Page 36 of The Fight For Survival

"No. I don't. I left that place so that I could forget about it."

"How is that working so far?" Cade snarks.

I rummage through my fridge for a bottle of water, opening it and chugging half the bottle. "Did you come here to start a fight?" I ask Cade. It seems like that is what he is here for. I honestly didn't think I would see him again after that letter. I study him, looking for signs of disgust, pity, anything to show me he doesn't want to know me anymore. I don't see that, though. What I see is worry and something I don't want to name.

"No. Of course not. I read that fuckingletter, and the first thing I wanted to do was see you. Make sure you are okay. But you're not, are you? You've never been okay."

That damn lump is in my throat again. "I hope that one day I will be," I tell him softly. Cade blinks rapidly like he is trying to stop more tears.

"Have you spoken to anyone? A therapist?" I scoff at that. "Why would I do that? How the fuck would that help me?"

"They have experience in that field, Kane. They could help you deal with your trauma."

Would I ever be able to deal with my trauma? Running away hasn't helped. Would therapy really help me? What would that mean for my future? Could I go home? With all these thoughts going through my head, I almost miss Cade's next words.

"I want you to tell me all of their names."

"Why?"

"Because we are going to get revenge," he tells me with a cold stare that terrifies me. I have never seen that look on Cade's face before.Revenge.I taste the word on my tongue. I never thought about reporting the men who abused me because they scared the living hell out of me. They said if I ever told. They would find a way to hurt me in a way I couldn't risk. They knew who Cade and Mia were. I don't know how, but they did.

"We can't, Cade," I tell him, sorrow in my tone.

"Why not?"

"Because they threatened you and Mia. They might find a way to get to you if I got them arrested."

"You misunderstood me, Kane."

"Huh?"

"I don't want to get them arrested," he tells me with a glint in his eyes that cause the hairs on the back of my arms and neck to stand up.

"You don't?" I ask, wariness in my voice.

"No. I want to kill them."

Shaking my head, eyes widening, I ask, "are you serious?"

"Deadly. I know a few people that I tattoo who could help track them down."

"Cade, stop. You're not thinking straight. We can't just kill people!"

Stepping towards me, he growls, "they are not fuckingpeople. They don't deserve to breathe on this earth. They are sick monsters who need to be dealt with."

The Cade I know isn't standing in front of me right now. No, right now is an avenging angel who wants to get justice for me. Could I let him do this for me? No. What if he got caught? His life would be over. He'd rot away in prison for the rest of his life, and where is the justice in that? Mia would lose him.Iwould lose him. "I can't let you do it, Cade."

He stares at me for a second before his shoulders slump in defeat

"It's the only way to get you home to us," he whispers brokenly.

Fuck, his words make me feel so damn sad, but that fact that he is willing to kill for me, just to have me around, makes me want to burst with elation. I walk closer to him, surprise in my tone. "You would kill to get me to come home?"

"If I had to."

I step closer. "I mean that much to you?"

"Yes," he growls.