“Because I found out who the fuck they were, and he went to school today.”
I feel my body melt, like a some of the weight has just been lifted off my body, but then my focus returns to him.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got some things to do, beautiful girl. Someone to find,” Ty replies, cool and detached.
The room feels smaller now, my breaths rushing at the thought of him out there, in danger.
“But…”
Ty doesn’t move at first, but his gaze shifts—like he’s measuring me, pulling apart every emotion I try to hide. But I don’t look away.
“Do you think they should die, Raven?” He suddenly questions, shifting the subject to something darker. Something that makes my blood run cold.
I blink blankly, trying to process what he’s saying. The words don’t seem to connect, don’t make sense.
“What?” My bottom lip trembles as I ask.
His eyes never leave mine, his stare unblinking. “His parents. Do you want them dead?”
The question isn’t just about them anymore. It’s about everything—the system, the people who hurt him, the ones who let it happen. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, and the only thing I can do is fall.
“Yes,” I whisper and the word escapes before I can stop it. My hand flies to my mouth, like it can somehow pull it back inside, but it’s already out there.
Ty’s growl is dangerous, and it vibrates like a warning. He stands up straighter, his gaze still fixed on mine, but now there’s something sinister in it.
He gives a calm head gesture to behind him. “So, get your coat and fucking keys.”
My eyes widen as he turns his back to me, heading over to the bed to grab his bag and axe. I stand there, stuck on the spot, but eventually, I start to shuffle forward. Curiosity not only getting the better of me, but that little boys cries echoing in my mind.
…
The rain pelts against the windshield as if trying to smash its way in, the rhythmic slapping of the wipers doing little to swipe the water away. The highway stretches ahead as I twist my fingers around the steering wheel.
“Where are we going?” I finally ask, glancing at him, trying to gauge his mood, but he’s blank; just staring at me from behind his hood.
“We’re going to chop them into tiny fucking pieces,” Ty says, his tone casual, like he’s explaining the weather or giving directions.
My stomach twists violently. “What? What do you mean “we”?”
He smirks faintly, his thumb brushing across his bottom lip. His gaze is dark, calculating, and all too knowing. I feel exposed under it. It’s like he’s staring at the woman of his dreams and as if he wants to devour me whole and spit me out as his dark princess.
“I’m not like you, Ty,” I blurt, my words stumbling over each other as my eyes drag down him, unable to stop myself. “I don’t have a…” I look forward, refocusing on the road ahead. “Strong stomach.”
He hums softly, an almost amused sound. “It’s okay, freckles,” he murmurs. “You will after tonight.”
I swallow hard as I try to force myself to keep calm. But the little boy’s screams echo faintly in the back of my mind, and it reminds me why I said I wanted them to die in the first place. While they’re alive, the more harm will come to him. He’s not safe with them. He never will be.
Ty’s chilled presence unnerves me, his absolute lack of hesitation in what’s about to happen. My hands tighten on the wheel again as I brace myself. I don’t know if I’m fucking ready for this, for what he’s about to show me, for what it will mean to see him unleash the beast inside him right in front of me at the highest level.
…
Finally, we pull into a street lined with sprawling mansions, the kind of wealth that doesn’t just scream privilege but flaunts it. I cut the engine, and the quiet buzz dies, leaving only the patter of rain. My eyes lock on a lit-up house across from us, its golden glow spilling into the darkness.
“But… is he there?” I whisper. “I don’t want him to find his parents like that.”
Ty doesn’t look at me as he growls. “He’s not there. He stays with his aunt and cousins every Wednesday after school.”