw him off must have worked after all."

"He knows you're here," Your voice carried through the room.

Echo watched as your arm dropped onto the table, your head following it after a moment. You shifted your arms to wrap around your head. The other two glanced at each other.

"What makes you think so?" Buck asked.

"The book. The meaning of To Kill a Mockingbird is to destroy someone's innocence. Many years ago, Dio called me his mockingbird; his innocence," You mumbled from the table.

"What does that mean?" Echo looked at Buck in confusion before looking back to you. You lifted your head a little, your bright crimson eyes becoming visible to them.

"He's asking me for his forgiveness."

"How do you know that, Vex?" Echo asked.

"To Kill a Mockingbird is both contentious and humane," You placed your hands on the table and pushed yourself up. "It encourages readers to feel sympathy even for those who are seemingly irredeemable."

Echo's lips parted at your expression. They couldn't distinguish one emotion from the next, but they could see the hatred swirling in your eyes. They rose along with you, placing their hand on your arm.

"Vex, don't do anything rash."

"What I do will be nothing compared to the things Dio has done to me," You whispered. "I have been alive for 100 years. Half of my life, I have spent searching for this bastard. And for what? Because I fell in love with him when I was seventeen? I was a stupid, ignorant teenager. I just wanted the money. But in the end, I only wanted him. I threw my own humanity away for him, and this is what I recieve in return?"

"I can't imagine your pain, Vex..." Echo said.

"Nobody can," You shook your head softly, a smile creeping on your face. Echo's eyes softened at the tears that formed in the corner of your eyes, your lips trembling. "Nobody will ever understand the things I've done for him. Even I don't. I do not know why I've followed Dio."

"Love makes you do bad things," Buck said. "But that doesn't make you into a bad person, Vex."

"My name isn't Vex," You said, pulling your hands away from the table. "It's Y/n."

You brought your hands to your face before raking them through your hair. Echo sighed softly, their arms crossing over their chest as they watched you lean against the counter, your hands behind you.

"Y/n," Echo said. "Why don't you help us protect Atticus?"

You flicked your gaze up at them. "Why?"

"Atticus is not to blame in this situation. He is only a victim of circumstance. His mother was slaughtered in front of him, and he's in constant fear knowing that the man who did it is now after him," Buck pushed off the counter. "The one to blame for this is Dio."

Buck was right. Dio was the one at fault here. Not this poor boy. Like Echo said, he was just a victim of circumstance. He was probably oblivious to everything that was going on. He had no idea what his parents had been. What kind of monster his father was.

But the tightness in your chest never seemed to fade. Dio had betrayed you. He'd given into another woman. While you were in his arms, at that? Did he believe that this woman would just be another snack for him, and not even given her another thought? And Echo said that Atticus wasn't the only one. Just how many children had Dio had?

He knew that he'd made a mistake. That's why he was trying to kill Atticus. He was trying to cover his tracks. Destroy any evidence of his infidelity to you.

"I'll help you," You said, making them both look at you.

"You will?" Echo asked.

"If it makes that motherfucker squirm," Your eyes darkened. "I'll do anything."

"Atticus!" Buck called. "Come in here, boy!"

There was some shuffling down the hall before footsteps carried through the house. The boy ran into the kitchen, bouncing at the doorway. His eyes were bright, and he was smiling.

"Yes?"

"Come here," Echo said, extending their arm out. "There's someone you need to meet."

"Huh?" He asked, walking to their side.

"Atticus," Echo began. "This is Y/n. They're a friend of me and Buck, and they're going to help us, okay?"

"Okay!" He chirped. "I'm Atticus!"

Your lips tugged into a smirk. "Pleasure to meet you, Atticus."

"Oh!" He giggled. "I like your accent! Do you want a piece of candy?"

You sunk into a crouch. "I'd love a piece."

"Do you like butterscotch?" He asked, digging his hand into the bowl on the counter.

"One piece, Atticus!" Buck said.

"Butterscotch would be lovely," You chuckled.

Atticus giggled as he ran past Buck and dashed to you. He stopped in front of you, holding the yellow wrapped candy out to you. He placed it in your palm, but paused, his hands cupping under yours.

"You got hurt," He said, bringing his gaze to your face. "Does it hurt?"

"Atticus, don't ask things like that," Echo frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He turned to face you. "I didn't know that was rude to ask."

"It's alright," You smiled softly, unwrapping the candy. "They don't hurt anymore. It happened a very long time ago."

"That's good," He said, watching you place the candy onto your tongue. "Can you open mine?"

"Of course," You said, unwrapping the sweet for him.

Atticus smiled, though it faded after a moment. "Is my father going to hurt me, Y/n?"

"As long as I'm around," You said quietly. "Your father will never get close enough to lay a finger on you."

Atticus looked down at the ground. After a moment, he darted forward, throwing his arms around your neck. Your eyes widened in surprise, your body tensing up. He buried his face into your shoulder.

"He hurt Echo and Buck," He whispered. "I'm scared he'll hurt us too."

Your shoulders relaxed. You brought your arms around the boy, resting your hand on the back of his head. You rose to your feet, cradling him against your chest as he clung to you.

"He won't hurt anyone," You said.

Echo watched your gaze harden, your eyes deepening to a blood red. The boy's grip on your shirt tightened.

"I'll kill him before he touches any of you."

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 29. 𝗘𝗡𝗗
𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: 30 𝗔𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗟 2023
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