BREA POV
The sole of the red shoes she wore glinted in the sun before it smashed against the side of my face. A strangled cry escaped my lips, the throbbing pain fading into a burn as their laughs crackled around me. It was supposed to hurt worse, but they'd already hit me in the face so many times that my face felt numb.
"She's such a weakling. Look at her lying there all pathetic" The girl that stomped on me got out and spat on my face while the two boys and the girl to her right giggled.
"There's nothing she can do though. Worthless piece of garbage" the boy snarled and I winced, letting out a sharp hiss when his hand twisted in my air. My whole body ached as he forced me to gaze into his eyes.
"You should be kissing the very ground that I'm walking on Brea Larson. What, you think you're all that because you come from an elite family? Newsflash, doll face! Your family is nothing! Do you hear me? Without the money my father invested in your stupid family business, you'd have been a pauper living in the gutter!" He spat angrily, his grip tightening until it felt like my head was on fire.
"Let go of me Brandon" I managed to get out, then almost blacked out when he punched me in the gut. I flopped on my face, my head reeling. He was saying something, but everything hit me like a buzz. Nasty words that I'd had to listen to all my life started to get louder and louder until my ears couldn't handle them.
My Mom's voice was the loudest of them all. "Be nice to Brandon ok. We are nothing without his father's money. At least try to be useful for once in your life now that we know he likes you. He pushed for the investment Brea, so do not mess it up for us. If we lose this opportunity because of your stupidity, I'm going to send you off to the orphanage".
She was going to give me away. I didn't do anything to deserve this, any of this. They always targeted me, the girl that was never good enough, the girl who wasn't rich enough... They would never accept me. I was an outsider. Always have been.
I'm yanked to my feet, and Brandon yells in my face before his hand smacked me hard, then two more punches. "I am going to make you my bitch whether you like it or not" he yelled, then smacked my cheek so hard, my head almost snapped off my neck.
A rage I never knew existed clouded my lungs, it rushed upward until it poisoned everything In my veins, and it suffocated me. I couldn't breathe, and my hand just worked on its own, as if it had always known what to do to set itself free from the pain.
I snatched out the pencil I always carried around with me, and with unfamiliar precision jabbed it into his throat as he pulled his arms back to hit me again. He froze in shock, his eyes widening.
The quiet that surrounded me was peaceful, and the pain faded a little until the scream picked up, crescendoing to a point where it felt like I would bleed out of my ears.
Blood splashed on my shirt as Brandon's wide eyes continue staring into my soul, his hand wrapping tightly around the end of the pencil, but I felt nothing, no remorse, no regret, no pity. All I felt was freedom. He was never going to hurt me again.
*******
"You almost killed him, Brea... How could you do this after what I told you" she yelled as she shook me harshly before letting me go? I gasped, tears streaming down my face.
"He wouldn't stop... He wouldn't stop hitting me, Mother"...
She hit me across the face and it was so unexpected that my teeth sunk into my lips. I tasted blood and my heart ceased to beat for a second as I stared at Mother's harsh gaze.
"You are lucky that he is still breathing, if he wasn't, you'd have been dead too. He hit you? Couldn't you take a little beating? Huh? Are you that weak? He was just playing with you and you stabbed him in the neck, you psychopath!"
Her words hit me like a load of truck and instead of it tearing my soul into pieces, all they did was graze it. A mantra repeated itself in my head. He cannot hurt you anymore. He cannot hurt you anymore. I repeated the mantra over and over again until a smile touched my lips.
I blinked, my gaze clashing with those of my mother's horrified one. "You are out of your mind Brea and I'm going to make sure I fix you. I will fix you until you are right again" she stated, then looked over my shoulder as the doctor approached. I turned to face him at the same time he grabbed my hand.
"I'll take it from here Mrs Larson".
Mother nodded once, turned, and left the room without a backward glance.
********
SIX MONTHS LATER.
Mother was waiting by the car with a young boy by her side. She didn't look happy to see me, just as it had always been, but at least she cared. Father wanted nothing to do with me.
I wished she would rush forward and hug me, but she just stood where she was until I got to her.
She didn't trust that I was ok, but I was going to make Momma believe in me again. I would win her trust.
"Meet your brother, Markus" she introduced, and I glanced at the child who smiled wildly at me. "He's been well-behaved ever since we got him... maybe you could learn a thing or two from him".
"You are so pretty Brea. Your eyes are amazing" he stated in awe, his eyes sparkling.
I ignored his blabbering because he was of no consequence.
"I will do anything you want momma. Please, I am sorry for everything. I got better. I swear".
She reached for my wrist and jerked me toward her. "You better be telling the truth, because you make one more mistake, you're going to be left here to rot" she threatened and let go of me. I rubbed at my wrist, her threat making the anger simmering in my chest grow. I clenched my fist.
"I'll be registering you for your new school. It is for a purpose, and this time, you better do what I tell you" she said, then yanked the door of the car open. "Get in before I change my mind," she said, and I quickly scrambled into the car.
Markus came in after me, his gaze lingering until I glared.
"Be nice to your brother you little menace" Mother snapped. "You freaking ruined our lives. Markus here is the only one keeping us together so watch how you deal with him. Got it".
My fingers dug harder against my palm."Yes ma'am" I choked out and she rolled her eyes before her gaze shifted.
The plan -it turned out- was for me to befriend Ana Mason... She was going to be our ticket to getting investment from her Dad. If I fucked this up, then it would be all over for me. I shuddered as I thought back to the days I spent in rehab. Maybe I was a bit mad. Being there so long made me feel like an empty shell that was being smashed into pieces.
"Hi, Ana" I managed once I stood in front of her.
Her gaze shifted in my direction, the lack of interest in them glaringly obvious.
Her lip curved slightly. "Are you by chance speaking to me"?
The two girls by her side kept their gaze glued to mine, an unbelievable look on their faces.
"Yes, Ana... I just came..." I gasped when my neck was grabbed from behind, the grip of my assailant cutting off my air supply. I thrashed until I thought I was going to die.
Ana stepped toward me, the eerie smile still on display. "Thrash like you do not deserve to call me by my name," she said then grabbed my jaw, a nail cutter in her other hand. "The next time you dare to disrespect me" The sharp edge of the blade pressed at the soft skin near my ear, then sliced through. "I'll do more than this," she said and shoved me, her eyes darting to the person whose hard grip was still around my throat. Black dots filled my vision. He let go of me abruptly. I fell to the floor, wheezing as I tried to catch my breath.
The four of them laughed and it was like my old school all over again.
"She didn't even fight back. She'll be our new toy for this semester" Ana announced with a giggle, dumped her coffee over my head, and left with her friends.
I watched them go knowing that I was failing Mother. If she found out about this, then it was back to the asylum.
The darkness that poisoned my veins stirred in my chest, urging me to do something crazy, urging me to hurt them back for hurting me.
But I couldn't, not if I wanted to rot away forever as Mother threatened, but I will find a way. I was going to achieve the impossible, and I was going to do it while simultaneously bringing them down.
Everyone who hurt me was going to pay.
HIGH SCHOOL BREA POVI anticipated the scream before I heard it. It was sharp, it was shrill, it was pain-filled, and yet, it symbolized a turning point in my life. The trashcan she'd kicked lay to her right, the content of it spilled haphazardly across the tiles. I turned the corner, and I see everyone fleeing away from Ava as blood pooled around her feet. Her big toe had an ugly gash- it was almost split in half and even as her voice rang out for help, everyone stayed back, keeping their careful distances, the look of utter horror on their faces.The same was the case for her besties- I always knew that they didn't care for her enough. They watched, huddling each other in a corner, both of them just staring at Ana as if she was an alien they had not seen in their lives before. It was hard to imagine that this was the trio that had terrorized me ever since I got here. The recent bruises they'd left on me after their assault was just starting to fade. I rushed towards Ana, then cro
BREA POVFOUR YEARS LATER."Why are you just sitting here looking like the loneliest block on planet Earth?" Candice screamed in my ear as the loud music thrummed through the room, but I was too buzzed out to make out the words she was saying.Even her features were distorted. Just how many glasses was it that I'd spent my night drowning?"Hey, you're zoning out. Are you sure you're well? Do I need to get Brian," she screamed, and I blinked the dizziness away, groaning in irritation. If she kept screaming in my ear, she was going to be blamed for the outcome. My hands twitched, itching to pull out the little dagger I kept stocked away in my boot."Get out of my face," I managed to get out of my burnt-out lungs. At least now I knew drowning shots of vodka was not my strong suit. I was definitely not a heavy drinker, no matter how I wished I was.Not being able to do something made me feel as if I lacked in a way, and that was why I overcompensated in other areas.Candice shrugged and l
BREA POVThe gorgeous man was Ana's fiancé. I found out the next day, after waking up with a righteous headache and almost puking out my guts. Ana had been the perfect host that even my hate from the night before was all but forgotten.When Ana repented four years ago, she'd meant it, and now it was hard to fault her for anything. It made me mad, because if I was going to hurt someone, I needed a reason for it, and Ana had done nothing wrong, except deliberately throwing her wealth in my face. But I was sure even that wasn't deliberate. We were all at a restaurant - the fiancé's treat - and I wondered why the world was so unfair. Ana always had the best things, and sometimes, I hated her for it. I'd tried not to be like the rest of the selfish population, but I couldn't help the envy in my chest. My heart drummed unsteadily in my chest as Ryder's gaze locked with mine. He must have noticed me staring since I've been told I have a searing gaze that drew one's attention. He raised a
NICOLAI POVThe scream of the man on the torture table wasn't loud enough. He'd lost a lot of blood and his voice, and that was disappointing.I pulled out my dagger from his thighs and he groaned, blood spilling from his lips as he coughed in pain.At least his tortured face wasn't a disappointment. He looked like he was ready to give up, but I wasn't done.The door opened, and my brother walked in, his eyes widened as he took in my handiwork. I loved the reaction because it meant I did a good job."That has got to hurt" Lucas grimaced and I smirked."I was trying to draw a dragon, but he ruined it by squirming around like a little bitch," I said pointing to the craving on his skin, blood sipping out of every cut and incision. "He wouldn't stay still, so now I have to start all over, on a neat canvas. His back is still untouched so that's next." I grinned, and the man's eyes widened as he imagined it, which was exactly what I wanted him to do. "As long as it puts you in a good mood,
BREA POV "I know what you plan to do Brea" Markus's voice whispered into my ear, his body hovering over mine. My hands stilled under the running water and I managed not to flinch. I hadn't heard him move, and I'd thought he was still at school. "You and your friends already canceled the trip so why did you suddenly push for it when you were with them this afternoon... Was it because of Ryder?" He asked, the annoyance in his voice loud and clear for me to pick up.I wasn't surprised that he'd been there instead of school. I guess he was getting very good at following me around since I hadn't even sensed him in the vicinity at all, which was as well since I had been very preoccupied with Ryder."Don't be ridiculous." I scoffed as I turned off the tap, and met his manic gaze in the mirror. "I don't have to give you an explanation".I wasn't surprised when he grabbed and yanked me to face him. He was pissed, and the puff of his angry air hitting me in the face made me cringe."I deserve
BREA POVThe night was utter chaos. Candice had tried to run, and she'd grabbed Brian's hand at the last minute, but a shot in their direction had rendered them immobile till three of the men holding guns rounded us up. They shoved at us, rough-handling anyone that tried to resist as they pushed us toward their boss. Ana's pale face told me she was on the verge of fainting but Ryder was still holding her hand, so I guess she had someone to lean on. I was all on my own. My hackles rose as the guy behind me shoved me harder, his gun digging into my back, the threat that it could go off at any minute making me tremble. I shouldn't be afraid, I told myself as we're all shoved to our knees. The real person to fear was the man we were kneeling in front of. I'd seen the crazed look in his eyes on most of the worst inmates at the asylum... Those that had always tried to hurt me. He was no different, I could tell just from the first glance. He would hurt me if he got the chance, so maybe a b
BREA POV"You jerk... How dare you put us all in danger. Brea is the reason why we're all in this mess, Ryder, and yet you went back for her" Ana yelled, jabbing a finger into his chest.He yanked her hand away, then crowded over her, his annoyance coating his whole demeanor. "What should I have done huh? Did you expect me to just leave her there with those men. I would've been dead if it wasn't for her. She stood in front of a gun for me without fearing the consequences"."Oh please don't use that foolish excuse! We're all still in danger of dying because they're going to come after us and hunt us all down like dogs, and who's to blame for that? We would have never been here if it wasn't for Brea. We already canceled this freaking trip remember" Ana yelled louder, before turning to face me."I should just kill you where you stand... In fact, I should have just killed you a long time ago... So what if you saved me from bleeding to death... I shouldn't have given you so much credit..."
BREA POV The sound of dirt bikes roaring in the distance made my heart squeeze. I should’ve guessed. They wouldn’t run after us like a typical chase. Why would they waste their energy hunting in the wrong direction? Or on foot. The boss had looked smarter than that.I skidded to a stop, my mouth dry and my chest heaving. I wanted to give up. Could I really outrun a bike while running on foot? I highly doubted it.What do I do? What do I fucking do! I panicked, my mind getting frantic as different thoughts filtered through my head. He was going to kill me if he caught up with me, there was no doubt about it.My neck craned as I peered up the length of a knobby-looking tree. The branches were symmetrically placed, the leaves not exactly thick but its trunk looked strong enough to hold my weight and the leaves were enough to keep me out of his sight. I hoped no maggots or snakes were teaming under the branches tho, but I didn't care. I just needed to live through the night. I’d never