Moral Devotions

23| Declan

I snapped and everything else was a blur.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" A younger sounding female screams.

My fist pounds into the jaw of the man- no, the boy underneath me.

I feel someone grab my arm and try to pull me off. I throw my elbow into their face as a reflex.

The sound of a child crying has my head snapping in that direction. Axel is now wide awake and in tears, as Macy tries to calm him.

"Stop!"

I'm breathing heavily and my knuckles are covered in blood.

Ryan is unfortunately wide awake and cursing the shit out of me.

I wipe my knuckles on my pants and turn to Macy. She's got tears streaming down her cheeks as her hand cradles the back of Axel's head.

I take a step toward her and cup her cheek. "Baby, we have to go." She doesn't say anything, she just nods.

I take her hand in mine and start to drag her down the hallway.

"Macy, you don't get to walk away from me!" A deep voice roars, but I keep walking.

"Macy! Macy, honey, wait!" Macy stops walking, and tugs me to a halt. "Sweetie, take my car. It's on the third level in the parking garage. I'll find you okay, just don't leave yet."

Macy hesitates but grabs the keys from the woman's hands. She looks like Macy, just older, with slightly different features. She must be her mom.

"Is this..." She nods to Axel still crying in Macy's arms.

Macy doesn't answer the question. "Bye Mom."

We rush to the parking garage before security is called and find the Black Jaguar that Macy handed me the keys for. She climbs into the backseat, still trying to calm Axel down.

I back out of the parking stall and drive out.

"Shh, baby, I know." I glance in the rearview mirror to find her rubbing his back as she kisses his temple. "Go back to sleep. It's okay."

After several minutes, Axel's sobs weaken before he's sniffling.

I pull into the parking garage for the first hotel I see and pull out my phone, booking us a room.

"Declan..." Macy whispers.

I turn in my seat to find that Axel is asleep again. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry... I can't- I don't know what my dad will do. You could get arrested for this."

I shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Her brows furrow, but she doesn't say anything else until we're inside.

She lays Axel in the middle of the bed closest to the window and pulls the covers up to his chin before kissing his cheek.

I sit on the edge of the other bed and stare at the carpet below my feet. A pair of heeled boots appear between my own boots and I look up.

I go to place my hands on Macy's waist but stop myself.

She saw a side of me I never wanted her to see. A side I thought I'd pushed away, and told not to come back. But one little wink is all it took for the lock to break and the monster inside to come crawling right back out.

"I hate myself," I mumble, glancing back down.

Macy's soft hands cup my cheeks and she tilts my head up. "Why?"

I raise my hands and grip her wrists, pulling her hands off of me. "I could've killed him, Macy. I think I would've too. Doesn't that scare you?" She shakes her head. "Why?"