OBSESSED with my future husband

A Safe Place

Brandon

Past

I hate in here.

I hate these punishments.

I hate it when my mother cries.

And I hate it when my brothers look at me like I could save them.

I couldn't. Not now. Not here.

But I promised myself that one day I would.

One day I would be what they all need. I would be a man on whom they could rely.

I walked down the narrow dark hallway, my four years old brother Maddox, walking beside me. His small hand griping mine like his life depended on it. Tears were glimmering in his blue eyes, just like mine, but every time they threatened to roll down his cheek, he sniffed them back.

“I am sorry, Brandon.” My little brother whispered softly.

“It's okay, Maddox.” I looked down at his face, filled with worry and guilt. “It doesn't hurt.” That was a lie. It hurts like hell. Every time the whip strike my back it felt like a kiss of a fire. It was a sick game our father played with us. He knew how to punish Maddox, by hurting us. My little brother couldn’t see anyone in pain and when it comes to his family it bleeds him like the whip does to me. Our father revelled in dolling out the punishments. Hurting everyone at once.

As I reached the steel door to the basement, I crouched down on my knees in front of my brother. “Promise me, you won’t cry.”

Maddox swallowed, his blue eyes wide and this time a tear slipped past his eyelids, he swiped at it furiously. “Promise me, you won't hate me.”

My heart broke a little. “I promise.”

“I promise, I won't cry and one day we will hit them back.” He said, his voice surprisingly coming out steady and strong for a four years old.

“One day.”

One year ago…

Ellison

“I a-am sorry…” The broken cry pierced the air and my insides tightened as pure rage heated my blood.

I pressed closer to the open window and peeked inside just in time to see the man slap her again. Her small, frail body slammed into the wooden table and she cried out in pain.

My heart thudded as my body and my mind synced together to do what I had prepared for all these years, and what I had done all these years to all such motherfuckers as this drunken bastard who was hitting an innocent child.

Bracing a hand on the window sill, I slipped inside the room that will lead to a small kitchen and living area. The man was so lost in his drunken state, he didn't even realize that somebody was coming toward him. The girl’s eyes widened with recognition when she saw me. We had become friends since just last week, I had talked to her, to know more about her bruises when I had seen her shoplifting in a grocery shop. But then a moment later a shadow crossed her face as she looked at me, apparently my murderous face had her feeling wary, but when she saw me grabbing the bastard by the neck and slugging him hard, she breathed in relief and stood up to come toward me.

Five minutes later with the man lying on the floor, his hands bleeding and a broken bottle near him, the world had one less monster living.

“Is… is he dead?” She asked, peering behind me.

I tipped her face back to me. “No. I just punished him for what he did to you.”

“Thank you,” She whispered tremulously. Then, eyes filled with promise looked at me for a minute and then she licked her lips and said, “I promise I won’t tell anyone that you were here.”

“You aren’t staying here.” I said with a smile. “You are coming with me.”

“I am scared, Liz.” Sophia, the ten years old girl, with her brown eyes just like mine looked at me, filled with uncertainty and fear.

“You don’t have to, Soph. He won't harm you now, not ever.” I said, my fingers tightening on the handle of the knife that was still red with the blood of the bastard who had tried to hurt this little girl, again.

“He hurt you…” Her lower lip trembled as she tugged on my hand until I bent down so she could lightly touch my swollen cheek where the bastard had gotten a hit because I was distracted when I had locked her in the room so she wouldn't witness the scene unfolding in the living room. A murder scene.

“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s take you somewhere safe and warm.” I picked her up and walked out of the small studio apartment where the little girl had been living with her alcoholic stepfather who had beaten her more than once.

Since the day I had come to live in Willow Creek only two things had consumed me. The men who hurt Innocents. And the man who hadn’t called me—my future husband.

Almost a year ago I had given him my number when he had come with his brothers and two girls at the restaurant where I had worked— until I had to kill the manager who was doing more than harassing the waitresses who worked there. One of the girls with whom the brothers had come had looked like me, except I had colored my hair blonde and put an eye contacts of blue color—a typical American girl. It helps to trap men when they think they’re dealing with a stupid naïve girl, instead of huntress who hand picked them and left crumbs for them to follow their own demise. But what had me stepping back from my future husband at that moment was the way he had looked at that girl, as if…

I shook off the memory and concentrated on the fact that how am I going to feed one more mouth when I already had three at my home. The monthly settlements by Mr. Carter hadn’t been enough, I had already spent every penny. Clothes. Food. Tutors. And a big place for these kids that I had acquired who hadn’t left my side since I had saved them. All these things took great amount of money, and I couldn’t tell Gabe or Mr. Carter, they both would be disappointed in me if they knew that the ghost roaming the Willow Creek, killing men and women, wasn’t the green eyed Carter brother but me. With all these thoughts churning inside my brain, I reached home.

“Where are we?” Sophia asked from the passenger side of the car— a car that I had stolen. Her eyes were big as she looked at the dark five storeyed building, built like a fortress.

“A safe place.” I answered but my own nerves were stretched taut because I was on the doorstep of the devil himself. The last time we had met, he had warned me to be in the line and to change my route or else we both would be behind the bars. But evidently I hadn’t listened to him. And now here I was in his hidden century. If he found out that I had been here, he would kill me. But I had no choice, I didn’t have the money for rent and I had three, now four, children to protect and keep them safe.

SORRY FOR BEING LATE... HAD LOTS OF WORK TO DO...

HOPE YOU ENJOYED ELLE AND NOW YOU ALL HAVE THE ANSWER WHICH CARTER BROTHER'S STORY THIS IS... YOU KNOW, RIGHT?