She May Not Belong to One of Us, but She Belongs to All of Us

Chapter 17

Rev's POV

The motherfucking nerve of that son of a bitch to ever fucking think he could touch her. I will beat a hole through the piece of shit's head. Before I can even think, I'm bursting into Vengeance's room. There he is laying in bed with some bitch sleeping, looking smug as fuck like he didn't do anything wrong. Like today is just any other day. My hands reach his neck, choking him as his eyes pop open and he attempts to pry my hands from his neck. Before he can even try, my fist is connecting with his face over and over again. Each punch harder and more gratifying as the last. His nose busted and both of his lips bloodied and busted, I felt the smile tugging at my lips. This punishment wasn't just because he had touched my property. Had it been almost any other woman I wouldn't have blinked twice. But for it to be her. The soft meek girl who was finally emerging from her shell. It's with those thoughts and memories swirling in my mind that I drag his limp body to the floor straddling him. I punch him endlessly, wanting to bruise each side of a whole lot worse than what I can only imagine he did to Melissa. Fire was building in me and nothing could stop me. I could feel the arms of my brothers trying to pull me off but I re-fucking-fuse to get off this dick bag. He needs to pay for what he did.

Ice cold skinny arms wrap around me as I feel her small body press against mine. My arms drop down slowly, losing my energy and drive to continue fighting. Slowly I lean on her and let my head droop backwards, eyelids closed, body tired. I'm so grateful she hasn't moved, not even an inch, just there letting my body and mind quiet down. Once I finally feel back in control of myself, I stand up and turn around to help her up as well. A shocking purple bruise covering almost half of her face greeted me for the first time. I can feel all my anger building back up like an inferno that's just two stops away from burning down a city. But before I can go back doling out my personal version of justice, I feel her hand coaxing me to the door and towards her room. It was minutes before we reached the door and entered the barren room. She pulls me to the bed and we both lie in the bed side by side just looking at the ceiling letting the silence say all the things we wouldn't.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Defending me I guess."

Needing to see her eyes, I prop on my shoulder angling my body in her direction. My want is met with her violet eyes staring as if she has a question she needs answered through just my eyes.

"I told you no one is ever going to hurt you while I'm here and I meant that shit to the fullest. But how did you know to even come in there? To stop me? Or that it would work?"

Sitting up to match my positioning, she looks at me and another first registers late that she is finally able to actually look me in the eye.

"Shadows ran in my room and got me. He said you were going to kill Vengeance. Christ was there already. I didn't know if that would work but I was praying that maybe if you could feel that I was okay, it would calm you down."

"Well it really worked. Shadows was right I probably would've fucking killed him without you. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Just like that I saw a flash of fear splash across her face. She's probably scared she really did do something wrong and doesn't want me to be mad too.

"Look you didn't do anything wrong okay. Actually you did do something wrong. The only thing you did wrong was not to kick that fucker in the balls and call me immediately. Nobody in this house has the right to even bump you without your permission. Yes Vengeance is my brother and I love the shit out of him but he knows me and he knows the repercussions of what he did. If you don't want to talk about it that's fine but if you're not talking because you're scared I'll be mad and do the same thing, you never have to be scared of that. I'm a hot head and I might yell and throw shit but I'd never hit you. And I'd never sit around and let someone else hit you either."

Life isn't fair to most of us. We're born without asking for it and we damn sure don't get to pick who we go to. Then from day one we are constantly bounced around, everytime we get any type of sure footing, the bitch pulls it right from under our feet and typically doesn't care if we land flat on our asses. This moment though was one were life actually gave a fuck and placed a cushion under me as I fell. Melissa's bruised and beautiful face gave way to a few loose tears before wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tightly. Shock was so busy absorbing every cell in my body that I couldn't even process the action, let alone hug her back. My mind soon caught up and hugged her back with more than double the enthusiasm. A tiny action, so simple but it packs so much meaning.

"My life is no Disney story. But finally I feel saved, finally feel like I'm just waiting for the the other shoe to drop. This is the first time I've ever really felt safe in my whole life. I'm not just surving, these last few weeks I have lived more than I have ever in my whole 18 years. All of this is becuase of you. Thank you for this."

No words have ever meant so much to me.