Beautifully Broken

- 4 -

*COLE'S POV*

"She doesn't remember me." 

Elijah finally speaks after the whole car ride in silence.

We just left the diner, trying to get intel on one of the cooks in it. Apparently, he's been double-dipping in smalls gangs as well as ours.

While we were there the beautiful girl I saw at the club last night was working. Her gorgeous golden eyes on full display this time, no mask to conceal them. The way she looked in the tight servers' uniform made me need to take a cold shower when I returned home.

A very cold shower

"She thinks you're dead, E," I empathize.

"Who the fuck do you think is beating on her?" His voice booms from inside the car, "I'll kill the bastard."

I have no idea what sick son of a bitch would hit on such a gorgeous creature. I'm sure some low life scum she calls a boyfriend.

Ugh, boyfriend

My throat constricts at the thought. I had only seen the girl's eyes and yet that is what I dreamt of last night. Her in my arms, having her red-stained lips on mine. I don't know what it was about her that I just had to know. Elijah seemed stunned by her, he had our tech team look into her.

Just then had I realized, that I've known the girl my entire life- well I've known of her.

Now, I know we'll be keeping a closer eye on her

"I'm going to find him," I state firmly, "When I do, I will kill him,"

Pulling up to the gang house, I turn off the car and face Elijah.

"We're going to get her."

***

"What the hell do you mean, it's her mother." I seethe, staring my informant from the police department. I wanted to slap the shit out of him for telling me something so stupid. 

What kind of mother beats her child? 

This new information only angered me more. The young girl obviously had multiple jobs. From the record her mother has, it looks like she's the only one providing. Then she gets beat on top of that? 

"T-t-the street cameras only see her driving to work a-and then home," He stutters, "It's also known her mother, Margaret Vargas, is a big-time addict. The neighbors have multiple noise complaints on file-" He trails off looking through papers before picking one up. "For breaking objects and excessive screams."

I slap him, for his stupidity. Why didn't they look into this sooner? Did they need a sign to point them to obvious the abuse?

The abuse is from her mother.

I couldn't get over it

"Our mother is beating her?" Elijah asks himself from the back of the room. I turn to see him staring at the computer screen. On it was Rose walking to the rusted junk car wiping her tears. She was dressed in the same diner uniform from earlier.

"I'm going to get her," He moves towards the door, teeth gritted.

"Not alone," I grab him by his arm, "We have to be smart about this."

I see it in his eyes, the anger brewing within him. I see the guilt that he tries so desperately to hide. He thinks it's his fault. I know it's not. I know he had no choice in what happened that night.