Chapter 10
85%
Aurora’s POV
As the car drove, I stared at the building that rushed past, feeling detached.
My hands were clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, but I didn’t feel the pain. All I could feel was the steady burn of hate in my chest.
When we reached the private airstrip, the driver got out and opened my door.
My chest tightened as I stared at the jet waiting. My father had arranged everything so quickly, like he had been waiting eagerly for me to finally come home, even after I shut them out.
I dragged myself out of the car, forcing my legs to stay steady. A familiar figure came down the steps of the jet. For a second my vision blurred, and I thought I was imagining things. But then I heard his voice.
“Aurora!”
Logan.
He was taller than the last time I saw him, his shoulders were broader, his jawline was sharper. But his warm blue eyes were the same.
My baby brother. The one who used to sneak into my room with a flashlight when we were kids, the one who made me laugh when no one else could.
I didn’t realize I was crying until his arms were wrapped around me. I fell against his chest, sobbing before I could stop myself.
“I’m here,” he whispered, his hand was firm on the back of my head. “I’ve got you. You’re
safe now.”
My body shook, my throat burned, but I couldn’t stop crying. The several days of silence, humiliation, and pain poured out of me through my tears.
“I lost-” My voice cracked, and I couldn’t finish.
“I know,” Logan said softly. “You don’t have to say it. Dad told us. We’ve been waiting for you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, holding his shirt tightly, like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely. “He killed her. He took Jasmine. And then-”
His jaw tightened and his voice darkened. “He’s going to pay for that. Every last thing he’s done, he’s going to pay. But not today. Today, you’re coming home.”
He held me a little longer before leading me up the steps and into the jet. The moment I sat down, my body sagged into the seat. The exhaustion hit me hard now that I finally felt safe.
Logan sat beside me, passing me a blanket. “Try to sleep. I’ll wake you when we land.”
I wanted to argue, but the warmth of his arm around my shoulders was enough to cause
Chapter 10
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- AG.
85%
me to drift away. My eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, I was out.
“Rory. Wake up. We’re here.”
I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision. At first, I thought it had all been a dream, and that I was back under Shawn’s roof, but immediately I saw Logan’s smiling face, I instantly relaxed.
I groaned, rubbing at my swollen eyes. “How long was I out?”
“A couple of hours. Do you know that you snore like a chainsaw?” He teased.
I smacked his arm weakly, and he grinned. For a second, it almost felt normal, like we were kids again.
My phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown contact. My lips twitched slightly in a weak smile.
Logan helped me off the jet. The moment we stepped into the terminal, I froze.
They were all there.
James, Charles, Aaron, Jake, Asher, Walter, and Cooper. My brothers, seven tall, broad–shouldered men, all with the same shade of blue eyes.
“Aurora.”
James’s deep, and steady voice broke me again. He pulled me into his arms, and soon the others were around me too, speaking soothingly as they tried to comfort me.
“You’re safe now.”
“No one’s going to hurt you again.”
“God, look at you, you’ve lost so much weight.”
“We should’ve come for you sooner.”
“Oh, Aurora,”
Everything felt like it was happening so fast. I couldn’t keep up. I tried to smile and reassure them that I was fine, but my body wasn’t cooperating. My vision blurred for a
moment.
“I’m fine,” I whispered hoarsely, though my words felt jumbled.
“You’re not fine,” Aaron said sharply. “You’re pale as hell.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but a wave of dizziness crashed over me.
Logan caught me just as my knees buckled. “Aurora!”
The room spun, their voices echoed around me. I tried to tell them not to worry, that I was just tired, but darkness swallowed me before I could get the words out.
Chapter 10
