Page 66 of The Monsters Within

“She walked away. My whole life she walked away.”

“She didn’t. You were taken away from her. She searched for you everywhere. She never stopped looking. You were always the most important thing. When she found you, she forgot about everyone else. She forgot about me!” I yelled.

“She fucking chose you,” Amber sneered, then stomped out of the kitchen.

“Rosebud.” Thorne touched my arm, and I turned an icy glare on my brother. “Talk to me.”

“Why? What’s the point? You won’t believe me. You won’t believe anything. Moms sacrifice for their kids. Val sacrificed her relationship with her daughter so she could be safe. Our mom did the same thing.”

He rolled his eyes at me, and I punched him in the gut, making him double over in pain. “When you’re ready to listen to the truth, come find me.”

“Rose,” he called out, but I barely heard him. The monsters were waking up now. I woke them. I needed them.

Running down the hall, I heard a door open as I took the stairs two at a time. I didn’t look back to see who it was. My name being called sounded like a whisper as the monsters begged to be let out.

I made it to Cash’s room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me. I dug the knife from my pocket and stripped off my clothes. Entering the bathroom, I sat on the edge of the tub. Holding the knife in my hand, I stared at it.

They were in my head. They woke up and demanded payment to take the feelings away. The shame, the anger, the loss. I would lose everything now.

Val would hate me when she found out what I’d done. Cash would be disappointed. He told me he would never leave, but he didn’t deserve someone so broken.

So weak.

I traced the vine on my leg. Dammit! Why did I have to be this way?

You don’t. You can choose to feel. You can choose to face those feelings head-on. Don’t do what I did. Don’t hide it from him. Tell him the truth.

I heard her voice in my head. Tears slipped down my face as I stared at the knife. I hadn’t even realized I’d opened it.

“I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough.”

Let him be your strength. He’s big enough to carry the load. And he wants to. Let him protect you. It’s who he is.

I heard the door to his room crash open. “ROSE!” His shout came seconds before he filled the doorway. I looked up at him with a watery smile.

“I don’t want to be this person anymore.”

Chapter Twenty

Cash

When we got back from the cemetery, Rose asked for the knife. I had told her she could have it back when she was ready to tell her brother everything. She said she was. We went up to our room, and I pulled it out of its hiding spot. When I handed it to her, I asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s time he knew the truth.”

I wanted to be there with her, but she asked for privacy, and it was the hardest thing I’d ever done—letting her speak to him alone.

But I had to trust her.

I sent a text to Torment, giving him a heads-up to make sure he was in the clubhouse. She would need to talk to him when she was done. I should have insisted on being with her.

I wanted to protect her. I wasn’t sure what she would tell him, but if he reacted in any way other than complete and total support, I would kick his judgmental ass.

King’s office was just the distraction I needed to keep me busy while they talked. She wouldn’t be happy when I barged my way in if Mimic said something to upset her. And make no mistake, that was exactly what I would do if that punk-ass kid upset my woman in any way.

“You heard from Jonah?”

“Nothing important. He checks in with Brandy sporadically. He hasn’t been able to learn anything as of yet. Though I think he might be a favored prospect. He was giving Brandy somewhining-ass spiel about always having to be available for the Prez and VP and that was why he couldn’t visit her more.”