I am Leo (Book 3)

Chapter 22

Cayden POV

“Leo!” I yell out to the forest, hoping and praying for an answer but there’s none. I’m exhausted, running around for days looking for him to no avail.

“What have I done?!” I yell out pulling my hair as I fall to my knees in defeat

“Leeoooo!!” I yell repeatedly

“I’m sorry brother! Please I beg you come back!” but nothing happens. My heart breaks for the millionth time

“He’s gone” Nima says sadly and I grip my chest as the pain spreads

“No… he’s out there, I know he is” I argue

“He’s gone, Ryker is gone” he says and I shift howling into the night. I fall on the ground, lying on my side so tired I can’t even think straight

“Cayden” I hear a soft voice and glance up

“Mama” I whisper

“Cayden wake up” the voice says again and I struggle to sit up looking around for the source

“Leo?” I ask but then I open my eyes and those two electric blue orbs are staring at me, looking worried and sad

“Alles, you were having a nightmare” she says and I sit up rubbing my tired eyes, my face wet from tears

“Sorry baby girl” I say and she wraps her arms around my shoulders guiding me to her chest

“It’s okay, I got you” she says and I hug her tightly

“I f****d up” I say as she runs her fingers through my hair

“No, we f****d up. This is on both of us” she says and I feel her sadness

“I sent him away” I say and she hums

“I insisted on it. This is what happens when you act in anger, I read a quote the other day” she says quietly

“It said: Never act when you’re angry. Never make promises when you’re happy and never fight when you’re sad. That got me, we did all those things. Then I got thinking, Leo was always pulling pranks on everyone, but he never asked for anything. Mom told me how he sat with her, for years as she cried about you, not complaining once. He never bad mouthed you or blamed you for their pain. When I came here, he was the first one, except for Katie who befriended me. He showed me around, helped me with whatever I had to do while you were busy. He’s Kit’s best friend my love, he keeps him safe, he stepped up where we failed to. He never missed one game, one recital, science fair or spelling bee. Do you realize that he just showed up? Always on time, always there to cheer them on. He encouraged me to become the royal mediator, the night of the coronation” she says and my heart breaks again

“He is a better father to my children than I am” I say as the tears run down my face. Now I feel like an asshole, no that’s too kind an insult. I’m an idiotic, self-centered dickhead with my head up my ass

“I never realized” I choke out, trying my best not to cry and she sniffles

“Neither did I. I never thanked him, I always came down on him, berated him for what he did wrong” she sniffs again “Not once did I realize all the good he did, he never said anything, he never demanded acknowledgment or even a single thank you” she starts sobbing and we switch places, I’m now holding her crying silently as she sobs into my chest

“Oh s**t I’m the worst brother in the history of siblings” I whisper to myself leaning my head against the headboard. What should I do? We’re searching everywhere; literally the whole world is looking for him.

John POV

It’s been two months since I started working at the club, the work if fun and the pay is good. I wanted Violet to take my first pay check, we instead had our first real fight. She refused to take it and I got angry at her for it. I tried reasoning with her but she only said if she takes it she didn’t help me, she’ll help me only if I keep it. Woman and their screwed up logic. Anyway, got over it real quick. The last week she’s been very closed off, she barely speaks to me if I see her. I can see something is bothering her a lot, but she just closes off, telling me she’s f*****g peachy. I hate that statement. I push my bicycle up to my door and unlock it. I hear a noise I haven’t heard before and I turn my head straining my ears. What is that sound? It sounds like whining. I walk around listening and that’s when I realize. It’s crying, someone is crying profusely. I look up at her open window realizing it’s her, my Violet is crying. I quickly unlock the back door rushing up the stairs, losing my jacket on the way. I swing her bedroom door open and nearly gasp at the scene. Her bed and floor is covered in discarded trash, empty candy wrappers, soda cans, bundled up tissues and other trash covers the bed and floor. The dim light of the TV flashes lighting up her sobbing figure under the covers, I move to her side lifting the covers off her and cradling her body in my arms

“G-go a-away” she chokes out but I hold her tighter, reassuring her that she’s not alone. Her nails dig into my arm as she holds on to me, her body convulsing with each sob that escapes her throat. It breaks my heart seeing her like this, I don’t know why she’s crying but all I can do is hold her. My one arm is cradling her upper body, the other is on her back with my hand stroking her head

“Sshh, I’m here sweet cheeks, I got you” I whisper and she lets out a choking scream into my chest, soaking my shirt with her tears

“Why?” she chokes out again, her voice strained

“I… Violet please just tell me what’s going on” I plead softly and she looks up. Her red puffy face, wet with tears and bloodshot eyes meet mine and in this moment I feel helpless

“I hate her” she says before burying her face in my chest again and continues her torrent crying. I kick off my shoes and settle in next to her on the bed, holding her as close as I can. My arms are going numb, my shirt is drenched but she doesn’t stop. Her sobs are now mixed with hiccups, I glance back looking for a glass of water but there’s nothing

“I’ll be right back okay?” I say and move to get up but she doesn’t let go of my shirt

“No – hiccup – don’t go – hiccup” she pleads, her eyes so puffy they can barely open

“Oh honey, look at you. Who did this?” I ask, she shakes her head like she wants to forget something. What the hell is going on?

“I’m glad he killed her – hiccup” she says and I freeze

“Who killed her?” I ask quietly

“Kil – hiccup –lian”

“Your brother?”

“hiccup – Yes”

“Who was she?” I ask careful not to upset her more, but I need to know

“His – hiccup – wife” and I go cold. Oh holy crap, he killed his wife?!

“And you’re happy about it?” am I pushing limits here?

“Yes – hiccup – she killed – hiccup – them”

“And they were…?” I’m going to regret this aren’t I?

“My p – hiccup – parents” that has me speechless. Am I regretting asking, yes a little, am I horrified, f*****g absolutely! She moves sitting up, taking a tissue from the box I didn’t even notice on the bed blowing her nose.

“W-what? No – hiccup – come back?” she asks, her voice hoarse now. I sit up rubbing my face

“I uhm… that’s a lot to process” I answer honestly, her face twitched as if she were going to start crying again

“Yeah – hiccup – I know” she says, the pain marring her beautiful face. She discards the tissue on the floor and takes a new one

“I’m sorry for your loss” I say but I don’t sound convincing, she just shrugs

“It is – hiccup – what it is” she says blowing her nose again. This is the most unattractive but the most raw emotion a person can show you, and I’m at a loss for words. How do you make this better? What can I possibly say to relieve her pain? Nothing, I can quote the most beautiful poetry, cliché sayings or heartfelt apologies, it won’t help at all. She’s devastated, who wouldn’t be?

“When?” is all I can muster up

“Tomorrow – hiccup -  it would be a – hiccup – year” she says as her fresh tears run down her face, gleaming streaks of grief

“Come here” I guide her back to my chest, her sobbing is reduced to only silent sniffles and a pool of tears. I keep rubbing circles on her back, kissing her head all while holding her. This is why she’s been so unhappy, how can one person walk around with so much pain and not show it? Dammit Vi, that’s why I’m here

“I’m here, I won’t leave you” I whisper into her hair, she doesn’t respond other than gripping my shirt. Tomorrow is Friday, my weekend off, I’ll do something special for her. Don’t know what yet but I’ll figure it out. We fall asleep like that, holding each other. Hours later I open my eyes, look down at her sleeping figure, still in my arms and I slowly untangle myself from her, sure not to disturb her. Once I’m up I glance around the room and start cleaning up. Messy aren’t we? I think smiling discarding the trash, movement pulls my attention to the window. Who the f**k is that? I quietly exit her room and make my way down stairs.

“The hell are you?!” he hollers before delivering a shot to my jaw. I stumble back, blinking a few times before attacking him

Violet POV

“Be quiet” I groan sitting up, hearing a ruckus. What the hell is going on? I drag my tired body up, glancing out the window, my pounding headache and blurry vision soon disappear when I see the source of the commotion

“Oh s**t, this is not happening” I dart down stairs, gripping the front of my nightgown to my chest before I burst through the back door. John has him in a death grip, his lip and eye dripping with blood.

“John no!” I yell but he doesn’t respond

“John let him go!” I yell again, my head splitting in two

“He broke in!” he yells in a strained voice, as the other man struggles for air

“f**k you” he croaks out and this gets him a punch in the side

“John please” I plead, my brain seems to be out of order since I struggle to form coherent words

“John, please he’s…” I blink a few times willing my vision to focus “He’s… I…” the black dots cloud my vision and then I’m falling, face first into the pool. The icy cold water swallows me up but my body is not responding, the ringing in my ears cancelling out any other sound, my nose burning as the water enters. Good I want to die; I don’t want to feel this pain anymore. But the next moment a strong arm wraps around my stomach and we break the surface, he drags my body lying me down in the side hovering over me

“Vi!” he says frantically, tapping my cheek

“Violet, oh s**t sweet cheeks look at me babe” he pleads and I slowly open my eyes, met with his panic-stricken face

“Violet speak to me” he pleads and I open my mouth, but he’s shoved to the side

“Get away from her!” he demands and John punches him in the eye

“Don’t make me kill you” he says in a low and very threatening voice

“Love to see you try moron” he bites back and John groans glaring daggers at him. I grab onto John’s arm and hoist myself up, wiping the wet hair off my face

“Both of you shut up” I command and their eyes snap to me

“But Violet, he-“ I cut him off holding up my hand

“I don’t care, I need an aspirin the size of a hockey puck, a warm shower and for you two not to kill each other until I’m done” I say

“Bet he started it” John mumbles making the other one scoff

“Dumbass”

“Jerk”

“Shut up!” I yell and they do, looking away

“Now, can you please help me to my room?” I say and they both shoot to their feet

“I meant him” I glare at him pointing at John, who in turn gives him a triumphant smirk

“Suck it” he says under his breath helping me to my feet, placing a protective arm around my shoulders as he guides me back to my room. I take a shower and swallow way too many painkillers, but I have to hurry. They’ll only play nice for that long. As I walk back downstairs I hear them bickering

“I asked you first”

“Tell me first jerk”

“Dickhead”

“Douche”

“Asshole”

“Hey! Shut up and sit down!” I yell finding them standing nose to nose in the kitchen. They both grunt but take a seat opposite each other, still trying to glare each other to death

“Who the hell is he Vi?” he asks angrily and I huff, taking the juice out of the fridge

“Like you have any right demanding answers” I mumble, and I see John tense

“He’s a friend” I state and he scoffs

“Like a friend with benefits?” he asks glaring at John

“Hey back off man” John says and I lift the glass to my lips taking big gulps

“You back off” he says standing and I sigh

“If you’re going to kill each other please move it to the street, at least there you’re the police’s problem” I grunt moving to the living room. I will not be a part of this, especially after all the s**t that went down. Today is not that day. I plop down on the couch and switch on the TV, channel hopping, but then I turn my head to them. They’re silent, sitting and glaring at each other. Hhmm, there is hope yet

“I will not upset her more than she already is” I hear John say in hushed tone

“You came at me” he retorts

“Who threw the first punch fuckwit?” John growls out

“In self-defense shitface” he says and I grunt, loudly

“Oh for the love of Pete, would you two quit it?!” I yell, much louder than intended

“Sorry Vi”

“Sorry sweet cheeks”

“What did you call her?”

“Give me a reason, just one come on”

“Okay that’s it, both of you get out!” I yell and they still

“No, Vi sorry we’ll stop” John pleads and I rub my temples

“Give up quick”

“Screw you” John says and walks over to the couch, crouches down and smiles at me

“Sorry, I didn’t want to upset you” he says and I nod

“I know, this day is just getting better huh?” I joke and he chuckles

“I guess so. Is that your brother?” he asks and I chuckle

“Oh hell no” I answer and then I feel his presence behind me

“Then who is he?” he asks and I sigh standing

“John Anderson” I gesture to the other man standing with his arms folded “Meet Dean Colt”