Can't Say I Don't Love You (A Sokeefe AU)

Chapter 8

She glared at his back, even though her head bowed. A farewell to the Leaders. A sweep of her hand, and all her men began filing out.

~

"We serve you two, we don't serve him," Dave insisted. "Ask any one of the boys, and they'll only give you the same answer."

"Loyalty isn't the issue," Sophie argued. "We need to settle- "

Someone banged on her room door. 

"What?" She shouted. 

"Heir, the Gang Leader requests your presence in his office," the person outside yelled. Not anyone under her, as far as she knew. 

William's office was more like her torture cell. 

Liam shot her a look. "Be careful."

She was her father's direct heir, most things were taken out on her. But it was common knowledge, that every time she got beaten up, Liam would go defend her in front of their father. And end up getting beaten to a pulp as well. 

"Don't retaliate, because he has more men than we do, and once I retaliate, it'll only make things worse, geez, I know," she shook her head and flashed a grin. "Wish me luck."

~

"Why was it that there was such a large scale activity happening in the Conference today?" William demanded. 

"With all due respect, Father," she started, even though her last intention was to respect him. "I did actually station men outside. And if no one had started the fight, nothing would have happened."

"Are you implying that it's my fault?"

"No. All I'm saying, is that if we- " She was cut off by a slap to the face. She cringed, feeling more deja vu than pain.

"You're as useless as your mother," he sneered. 

That was a new low. She could feel the anger burning within her core, waiting to be let out. Don't retaliate.

"She never retaliated," Sophie said quietly. "Even the night she was killed, she let you do it."

He punched her gut, knocking the air out of her. "She was weak. She had no backbone. We don't speak of your mother."

"You were the one who brought her up. Am I not supposed to defend her?"

"Enough."

She laughed darkly. "It's always you who decides when it's enough, isn't it?"

He grabbed her wrist. Definitely hard enough to bruise. "I said enough."

But it was her that had had enough. "She never once questioned you, she did everything you told her to. Even when you dumped Liam and me in her care while you went off, galivanting with other women, she never said anything."

She was there when her mother got killed. But she was there too late. She had been five, and had witnessed her own mother's murder. By her father.

He went red with anger. A part of her silently apologised to Liam for disobeying him. 

Then her father struck her. Again, and again and again, till she was coughing up blood, covered in bruises, and blacked out.

~

"How are you feeling?" Liam asked the moment she woke up. 

Sophie groaned. "You want the truth, or the lie?"

The truth was, everything hurt, and she most likely cracked a rib. The lie, she was just peachy.

"I think I can tell," he grimaced. He was covered in wounds of his own. Idiot. She always wondered why he went to defend her, knowing that they'd both only get beaten up. 

"How long was I out?"

"Not as long as I'd expected. It's the next day afternoon."

As far as she could tell, there were various bruises littering her jaw, ribs and arm. Though she could remember from the pain last night that there was at least another one on her cheekbone. 

"I told you not to retaliate," he said gently. 

Oh, so he knew. 

"He was insulting Mom," she fired. "Could I not?"

She jerked upright, tremors of pain shooting through her entire body. 

Her gaze fell on his arm, where cuts and scratches marred it. 

"Why do you still do it?" She asked weakly. "You keep defending me, even though you know all that's going to do is get you more hurt."

There was silence for a long while, and Sophie thought her brother wasn't going to answer her question. But then he closed his eyes and said, "Because I want it. Before she died, I think... I think she knew. She told me to look after you. Every time you get hurt, I feel like I've failed her. So I go to him to get the beating that I deserve."

Her heart shattered for him. She buried her face in his shoulder. "You're a great brother," she whispered. "I could never ask for anyone else."

~

A/N: That was a very cringeworthy chapter.

I don't want to reread it, but I have to, to edit it and clear out mistakes... Welp, too late now...

QOTC: What's your favourite flower?

I like cherry blossoms. They just look so... Peaceful. I don't know how else to describe it, lol.

Bye!!

Word count: 1778 words

~Alison_5201314

;))