Chapter 62 - Family

Four Years Earlier (2014)

"Now, now, we might want to relax," the man who was speaking earlier said. He got up from the sofa, and made his way to me.

"Aren't you a beautiful little girl," he said, grabbing my chin. "Now, we wouldn't want to hurt this fragile little flower, would we?"

His other hand travelled towards my face as well, and he was about to touch me, when an all too familiar voice stopped him.

"Get away from her."

I froze, completely. He couldn't have been here. He shouldn't have been. No. He would expose our connection to my family, and everything would be ruined. He shouldn't have come himself to help me this time.

"Maxon?" The man in front of me frowned.

"I said, get away from her," Shadrach repeated, now finally stepping into my view, placing his hand onto the man's shoulder. The man frowned, taking a step away from me, and my eyes now shifted to my family, to see their reactions. They were all wide eyed, except Aunt Katie. Even Klara looked shocked, and I knew she probably recognized him from the night he saved us.

Shadrach glared at the man who was aiming a gun at me, and he instantly backed away from me, letting me go. But for some reason, I was frozen in position. I could not move. Shadrach walked up to me and stood right in front of me.

"Are you okay Butterfly?" He asked softly.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, shocked. He looked slightly guilty, but didn't reply to my question.

"Maxon, Son," Mom said, gaining both our attention. "Your Uncle is in the police, right? You said that when you saved Aliza. You have to call him, these men are threatening us to take our complaint back against this guy's son. His son killed my cousin's husband! This man's son is a murderer!"

Shadrach didn't turn to look at her, but his gaze shifted to the floor, his lips pursed together. What happened next, made me frown.

The killer's father started laughing.

"You're asking him to help you?" He asked in disbelief. "He's my nephew, his father, my brother, is the most dangerous crime lord in the country."

A gasp escaped Mom's lips, while I felt like I'd collapse any second.

Shadrach's cousin had killed Klara's father. Shadrach's cousin had killed Uncle Jake. Shadrach was not here to help me, or save me. He was here with his bloody family to threaten us.

A tear escaped my eye and I looked up at him, feeling my throat burn. He looked at me with sad eyes, but did not say anything.

"Is that true?" I whispered, not giving a fuck about my family being there. Not anymore.

Shadrach did not reply, he just looked away.

"Shadrach," I whispered, "is that true?"

He looked at me, and sighed.

"That bastard is my cousin, yeah," he nodded.

"Why did you come here?" I asked. "Tell me the truth."

"I didn't know your family was involved, or I would have never let this happen," Shadrach replied, trying to place his hand on my shoulder, but I stepped away from him.

"I asked you, why did you come here? What's your purpose to be here?" I repeated my question. He looked away from me, running a hand through his hair.

"He came with us, obviously, you stupid bitch," his Uncle replied. Shadrach suddenly took out his revolver, loaded it, and pressed the barrel to his Uncle's forehead. A gasp escaped my lips, and I stepped back, while all the armed men with them didn't even flinch.

"What the fuck are you doing Maxon?" His Uncle asked, his eyes wide.

"You disrespect her again, and I'll blow your brains out," Shadrach threatened, making goosebumps rise on my skin. I did not know what to do. I did not know what to feel. But one thing was certain. My good time with him was over.

"Who the fuck is she to you? Some little slut?" His Uncle asked, making me look away in disgust.

"Uncle!" Shadrach yelled at the top of his voice, making me flinch. Rachael rushed to me, and put her arm around me to comfort me. "Do not make me fucking kill you."

"So this is what it has come to? This little bitch is now-" his Uncle started, but he could not finish his sentence. Because Shadrach hit him in the face with the back of his gun, also proceeding to shoot him in the leg. I was shook. A scream escaped my lips, and my head instantly began to pound. I covered my mouth in shock, whilst my entire body trembled in fear. The blood from his Uncle's wound had splashed onto Shadrach's face, and for the first time, I could see him for the demon he really was.

A murderer. A killer. A person belonging to a corrupt, cruel family. Someone who knew no morals, no empathy.

A cold-hearted monster.

"Take him to a fucking hospital," he ordered the guards, and they instantly obliged. They picked his Uncle up and carried him outside.

"All of you can leave too, just tell Simon to get here. And no one utters a word about this to father, do you understand?" He asked the remaining guards, and they all nodded. "Go."

The other guards left as well, leaving just my family and Shadrach in the room. He took a deep breath, before facing my parents and Aunt Katie.

"I'm really sorry for your loss, and well, your carpet," he said, looking down at the blood spilt on it. "Anyway, my Uncle is an asshole. Likes to show off with my Dad's power, and all. I got rid of him for you guys, but only for now. As soon as he's up and walking again, he's gonna keep bugging you, threatening you guys, etcetera. So it's better if you just do what he asked you to. Don't worry, we'll give you guys any amount of money you want, you name it, and it will be delivered to your doorstep in an hour. We are not insensitive to feelings, we have families too, and we can imagine how hard it'll be for you guys to manage everything without a man."

I could not believe it. The longer he talked, the lower he fell in my eyes. Shadrach was exactly the kind of person I thought he'd be. A rich, spoilt, criminal.

"Who the fuck is my daughter to you?" Dad asked, obviously paying no heed to his words. My heart raced faster, knowing that a storm was brewing.

"Your Daughter," Shadrach said softly, now looking at me. "Is the love of my life, Sir. I love Alizabeth, and she I know that she loves me back, even if she doesn't admit it. We have known each other for a long time now. And as long as I'm with her, I promise you, you never have to worry about her again."

"You fucker!" Ash yelled and rushed towards him, but Dad quickly caught hold of him. "You motherfucker! I knew you were not that nice little man you were pretending to be. Stay the hell away from my sister you fucking bastard!"

Shadrach raised an eyebrow at Ash, and took a few steps closer to him. He was much taller than my brother, easily towering over him, but Ash looked scarier since he was so angry.

"You really wanna do that, brother-in-law?" Shadrach asked, and my eyes widened.

What the fuck? Who the hell did he think he was?

"I'm not your fucking brother-in-law!" Ash tried to hit him again, but this time I stepped in between them.

"Stop it!" I yelled.

"You shut the hell up, Aliza, you don't know what you're getting into! Stay out of this, and get behind me!" Ash yelled at me, making me shudder.

"Control your tone with your sister," Shadrach said, and he was scowling now.

"You don't fucking tell me what to do you asshole! You're never seeing her again, and even if she herself comes to see you, I'll break her legs before she can!" Ash yelled back.

"That's it," Shadrach muttered angrily, and loaded his revolver once again. He aimed it directly at my brother, and that's when I knew I had had enough. So I stepped forward, and whipped my hand across his face.

Almost everyone in the room gasped at my action, and it even took Shadrach a while to register what had happened. He touched his cheek in shock, before his gaze fell on me again.

"Stay the fuck away from my family," I said softly, but sternly, as a tear escaped my eye.

"Aliza?" Shadrach asked in disbelief. "Are you serious? Your brother just threatened to hurt you damn it!"

"He's my fucking brother, Shadrach!" I yelled. "He doesn't actually mean it! And even if he does, that's my problem, not yours!"

"Oh wow," Shadrach chuckled. "So it's your problem now, huh? I wish you thought the same thing when I fucking saved your life, three times!"

"Are you for real?" I asked in disbelief, as another tear escaped my eye. "This is my brother, Shadrach. He would never hurt me, ever. But of course, you wouldn't know that since you're the kind of person who would shoot his own Uncle in the leg!"

"I did that for your fucking sake, Aliza!"

"I didn't ask you to! So this is what you'll do? This is what you think love is, Shadrach? You're gonna hurt anyone who uses a single bad word against me? That's not love, Shadrach. That's obsession."

"Yes. Fucking yes, I'm obsessed with you. I'm addicted to you, and I will hurt anyone who tries to hurt you. That's what I have always done, and that is what I'll continue to do, no matter who it is," Shadrach replied.

"I am disgusted by you, Shadrach," I whispered. "Look at yourself in the mirror. You look like a monster right now."

"Yes, Butterfly. If it takes a monster to protect you, then I'm ready to become one!" He yelled, catching hold of my chin.

"Let her go!" Dad and Ash yelled in unison, but he aimed his revolver directly at them, making them stop. "And I don't give a shit what you think about it. Because you are mine. And I will protect what's mine no matter what. No one can take my possessions away from me. No one can take my Queen away from me, do you understand?"

"Let go, you're the one hurting me, Shadrach," I whispered, trying to remove his hand from my chin. A tear escaped my lips, and that is when he evidently calmed down. He looked slightly shocked, and he let me go, taking a step back.

"I'm-I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Get out," I whispered, not looking up at him.

"Butterfly, I'm-"

"I said. Get out. Shadrach." I said each word slowly, closing my eyes shut. "I really don't wanna see you right now. Please leave me and my family alone." I was begging now.

He looked reluctant, before he pursed his lips together.

"Alright. But this isn't over, Alizabeth. I will, be back," he said softly, before leaving.

What he didn't know was, as far as I was concerned, we were over. If a 'we' ever even existed.

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