“Yeah, yeah. I guess you’re right,” he mumbles, then covers the bike back with a tarp.
When we walk back through the gate leading to the backyard, my eyes scan around looking for Jules. I spot Aria talking with Ella and Vicki, but don’t see her. When I don’t find Theo either, warning bells start screaming in my head and my blood runs cold.
“Where’s Theo?” I bark to Mom as she puts a roll of paper towels down on the patio table.
“He went inside a few minutes ago to check on the turkey.” She frowns. “Why? What’s wrong?”
I don’t answer her because I’m rushing up the steps to the back door. He’s not in the kitchen or the living room when I look, and neither is Jules. I jerk my head around when I hear a noise in the back of the house. My feet are moving in that direction when I hear my dad call my name. Ignoring him, I pound down the hallway to the bathroom where there’s a light coming from beneath the door. I try the knob, but it’s locked. I’m just about to knock when I hear a whimper, then a muted growl.
Rage, pure and unencumbered, fills my system as I realize Theo’s in there with her doing God knows fucking what. I step back, and without warning, ram my shoulder against the door. It splinters open and what I see has my blood running so fucking hot with a violent need to murder my own brother.
He has Jules pinned to the sink, her arms held behind her back. Blood’s running down her pale face so fast that she can barely keep upright, while he has his sick fucking dick in his hand trying to push it inside her. The mirror in front of her is shattered, and I see specks of blood on the jagged pieces.
The shock hasn’t left his face from me busting the door in before an animalistic roar leaves my lips, and I grab the bastard by the back of his shirt, jerking him away. My fist connects with his nose and warm blood immediately starts rushing out. I hear screams behind me, but I pay them no mind as I land another punch to Theo’s stomach. He tries to double over in pain, but I hold him up by gripping his neck. When I have him standing again, I look into his eyes, showing him with mine that he’s made a big mistake. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth and his face is pinched in pain. When my face comes into his line of sight, he bares his blood-covered teeth.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” I seethe at him and squeeze his throat, cutting off more of his oxygen.
The little fucking asshole smirks. “Do your best, but it’ll never change the fact that I’ve already had her,” he wheezes out.
Rearing back my fist, I ram it into the side of his sneering face. There’s more screams behind me, and I feel an arm trying to tug me back, but I’m so far into my rage that I jerk it free and smash my fist over and over into Theo’s face. No matter how many times I hit him, the need to do more damage grows. I want him dead at my feet. He’s my twin brother, but I want him fucking lifeless for touching Jules.
His weight drops, and I follow him to the floor, his head hitting the bathtub. Arms band around my chest and pull me back. I snarl and fight against them, but this time they manage to hold me. I kick out and gnash my teeth when my boot connects with his ribs. It’s not fucking enough though. I want more.
“Let me go,” I snarl to who I know is dad when I see his tattooed arm.
He pulls me out of the bathroom and slams me against the wall. “Goddammit, Luca. Stop!” he barks at me, his face red and the veins in his temple bulging.
“He fucking touched her,” I grit. “He fucking hurt her. Was going to rape her.”
“And he’s paying for it,” he growls back.
“Not. Fucking. Enough.” I pronounce each word slowly.
I’m wired as hell and my chest pumps up and down as I glare at Dad.
“This isn’t about you or Theo anymore. It’s about Jules.”
It’s her name that has me closing my eyes and trying to rein in my furious need to go back and finish what I started, but when I do, all I see is her face. The blood, the fear, the pain, and the helpless fucking look in her eyes. I shake my head, pushing the images away before anger takes over again. I pull in a deep breath, open my eyes, and meet Dad’s incensed gaze. Vicki’s standing beside him now, her expression no less irate than Dad’s.
“You need to go get Theo out of there,” she tells Dad. Her eyes move to me. “I’ve got him.”
Under different circumstances, her statement would be funny. She and I both know if I wanted in that bathroom, nothing, especially not her, would stop me. The only thing holding me back is knowing Jules is in there too.
With a final look at me, Dad stalks away and into the bathroom. It grates on my fucking nerves hearing Dad shuffle around in the small room and hearing his mutters as he talks to Theo. A minute later, Dad walks out first, his gaze shooting to me, before a limping Theo comes out. Dad tries to block my view of him, but I see the bastard anyway. His back is to me, but I still bare my teeth and a growl emits from my throat. When Theo stops in the hallway, I silently dare him to turn around.
Dad shoves him forward. “Keep fucking moving, boy,” he growls.
My glare stays on their retreating backs until they’re out of view. I look down to Vicki.
“He doesn’t leave this house with Aria. Got it?”
It only takes her a second before she’s giving me a tight nod and walking down the hallway in the direction Dad and Theo went. I twist my head from side-to-side to help relieve some of the tension in the muscles, take another deep breath, and go to the bathroom. What greets me has my stomach feeling like it’s full of razor blades. Ella is in the bathtub, her legs spread open as she holds Jules in her protective arms. Her face is in Ella’s neck, her knees drawn up to her chest, and she’s got a death grip on Ella’s shirt. I can see the blood on Ella’s shirt from the cuts on her head.
Never in my whole fucking life has something hurt so damn much as watching Jules cling to Ella. My chest feels like someone just ripped a hole in it and is gouging out my heart with a dull blade.
Ella’s eyes lift to mine and the heat in them makes the blue orbs blaze bright, but underneath the anger is an innate sense of pain. She’s angry but also hurting for what Theo did to Jules.
Jules pulls her head from the crook of Ella’s neck and her eyes lift to me. Her face is covered in smeared blood and more starts seeping from one of the cuts right above her left eyebrow. I grind my teeth together to hold back the agonizing noise wanting to break free from my throat.
“Baby,” I whisper hoarsely. The pain and tears in her eyes shred my insides.
Before I’m halfway to the bathtub, she’s already lifting her arms to me. Ella watches as I bend down and carefully scoop up Jules. Her arms snake around my shoulders and she grips me tight, burrowing her face against my neck. She’s shaking like a fucking leaf.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I croak against her hair.
I need to take her to the hospital to get her head checked over, but there’s something else I need to take care of first. I step back from the bathtub to allow Ella to step out.
“Grab some gauze and peroxide,” I tell her, and she nods.
I hate to do what I’m about to, but there’s no way around it. I’m not letting her out of my sight.
I carry Jules out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into the living room. Fresh anger sprouts in my blood when I see Theo sitting on a chair with a blood-soaked rag held to his face. Vicki is standing with her arms crossed behind the chair, her expression dark. Dad is standing a few feet in front of him, his glare glacial as he stares down at his son. Both Mom and Aria are nowhere to be found, and I’m grateful she must have taken Aria someplace where she can’t witness what’s going on.
I set Jules down on the couch and squat down beside her. I cup her cheeks so she’s looking at me. Her red-rimmed eyes stab me right in the fucking sternum.
“It’s almost over, but there’s something I’ve gotta do first. Can you hold on for a few more minutes?”