Blue Ribbon

Chapter 42 - When you make a god bleed

"When you make a god bleed," they said,
"People cease to believe, hearts filled with dread."The realization dawns, their faith undone,For what is a deity when their invincibility's gone?

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Emma's POV

A relentless hammering reverberated through my head; a pounding headache had been raging within my brain cells since I got knocked down on that boat, maybe I was suffering from a damn concussion, but I shook it away and tried to focus on the road as I drove back home.

My fingers anxiously tightened over the steering wheel, unable to shake the feeling that something was just not right. It was easy, way too easy. For a guy who stayed silent and put all these years just to show up now and unleash his revenge on us; well, it shouldn't be this effortless to catch said guy. He's planning something else, I am almost too sure, and I need to figure out his motives, sooner better than later.

My gaze flickered to him beside me, still knocked out from the impact of my hit. His head is tilted toward the window in an uncomfortable position. Dry blood covered the side of his face from when I mercilessly slammed his head into the concrete wall. The longer I gazed at him, the harder it became to comprehend all of this. He looked so damn young and innocent; you'd never expect him to be able to inflect such madness. But, well, Isaac was the one to raise him and influence his brain after all, so I shouldn't be that surprised.

After he passed out, I looked all around the place he had kept me in, searching for any tangible clue that could assist us further, but I came out empty-handed. So, instead of wasting my time, I grabbed his keys, pushed him into his car, tied him up, and started driving back home. I needed to see my husband and son first, and the rest of this craziness can come later.

Last we talked, Nikolas and the rest were at Alex's house, so I headed there first, figuring they all would be gathered in one place. It was way too late already, but the house was fully lit up; sleepless nights were just one of our usuals when danger lurked so close. I parked the car by the entrance, and the sound of it was enough to bring them outside.

The second I stepped out of the car, the house's main door got opened. My eyes first spotted Roman, and within a second only, he was in my face, breathless as his arms wrapped around me and pulled me into his tight warm embrace. A low satisfied sigh parted my lips, and I sank into his hold, relaxing into his familiar scent as I wrapped my arms around his back. A small smile pulled my lips up, and I felt my heartbeats take on a steady note as I pressed my cheek against his chest, hearing his own heart kicking it up a notch, "I am sorry I didn't say a thing," I mumbled.

He edged back slightly and held my face between his hands, a wave of relief washing over his expression as he gazed back at me. Worried lines etched beside his eyebrows as his thumb gently rubbed at the dry blood over my temple, "I figured it out at the last moment; I didn't have the time to tell you what I was planning to do-" I added, and he shook his head, a heavy breath pushing out of his lungs as he said, "I knew you were gonna come back," He whispered, believing in me always, "But still, that doesn't mean I wasn't worried as hell."

I smiled and tiptoed, pecking his lips and assuring him that I was all fine before my gaze flickered behind him and fell onto my little boy. Lines etched my forehead as I noticed his anguished face, so I left Roman's side and immediately walked closer to him, "Hey," I whispered, and before I could catch my next breath, he threw himself into my embrace, his arms clutching into me like he was clinging to life itself and I felt my heart shatter almost instantly. My eyelids fell down, my chest so tight as I protectively wrapped him between my arms, my hand cradling the back of his head and running through his hair.