The Devil is in the Details (Book 3)

Bet

"I'm coming to get you, you're staying with me tonight and we'll talk about what happened," 

"Okay,"

I agreed and listened to his next instructions, with him I felt so much smaller, like I needed him for protection and right now, that felt right. After hanging up the phone with him I turned back to Francis. 

"Sorry Francis, my uncle's coming to get me soon," I say and watch Francis visibly lose all of his excitement, making me feel a bit guilty since it was something I wanted to do as well. "But I'd love to come back and do it on Friday?" I asked a bit nervously but the way he brightened up again reassured me. 

"I'd love to," 

Francis waited with me for the 10 minutes it took for uncle Xavier to arrive, his luxury car distracting Francis for a moment before we said our goodbyes and I sat inside the car which I had to admit to amazing me as well. 

"I'll keep the fact that you were with your boyfriend away from your father," Uncle Xavier teases and I knew he was messing around as he usually was but the mention of my father hardened my facial expression. 

I didn't even bother correcting him about Francis being my boyfriend, my first instinct was words of anger, "I'd appreciate it more if you kept my whole existence away from my father." I say and I could see his expression visibly change to shock as he drove on. 

"He really messed up that much, did he? It's unlike him, he's very loving towards you and your mother-"

"He hit her!" I exclaimed, unable to hold back any more. "I watched him punch her so hard she fell! And I'm sure it's not the first time either!"

My uncle fell quiet after my outburst, his face not giving me much of what he was thinking. I was half expecting him to turn and drive to my house to defend my mother, knowing how protective he was of my family but he didn't. 

Suddenly he smirked and started chuckling to himself which made me look at him with disgust. I was about to ask him why the hell he was laughing when he asked, "Did she hit him back at least?" Before laughing louder. 

My eyebrows furrowed at his question, wondering if this was some sort of joke but he glanced towards me, waiting for my answer which made me reply less confidently, "no, I went between them before she could get up..." 

At that point we had reached his home and he parked before looking at me and grinning, "I'm sure if you had stood back for a second longer, you would have witnessed your mother being the monster, not your father," he says, laughing again as he exited the car but that just made me angrier. I got out of the car myself as fast as I could and slammed the door close.

"This isn't a joke uncle!"

"Tell me about it, if that door is damaged, I'm taking the charges out of your poker winnings," 

 I couldn't take it at that point, I walked in front of him and desperately held his arms, trying to get him to see how much this upset me, "Please uncle Xavier, this is abuse! And my mother keeps defending him too! She needs help! You've got to help her!" I plead and he looks down at me with a serious expression. 

Slowly, I watch him crouch down so I was looking down at him. He had done this all throughout my childhood when I had done something I shouldn't have and he was telling me how to right my actions, it was a way to make me listen, and instinctively, I listened. 

"Amelia, your parents are the strongest people I know, both status wise, intelligence, emotionally and even physically. You were caught between what I can imagine as a terrible sight but you have to remember that they're ...martial artists! You know I trained them myself, just as I trained you," 

As he says that last part, he strokes a hand across my cheek which makes me smile in comfort.

"She did say they were training," I say and he smiles at me,

"See! You misunderstood it. And I understand it's a hard thing to watch considering they're your parents but it was a play fight! Nothing more." I wanted to believe him but I was still unsettled. 

"Are you sure it's nothing more?" I ask, needing just one more push of reassurance.

He took my hands in his own before answering, "If there was, I'd kill Blake myself, I promise you," 

That was all I needed to hear and I hugged him in gratitude to which he hugged me back. "Now come on you bean, let's get to sleep," He says as he stands and together we walked into his mansion of a home.  

-Third Person POV-

After showing Amelia her room and letting her go to sleep, Xavier walked down to his living room where Dominic and Blake waited for him anxiously. 

"That is the LAST time I'm lying for you both," Xavier says sternly as he meets them. "She's 17, turning 18 soon, you either tell her now about who you both really are and have her make her own mind up about what she sees in all this, or she'll find out on her own and resent you regardless." 

Dominic sighs but nods in agreement. "I know, it's long past the time she knew the truth," 

They stood in silence for a moment after that when Xavier suddenly says, "Well done for one-upping Demon by the way Blake, didn't know you still had it in you," Blake smirks in reply to the compliment but,

"You know I would have beat the shit out of him if given the chance!" Dominic calls out making the men laugh. 

"I'd love to see Amelia's reaction to that victory."