18. Violentia

CHAPTER 18

VIOLENTIA

The Mouthy One: My future husband and I are indisposed this morning, so you fuckers will need to amuse yourselves. [Waving hand emoji]

The Mouthy One: Oh, and I've changed Butch's name in the chat to better reflect his status in this family.

Mr. Antihero: [A million heart eyes emojis]

Fuck love.

No.

Fuck all these lovey dovey inventus-bonded assholes and their dumbass love.

I took another swig from the nearly empty bottle. The grand lodge bar hadn't been open when I arrived—since it had only closed a few hours earlier—but I'd simply taken that as an invitation to help myself. It worked out well, as I was now tipsy as fuck, and everything tasted like Smirnoff Kissed Caramel .

What can I say?

I have a sweet tooth.

"Violentia…?"

Aaand now I'm salty again.

"What brings you here, Wolfy?" I tried for a cool, collected demeanor but, judging by my brother's pinched expression, I failed miserably.

Oh well.

He's seen me lose control plenty of times before.

It's kind of what I'm known for…

"Oh." I suddenly realized the enormous shape looming behind Wolfy was a person, not my double vision playing tricks on me, so I rallied for normalcy once again. "Hey, Zion! How's Dahlia?"

The Salah clan leader tilted his head and observed me for a moment before answering carefully. "I wouldn't know. She didn't exactly tell me where she was going, just that she wouldn't be here."

That tracks.

Dahlia made being called "headstrong" look like a compliment, and it was one of the reasons we'd originally gotten along. Unsurprisingly, I'd managed to ruin that budding… situationship, so I couldn't blame her for not wanting to be trapped on an island with me and my family.

Mostly me.

"Sounds like I scared her away," I muttered, pissed off all over again. "Big fucking surprise."

And it's only a matter of time before it happens with Kai .

Since I'm not who she wants.

Concern flashed over Wolfy's face before he buried it and turned to Zion. The big lizard just looked confused—which also tracked—so my brother took the reins. "Go get started without me, Zion. I'll join you shortly."

The Salah clan leader nodded. "Good idea. Make it look like they're only getting the good cop before the bad cop rolls in. I like it." Then, he sauntered across the empty room and disappeared upstairs to fulfill his role as the helpful muscle.

I guess Wolfy no longer needs me as his enforcer.

Why would he when he has a behemoth like Zion at his back?

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, Vi-Vi? Or do I need to interrogate you too?"

I snapped back to the present as Wolfy used my old nickname—the same one I'd told Kai she could call me as a way to let her in the tiniest amount.

But it's never a good idea to let outsiders in.

"Oh, is that why you're here?" I grumbled, still sour I hadn't been asked to provide backup. "On business?"

Wolfy sighed as he slid onto the barstool next to me. "Always."

I sharply glanced at his face, expecting nothing and shocked to find his weariness laid bare.

"Why not delegate to Simon so you can relax?" I scoffed. "You know he thrives on intimidating others."

My brother huffed. "You know why. I'm still the face of this organization—the boogeyman in the shadows. When they see me, they know it's serious." He searched my face. "Did Simon say something to you? Is that why you're upset? "

Would it even matter if he did?

"No," I laughed bitterly. "At least… not recently. I guess the little playdates you've been sending us on have worked for company morale."

Most people wouldn't dare talk to The Hand of Death the way I did, but I knew I had nothing to fear. Even with all our other siblings around—even after his precious baby twins arrived—it had always been Wolfy and me.

My partner in crime.

Until I fucked it up.

"Are you still upset about Iceland?" he asked, as annoyingly perceptive as ever. "That wasn't your fault, and I told you I forgave you?—"

"But you shouldn't have!" I barked, louder and more emotional than I intended. "If it had been anyone else, we would have ended them. I would have been sent to erase them from the Earth. Just try and tell me I'm wrong."

I dare you.

As usual, Wolfy carefully weighed his reply—knowing better than to match my energy when I got like this. "You're right. If it had been anyone else, I would have ended them myself. Anyone but my family."

I closed my eyes in a desperate attempt to stop the vodka-fueled tears threatening to spill over.

We don't deserve him.

All I wanted to do was give my brother a fucking hug, but since I was the sibling with the least chance of survival were that to happen, I did what I did best.

Lash out .

"What about our parents, huh?" I snapped. "Were they considered ‘family' until they went too far one too many times?"

How close am I to reaching that quota?

Wolfy's brow furrowed—the only indication I was finally striking a nerve.

Good.

"Apocalypto Man and Glacial Girl were no family of mine," he snarled. "They were my masters, and I was the slave forced to do their bidding so the rest of my siblings wouldn't be put in harm's way—including by them."

Ah, fuck.

"I'm sorry, Wolfy," I whispered, beyond ashamed for making this about me. "What you endured for all of us was unspeakable?—"

"We all endured it, Vi-Vi," he interrupted, that bone-deep weariness back on his face. "Your pain is no less than mine just because you can't remember most of it."

There it is.

"And that's exactly why you shouldn't trust me," I gritted out. "Who would? I still have no idea what happened this summer with Dahlia, and I could just as easily turn on you someday?—"

I choked on a gasp as my stool was kicked out from under me, sending me crashing to the floor faster than my compromised reflexes could respond.

No.

My vision began to go spotty as my powers took over, with the last thing I consciously registered being The Hand of Death looming over me, reaching an ungloved hand for my throat.

Nonononono….

"Vi?"

Awareness slowly seeped back in, like sunlight filtering through a crack in the curtains the morning after a night of heavy drinking.

"Vi."

The voice calling me sounded worried, and I could only imagine what destruction I'd wrought while in my berserker state.

Just destroy me already.

"Violentia fucking Suarez."

Wolfy?

I sat up so fast, my brother leaped backwards to avoid touching me.

Did I…?

Any drop of alcohol in my system had evaporated, leaving harsh clarity behind, but when I cautiously looked around, there was nothing out of place in the grand lodge aside from my toppled barstool. Wolfy didn't even look like he'd broken a sweat.

"Why did you…?" I mumbled, my brain still catching up with the strange situation.

Wolfy crouched in front of me, his now-gloved hands clasped between his thighs.

"To prove my point," he calmly replied as a knowing smirk spread across his face. "I trust you, Vi. I've told you a million times I do—that I could never hurt you—and you've never used that intel against me." Wolfy glanced in the direction Zion had gone with a grim look on his face. "The only other supe who knows I wouldn't be able to bring myself to harm any of my siblings is Simon. That is how much I trust you."

Now the tears began to fall. Wolfy always said I was his first friend—his only friend until recently. When our parents saw how well we played together, they quickly realized they could mold us into a deadly team. My brother often convinced them that our assignments were best tackled by him alone, but with how close to death he got, I knew he was lying to them to keep me out of danger as much as possible. I repaid him as best I could, by simply being there for someone everyone else feared.

Including our siblings.

At this point, the others knew he wasn't the monster he'd pretended to be, but the fact Wolfy still didn't show them all of him hurt my heart.

"So I didn't…" I could barely stand thinking about it but had to know. "I didn't go full Ultra Violent on you just now?"

I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have.

Wolfy's smile softened. "No, Vi-Vi. You didn't even lift a finger to defend yourself." He rose and smirked down at me. "Kind of sloppy, if you ask me. Should I be looking for a new enforcer?"

Asshole.

"If you do, I'll tell everyone you once had an imaginary friend named Uncle Chanclas," I hissed as I scrambled to my feet. "You won't be so scary then, huh, doofus?"

"That's my girl," Wolfy snickered before shaking his head. "I can't believe you let someone like Atmosphera get under your skin."

"She didn't…" I began before realizing I'd prefer Wolfy see Dahlia as the enemy than Kai.

Because my princess didn't do anything wrong.

It's not her fault I'm not her type.

"Dahlia isn't a Suarez," my brother continued with no small amount of pride in his voice. "Not like you, Violentia."

I stood a little straighter at that. My family wasn't perfect by any means, but we'd overcome so much—from our shitty childhoods to the recent challenge of taking control of our clan—and we'd done it together.

Thanks to our caring clan leader.

Your secrets are safe with me, you spooky little shit.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked, canting my chin toward the stairs. "You just scared me sober, so I'm ready to be however scary you need me to be."

It's what I do best.

For this family.

Forever.

Wolfy rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, no. Zion is more the ‘kill them with kindness' type, which I suppose keeps everyone happy."

"Everyone except Simon, I'm sure," I joked, earning me another rare smile.

My brother made an amused sound. "There's never enough bloodshed for my inventus." He tilted his head. "Why don't you take the day off? Go… hang out with Kai or something. This is supposed to be a vacation after all."

Says the man who needs a vacation more than the rest of us combined.

"Aye-aye, Capitán ." I saluted before righting my stool.

By the time I turned around, Wolfy had disappeared, as silent as the death-delivering grim reaper most supes saw him as.

If only they knew…

I couldn't stop smiling as I cleaned up the evidence of my Smirnoff thievery. A weight had been lifted from my shoulders—one I'd been carrying since returning from Iceland.

"It wasn't your fault… and I forgave you."

It wasn't the first time he'd said those words to me, but it felt like the first time I'd actually listened.

Maybe it's time I forgave myself.

Wolfy, more than anyone, knew how frustrating I found my powers—just like I knew how emotionally devastating his powers were to him—but neither of us had ever judged the other for what we couldn't control.

Anyone who would doesn't deserve a place at my table.

I'd never considered letting anyone else know me the way he did—not until I'd met Kai—but I'd still been holding back. As I left the grand lodge, I thought of the present hidden in my suitcase, the one I'd considered throwing into the ocean as I stomped my way to the bar an hour ago.

A present for a princess.

Maybe it's also time to let someone else in.