Burning Soul

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Five
🌸Everlee🌸

I ignore my brother's demands for me to move from Dax who hangs his head, his eyes solely on the floor. I take a second to observe him and something is telling me he isn't a threat.

Blaze's tense body is still pressed up against me, his arm tight around my waist. This past hour just keeps taking a turn for the worse. I can't even remember the last time I got a good night's sleep or any sleep at all. I've just had my boyfriend, well I'm guessing he's now my ex-boyfriend, try to kill me after killing my other ex-boyfriend. And now his so-called brother is on his knees in front of us.

Could things get any worse?

Most likely.

"Everlee, did you not hear me? I told you to get away from him." Easton growls out and I finally turn my attention onto my fuming brother. He's standing directly behind Dax with his gun still aimed at his head.

"Put the gun down, Easton." His eyes widen at me and he hesitantly lowers the weapon. "Stand up, Dax." He looks up at me with similar green eyes to my Blaze's. Only his don't shine as bright. They're dim and tired. There's a battle in his eyes that plays out and tell's me a story of how much my father has probably put him through and the thought makes me sick to my stomach.

Dax stands up to his tall height and stares down at me with his scarred face. I want to know how he got it, but I don't want to anger him so I keep my mouth shut with that question and proceed to ask him a more reasonable one.

"How did you get here?"

"Your father is around the corner, I've been instructed to extract Blaze out of the building and bring him back." My back straightens and I press myself further against Blaze. "I'm not doing that. I won't go back." I can't deny the fact that I am wary of him, but there is a warmness on his face as his gaze falls to the man behind me who is still yet to say a word.

"But he'll come after you, after all of us. You could just be like, Eros a traitor who is lying and will turn us in the second you get the chance." I speak out and Dax nods his head, understanding evident in his features.

My breath hitches when he makes a move to pull something from around his neck.

A gold locket.

He unclasps it, the gentle metal falling into the palm of his hand. He holds it out to me, giving me a warm smile. I take it from him, observing the jewellery and open up the locket.

There's a picture.

A family of four. A man and woman cuddling two young boys. They look so happy, like nothing in the world could ruin the close bond that they all share. My heart aches. I can't remember the last time my family shared a photo like this. I might have been a small toddler.

"My family." Dax rasps, his eyes on the locket between my fingers.

I smile and turn my body to face Blaze and hold out the locket for him to see the picture. He keeps his intense gaze on me for a little longer before he drops them to the picture. When he's taken the second to distinguish the picture which is slowly losing its colour as time goes on, he looks at Dax and finally speaks out.

"Family?" He tilts his head cutely and I just want to wrap him up and protect him forever but realisation hits me like a heavy freight train. Blaze and I are not in a good place right now. Even if he didn't mean to, he still strangled and tried to kill me. I won't forget that, for a long time.

"Yes." Dax nods, taking a closer step towards us. Blaze doesn't release me from his hold, even when I try to pull away from him he looks down at me in confusion. Almost like he can't remember what happened with us under an hour ago. "We are a family. You're my brother."