Page 19 of Not Her Day to Die (Star-Crossed #2)

A xel rubs his bloodied fists, the anger he felt at not being able to stop Rick from taking Sunday. Of watching her fall into the disgusting man’s arms.

Of the betrayal from having someone that evil so close to them.

It was nearly unbearable.

He didn’t want to believe it. Hoped the plan would fall apart because of it.

But then he had watched Rick wait for Sunday.

And Axel knew. Knew that she was right.

It was only Grayson holding him physically back that stopped Axel from jumping out and beating Rick to death.

Axel sits at the end of Sunday’s bed, tapping his foot and staring at the TV.

“She’s going to be okay.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Axel wants to jump up, wants to beat his brother to a bloody pulp, but he refrains.

His heart is a pulverized mess of longing, regret, and liquid rage.

But he isn’t mad at Grayson. Only at himself.

That he wasn’t able to stop Sunday and this half-cocked plan.

“Does she look okay?!” Axel screams.

He gesticulates, throwing his hands up and jumping to his feet .

Her face takes up most of the screen. This is her second interview she has been a part of. A united front with the Thornes. Except it is just her up there with Sterling.

Darius isn’t anywhere in sight.

“We hope one day soon that she will join our family, but of course she needs to recover both mentally and physically from her unfortunate trauma caused by my eldest son’s declining mental health.” Sterling has an arm wrapped around Sunday as he speaks.

She hasn’t said anything other than yes or no, but even still, the camera stays focused on her as Sterling continues to speak.

Most wouldn’t notice, but Axel can see the way she flinches as Sterling squeezes her shoulder. Her injured shoulder.

The way her face is pale, her eyes lifeless, her lips chapped under the ridiculous makeup they put on her.

“They’re draining her. They’re hurting her. We can’t just stay here and do nothing!” Axel turns his wrath on Grayson. “You saw what happened when they took our fucking mother, she turned into a husk. What if the same happens to Sunday?”

“Shut the fuck up!” Grayson yells back, a vein pulsating in his temple.

“Do you think I don’t see it? That this isn’t tearing me apart too?

Do you forget you aren’t the only one suffering!

” He breaks away, pacing the room instead.

After a few tracks, he pauses to glare at Axel.

“I fucking love her too. But we can’t stop her!

You know how many fucking times we tried to?

She’s actually trusting us, what were we supposed to do?

Lock her in a closet and never let her out? !” Grayson heaves in and out.

“Yes,” Axel says. “We should have locked her away.”

“Because that worked so well to stop the loops before.”

In the very beginning, Axel had made them try it, but it hadn’t worked. She’d somehow still managed to die .

Grayson falls onto the bed, his head in his hands. “Why? Why does it have to be like this?”

Axel’s fury leaves him in an instant. Grayson isn’t the enemy here. “We told her we would give her a week. In three days we start part two of this plan. And then if nothing changes, I am going to break down the Thorne’s door myself.”

Axel pictures the gun in his mind. Where he put it. Where to find more.

“Agreed.”