11. Chapter Five

Trevante

I blew off training with Doxy this morning, hearing her speak about what she went through like that made me sick to my stomach.

Is that what my mother suffered?

I scrub my hand down my face and growl in frustration, Xander's presence here has changed her. It took me over a week to get her to converse with me but the moment he turned up she went from open to closed off and dark. I know there is history there because she has told me a bit about her past and even if she doesn't show it, I can see that he hurt her… badly.

"We need to have a chat." I don't bother to turn or even acknowledge his presence. I'm not in the mood to go another round with this dick because he thinks he has some type of claim over Doxy, he doesn't! He drops down beside me and I can feel the vexation rolling off him in waves, he hates me because she doesn't. "What…" He takes a deep breath and steels his spine. "What happened to her."

I cluck my tongue and slowly turn my head to the side to face him. "That is a question you need to ask her, it isn't my story to tell."

"I see the turmoil in her eyes every time she looks at me. I need you to tell me why." His pleading tone has me wanting to scoff.

"You sit there and act like you have a right to feel wronged when you haven't the slightest fucking clue as to what she had to suffer through for years." His eyes narrow but I'm far from fucking done. "You come here and think you have a right to feel a certain way when you fucking don't. She suffered because you and the rest of her family gave up?—"

"I never fucking gave up on her!" he roars.

I push to my feet. He mimics my move and stands before me vibrating with rage but I ignore it as I hold his gaze and speak.

"She doesn't see it that way. I only know very little about what she suffered through. Pushing her to speak only forces her to retreat further inside herself. She feels nothing, her emotions are nonexistent at this point, all she can feel is anger and the thirst for blood."

"I can't allow her to go after Knox," he says ominously.

"Then pack your shit and get the fuck out of here because I'm going after him. The only reason you are still breathing is because it was memories of you that kept my mind occupied while they fucked me." Xander and I both stiffen and slowly turn to face her. She stands there looking like a fallen angel with her hair billowing around her like armor.

"You can't kill your own brother, Wav…" He cuts himself off when she pins him with a hard glare, he sighs as he scrubs a hand down his face before continuing. "Doxy," he whispers. I fight the flinch from breaking free. I hate that she refuses to let go of that vile name but it's her choice. I just wish my mother had her strength.

"I can and I will, you either help me with what we have planned or you can leave. It makes no difference to me, Grayson." He frowns and grits his teeth at her calling him by his last name, it takes him a second to pull himself together before he finally answers.

"What's the plan?"

Twenty minutes later we are all sitting around the campfire. Xander tried to sit next to her but she glared and shoved him off the log before moving to the other side leaving me no choice but to share a log with a brooding Xander who keeps nudging his shoulder into mine. After the third time I finally snap.

"What the fuck is your problem?" His brown eyes swim with malice.

"You are, why the fuck are you even here with her? From what I have gathered it was your father that kept her locked up for years and tortured her—" He doesn't get to finish that, I lurch forward and tackle him off the log swinging at him. He lands a couple hits to my side until I gain the upper hand and pin him beneath me. I cock my arm back ready to break the cunts nose until an arrow pierces the ground by his head forcing us both to still.

"If this shit happens again, I'll bury an arrow in each of your necks and not bat an eye, understand?" I raise my hands above my head and push to my feet. Xander stands beside me and raises his hands as we both face the woman who just handed us our asses and still has her bow raised with another arrow nocked and ready to let loose.

"Sorry."

"Won't happen again," we both say in unison, except we don't mean it because we both push and shove each other, trying to gain the most space on the log as we reclaim our seats. "Move the fuck over," I snarl.

"Close your fucking legs then, you pin-dick motherfucker." I open my mouth to put the fucker in his place but then an arrow lands in the sliver of space between our legs forcing us both to grunt and leap off the side of the log. I roll and stare up at her standing there with a malicious look in her eyes, the fire at her back just adds to the dark look on her face.

"Both of you can sit on the fucking ground. I don't have time for your bullshit. I have a boat to reroute and women to save. I will not allow either of you two pricks to derail the plans I have spent years putting into motion." I can feel Xander's gaze boring into the side of my head but ignore it as I nod.

"I told you I would help?—"

She cuts me off before I can finish. "Start by filling this useless sack of shit in on the plan. I'm going to the creek to wash," she spits as she places her bow down against the log and stalks off. The moment she is out of sight, I grab a handful of dirt and toss it at Xander. He curses and climbs to his feet as I laugh at his expense.

"You motherfucker, I'm going to break your neck," he snarls.

"Sit down you dipshit or I'm not telling you anything." He ignores my request and stands there shooting me a death glare.

"What the fuck is in this for you? Why the hell are you helping her?" All traces of laughter flee me as I claim a seat on the log Doxy vacated and motion for him to sit on the other. He debates my request for a second before he finally obeys and rests his forearms over the top of his thighs and leans forward.

"I don't have a long story or a grand reason as to why I am helping her. I hate my father and want to see an end to his reign." He eyes me skeptically before leaning back rubbing the stubble that coats his chin.

"There's more," he pushes.

"Why are you helping her?" I counter.

"Because I'm still in love with her." His answer is simple and yet it holds so much weight and power to it. "I never gave up on her. Without a body I couldn't accept that she was gone like the others, so I didn't. I never moved on and will never move on from her." I study him closely for a minute. Alexander Grayson doesn't seem like the type of guy who confesses his feelings ever.

"What if she doesn't feel the same?" His shoulders slump and a whoosh of air escapes him.

"She's changed… a lot but I can still see parts of my girl in her eyes. I'm still fucking reeling that she is really here. All I want to do is hold her and chase away the darkness that is clinging to her like a shadow." I nod my agreement.

"I'm helping her because my mother was the original Doxy." Xander can't mask the shock from spreading across his face as he stares at me.

"What does that mean?"

I take a shuddering breath and push away the shame I feel before answering him. "Doxy means… Slut in Irish." Xander's features darken at my declaration. "My mother was the first one. Karl only used her until she got pregnant. When the first child was a girl he…" I close my eyes and force the pain away before continuing, "… forced a miscarriage. He beat her until she lost the baby. He got her pregnant again and this time when he found it was a boy he allowed her to carry the baby to term. Once she gave birth, he took the child and never allowed her to even hold her son or heal from birthing before he let his men in to take turns. She survived another five years before she finally lost it, bit her tongue off and choked on it while she was strapped to a bed being raped."

Horror is plastered across his features as he stares at me. "You were the baby." It isn't a question but I nod regardless.

"When I went to Karl's secret cabin the other night, I had no idea that place existed until Grandpa found out about it. When I entered, I found her hunched over a table…" I fight through my anger to get the words out, Xander's face has already morphed into a picture of hatred. "She was being raped. I shot the cunt in the head, another one tried to touch her but stopped when I threatened to kill him. Karl bragged how he had a trump card for years. What I didn't realize was that card was a woman who was locked in that house for over a decade, being abused by Karl and his men every single fucking day. When he told me who she was and what he called her, I knew I had to save her before she suffered through the same fate as my mother."

"They were… fuck!" he roars as he leaps to his feet and stalks off toward the nearest tree and begins beating his fists against it releasing his pent up anger. "Motherfuckers!" he screams so loud birds begin to flee the surrounding trees. "I'll kill every single one of those cunts!" he vows as he turns to face me with blood trickling down his knuckles. I feel the pain wafting off him.

I climb to my feet and close the space between us placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinches but doesn't pull away.

"She wants to be the one to do it, she needs to do it and I am helping her do that. I know my grandfather had other plans but when I tell him about this he will understand." He flicks his gaze between mine for a second before backing up a step and eyeing me warily.

"What do you gain out of this?"

"Nothing. I want Karl gone and that is it."

"With him gone that means you become the leader of the family?—"

"It doesn't work like that for the Irish." He frowns so I push on. "Whoever kills the leader claims that spot." His brows leap to his hairline.

"If she kills him…" He lets his sentence trail off and I nod.

"If Doxy kills my father then she becomes the new leader of the Irish that she plans to rename the Da Luca Crime Family and I am going to help her."

"Why?" he pushes.

"Because I've never had any desire to sit on a throne and run things, I like being able to come and go. If she wants it, I'll help her take it from him and gladly kneel before her." His eyes narrow.

"You son of a bitch, you think helping my girl will get you in her pants, don't you?" I scoff and shake my head.

"Was her offer yesterday not sign enough that I don't want her to throw herself at me. I want something more."

He grinds his teeth and forces the words out. "What do you want?"

"I want inside her heart and mind."