The Family Origin

Chapter Thirty-Four: MAISIE POV

I was paralyzed with fear when I listened to Joseph speak with the angry man downstairs. I squeezed my eyes shut as I listened to their conversation. My grip on Briar was tight as I kept her close to my chest, and I prayed she could not feel my panic.

Who was this man?

Why was he so upset about Miles having a wife?

I focused on my breathing to try and calm my pounding heart. Every time the man shouted, I flinched and pulled Briar closer. When Miles told the man to speak to me, it felt like my heart stopped beating. I managed to convince myself to open my eyes when I heard the floor creak under the man's feet as he rushed into our home.

I was standing at the top of the staircase. The man came into view when he entered the kitchen, but he did not see me. He was a middle-aged man, and he was seething with his hands clenched into fists at his side.

His death happened so quickly.

Miles grabbed the back of the man's shirt and pulled him backward. He used a kitchen knife to slit the man's throat. My stomach twisted with nausea when I watched the blood spray across the kitchen. His brief screams sounded gurgled as he choked on his blood. The man's lifeless body dropped to the floor, and I could not stand to look at the horrific scene any longer. I rushed into our bedroom and slammed the door shut. My body trembled, and I feared I would drop Briar. I placed her down in the crib. My hands shook as I ran my fingers over her dark hair. She made her usual small noises as she threw her hands around. She was blissfully unaware of what just happened.

Had she seen her Father murder a man? She was a baby and would have no memory of this moment, but I would have hated for her to see something so brutal. She could not be raised in a house where violence was common. I refused to let her have a childhood like mine.

The door opened, and Miles walked into our room. The sleeve of his shirt was soaked in blood, but the knife was no longer in his hand. Crimson splatters were across his neck, and a few drops landed on his face. Seeing all of the blood made my head spin as I felt the color drain from my face. My knees buckled, and I attempted to hold onto the crib to keep myself on my feet. It was not enough, and my legs gave out underneath me.

Miles rushed over to me. I held onto my temple and closed my eyes to stop my head from spinning. Nausea was bubbling in my stomach, and I chewed on my lip to stop myself from vomiting.

Miles grabbed my wrist to pull my hand away from my face. His fingers were wet with the man's blood. I gasped and tried to pull back, but he tightened his grip to stop me. I gagged, but Miles did not let go. Worry was etched on his face as he leaned in closer, but my attention was focused on the blood coating my wrist.

"Maisie," he said.

"No." My voice cracked. Suddenly, I was aware that I was crying. My cheeks were wet with tears. "Why did you do that? Why did you kill him?"

"I had to do it," he said.

"No!"

"Maisie, don't scream. You don't want to upset Briar."

He was right. If I kept shouting, Briar would start crying and screaming. It was unfair to upset her with my panic. I was unsure if I would speak without raising my voice, so I shook my head.

"He was going to hurt you, Maisie," Miles said. How did he keep his voice so calm? "He was going to try and take you away from this family. He was going to try and take you away from me. I had to kill him to keep you and Briar safe."

I took in a sharp breath to control my tears, but I was not very successful. Miles tightened his hold and was crushing my wrist. A bruise was probably forming under the blood coating my skin.