Chapter 30

Chapter 30


ELEVEN YEARS AGO.

KENAI.

"You filthy bastard!" Another resounding slap stung my face hard enough to make my ears ring. Blood hit my tongue.

Shannon flinched at the sound. She was standing barefoot among the shards of broken ceramic, her small hands bleeding from where she’d tried to clean it up. Her shoulders shook like she expected the next hit to be hers.

"How many times have I told you to be careful around here?" Another slap, "Do you know how much these costs?" My father yelled, spit flying out of his mouth.

I'd always said this: I'll be the one to kill this man.

He always lost his shit. Especially whenever Shannon was around. Not that he loved me before now. And I didn't give a shit about it. But this girl was a minor—she was fucking fourteen—and he paid attention to her a little too much. Enough that I started keeping an eye on him.

One moment, he’d get violent and angry with her, yelling until she shook. Next, he’d be buying her little gifts, smiling like a doting father.

I didn't trust him one bit. I decided to always take the blame on her behalf.

“Dad, please!” Shannon cried, begging the monster that raised me. “I broke the plates, not him!” She insisted, but my father didn't even spare her a glance. His rage was aimed at me — his favorite outlet. His breathing was ragged, his face red, veins bulging at his temple.

I’d taken the blame before he even walked in. I always did. If he wanted a reason to hit something, I gave him one. Better me than her.

The slap came again, harder this time, and I staggered but stayed upright. My cheek throbbed. My knuckles clenched.

"Clean up this mess!" He spat on more time before he stormed out of the kitchen.

Shannon ran to me, shaking and sniffing, "Kenai... Are you alright?" She stretched and stood on her tiptoes. She touched my face with trembling fingers, trying to see where he’d hit. “I told you not to take the blame again. Why do you keep doing this?” She cried.

I caught her wrists gently before she could hurt herself on the glass. Her palms were already cut, tiny red lines that made my chest twist.

“It’s okay, Shan,” I said, forcing a crooked smile. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

She looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks, and for a second, my chest tightened.

“I’m sorry...” she hiccupped, still crying.

“Shhh,” I hushed her, “I’ll never let any harm come near you, baby. I won’t.” I whispered into her hair and pulled her close, my arms wrapping around her shaking frame.

She nodded against my chest, still crying.

I kissed the crown of her head, holding her tighter.

I loved her. I swear, I fucking did. Since the day she and her mother walked into this house, I knew she was mine... Mine to protect, mine to love, mine to care for, mine to call my little sister.

I'd always wanted a little sibling. And when my Mum died, I thought that dream had died with her until my father decided to do one thing right in his life by bringing in Shannon and her mother.

But there was a problem... I was beginning to love my little sister a little too much.

I wanted to protect her, but the truth was darker:

I wanted to keep her.

Forever.

The thought of not being around her for even a day guts me raw. She was the best companion I had, and the thought of her ever leaving me because a phobia to me.

But there was no need to be scared. She'll always remain my little sister. Because she was mine.

And God help anyone who thought otherwise.



NINE YEARS AGO.

I snuck into her bedroom like I’d done a hundred times before. It was past two in the morning, and sleep wouldn’t come — not after what I saw earlier.

My old man.

Looking at her.

The bastard actually checked her out when she bent over to grab the TV remote. His eyes were glued to her ass, and the second I caught it, something inside me snapped.

My paranoia had been bad before, but that moment lit a fuse I couldn’t put out. I’d always been on edge when it came to Shannon — always reading too much into every man’s look, every word, every goddamn move.

I climbed into her bed quietly. The second my arm wrapped around her waist, she stiffened in her sleep.

Fuck.

This was something else I had to work on. She was becoming a little too self-aware whenever I was around her. I had to fix that before it ruined us.

I admit that I’d crossed a few lines, and I had done a thing or two that she had frowned about. But being scared of me wasn't something I could afford.

She tried to pull away, but I held her tighter.

“Hey… Shan…” I whispered with my lips close to her ear. The house was too quiet; I couldn’t risk waking the monsters down the hall.

“Shh… It’s me. Go back to sleep.”

Her fingers touched my hand, trying to pry it off.

“Are you still upset?” I murmured. “I said I’m sorry.”

"No, Ken. You can't just say sorry after beating someone into a coma. You can't do that!" She was raising her voice, and it wasn't good for us.

"Hey... Dad and Mum would hear us. Keep it down." I hushed, letting her turn.

She twisted in my arms to face me, half sitting, hair falling over her face.

"Vincent only offered to walk me home! You didn't have to beat him up for that," Her voice shook. "Tell me the truth. Are you behind the disappearance of Hardy and Blake?"

Her eyes pleaded for it not to be true. She feared the truth. But she wanted to hear it.

She wanted to believe I wasn’t that kind of monster.

But she already knew I was.

I said nothing for a long moment.

“Stop worrying about those things, Shan,” I finally muttered.

"No. You're taking things too far. I'm your sister. You can't keep on protecting me like this. It's dangerous for both of us, Ken. Please." She sobbed, "I'm tired. I don't even have friends anymore. Everyone avoids me so they don't get beaten. Kenai..."

She was crying now. And all I could see was her trembling, kissable lips as she spoke. They were pink, soft, and perfect.

Fuck.

Her words weren't even registering anymore. I'd never kissed her before. I'd done everything fucking possible to stay sane around her. But... Fuck.

"Are you even listening?" She narrowed her brows.

"Shan..." I tried to pull her close, but she jerked away.

"Stay away from me. Don't touch me. You're a monster... Leave..."

I didn't let her finish her words. I acted swiftly.

I grabbed her waist mid-motion, yanking her back before she could stand. She gasped, and in one swift move, I pulled her against me, climbing over her, and caging her between my body and the bed.

Before she could register what was going on, my lips came crashing down on hers with an urgency that left her breathless.

It wasn’t planned, I swear to fuck. And it wasn’t gentle either. But it was everything I’d buried for years breaking through at once. And I couldn't stop myself anymore.