Evil lurks in places you would never imagine and tires to charm it's way into your life.

Violet's POV

There are some people that are just pure evil, I'd like to be an optimist and find good in everyone but I learned a long time ago that the devil lives in hearts of most people on this earth.

My mother, Terra Black is a demon. Gang-related issues has never been a foreign topic in my family, my mother had plenty experience in that area. Her brother, Lorenzo Reyes owned a strip club, he'd traffic girls from other countries and force them to work at his club as strippers and sleep with his many abusive and rich customers. I knew this because I was once one of those girls.

My mother decided on my sixteenth birthday that I wasn't worth anything to her. She handed me over to her brother to be used for sex like a dog, at the time my father had not been in our lives permanently. He came home and stayed for a few days and left for months, leaving me alone with my mom, my only support Bella and Livia. 

At first, Lorenzo only used me for his pleasure but over time he realized he could get good business from me. So he made me work in his club where I was beaten, raped and mentally broken down. I was given to people like Jax, people who lived on the pain of others. I was trapped there for a year.

Till this day I do not know why my mother hated me so much, why she let men use me, why she cursed me, why she watched her own daughter get raped with a smile on her face.

If not for my father, Bella and Livia I'd probably still be in that hell hole today. Bella and Livia went to my house every day constantly asking where I was my mom lied to them saying I went on a vacation with my uncle. After a while they started to notice something was off so they call my dad and told him everything.

He trolled into the club one night he saw me been maltreated by a customer, he beat the customer badly and as faith would have it he took me out of my hell and brought me to his home.

Two years later I found out my mother died in a mysterious shooting at the club. Mysterious meaning it never happened. 

After all the suffering my mother put me through I didn't hate her but I didn't love her either I'm just in the middle. Call me stupid but I wanted to know what the love of a mother felt like but it seems like that wasn't meant for me. I sighed and bent to tie the shoelaces on my trainers.

I'm currently in the small gym located east of the mansion, everyone was busy Bella and Livia had work to do but they were most likely flirting with Ace and Caden. Xavier was still trying to find out who shot his witness, he also insisted that I stay in the room but I decided to work out in the gym cause I'm got at staying in one place. I think it's really sweet that he cares about my well being.

I have on spandex and a black crop top that I brought with me when we came here.

Facing the punching bag in front of me and began to punch it violently. My mind drifts off to the events that have happened these past few months: Rose getting shot, Xavier, the mysterious dark figure in the woods and worst off all finding out my mother is actually alive. This all made me mad, I wanted this all to end.

I punched the bag harder, it flew back making the chain holding it up to the ceiling jiggle. I let out all my anger, my heart beat aggressively against my chest, my breathing picked up. Sweat dripped down from my forehead to my lip. I forgot how good this felt, how good fighting left.

Images of my father teaching me how to fight flashed through my mind, I'm grateful to him for teaching me even though he put me in this situation. Then I thought of Lorenzo and hit the punching bag harder imaging it was him I was hitting.

My movements come to an abrupt end when I hear some one clapping. I turn around wide-eyed when I see Ace, he had a grin on his face, "You're really good Violet," he said. 

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Would you like to go one on one?" Ace asked. I skeptical at first but I nod. He grins at me and takes off the leather jacket leaving him in only a black T-shirt and black pants. Ace approaches the mat, I take a step back giving him pace.

"You want me to go easy on you?" He jeered

I smiled, "I think I should be asking you that question,"

"First one to hit the mat loses," he said with a proud smirk plastered on his face. 

We stare at each other for a while, tension building in the room. Ace lunges at me probably hoping to catch me off guard but I doge his attack swiftly. He tries to send a punch to my jaw but I catch his fist before it touches my jaw. Placing both arms on his shoulders I kneed him in the gut. 

Ace's face scrunched up in pain but he quickly regains his composure. I smirk a little at my little victory but it is short-lived, Ace sends a jab to my side making me stumble back, pain erupts from my side. It is now Ace's turn smirk. Taking advantage of my weak position he tries once again to send a punch to my jaw but I bring my arms to face blocking his attack. 

I threw a punch to his cheeck, Ace staggers. I tackle him to the ground effortlessly. "I win," I proclaimed, with a huge smile. 

"I underestimated you," Ace said, standing from the ground. I take a seat on the benches Ace does the same sitting a few inches away from me. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?" he questioned curiously.

"My dad taught me," I responded, whipping the sweat off my face with my arm.

"You're full of secrets and surprises Violet Black." I smile but say nothing, he had no idea the secrets I held or that my life was possible in grave danger if my mother was trying to kill I knew she wouldn't stop till she got her way. She's ruthless. 

"Who are you thinking about?" Ace asked pulling me out of my thoughts, "Xavier maybe."

I rolled my eyes, "You know Ace we where having a great time but now you've ruined it," I said.

Ace laughed, "Don't tell me you and lover boy are fighting," he mocked. 

I let out a sigh, "No. your friend is just really confusing. One minute his sweet and the next he's full of hatred." 

"Don't be too hard on him. He has his reasons."

"How can I not be mad at him. He kidnapped me and my friends and put our lives in danger," I exasperated. 

"I'm not justifying any of his actions but I've known Xavier all his life. He was born into a world of pain and hatred. He may look like he doesn't care but he's had it rough. Living in this kind of world isn't easy it slowly eats away your soul and leaves you lifeless," Ace's face is emotionless.  

"If living like this is so bad then why don't you all just leave," I whispered. 

"People always make that assumption, but what they fail to acknowledge is that breaking away from hell isn't easy. It's easy to say that someone who is getting abused should have just run away or someone who is having constant nightmares should just try and stop it but it's hard to actually do it," Ace pauses pain flashes through his eyes, he balls his hand up into a fist before he speaks again. 

"I'll give you an example my father was a brutal man he did things to me and my family that I'd rather forget I remember crying at night wanting to run away and escape but being too scared too. Because of him, I'll never get to see my little sister again, except for in a graveyard." my heart clenched, I couldn't imagine all the pain he's been through. 

"If any of us leave we've signed a death wish. Xavier's father will hunt us down and kill us," Ace's face suddenly becomes cold. "He's even forced some people into his gang, he forced people to become cold-hearted killers like him."

I could see he was trying not to break down, so I did something that surprised us both. 

I hugged him.

He doesn't return the hug but after a while he finally caves. I pulled away from him and smile. I never thought about the pain these people are going through, I didn't acknowledge the fact that they have feelings and problems to or that they might not even want to be here.

"I'm sorry," I began, "I feel like a terrible person. All this time I've judging-" 

"It's alright, I judged you too I thought you were some weak princess who couldn't anything for herself, I was obliviously wrong," Ace said cutting me off.

 "Ace you've insulted me in every possible way," I said holding my chest.

He laughs at me, the suddenly becomes serious, "Trust me, Violet. Xavier has had it rough that doesn't justify his actions, it just gives you an insight into him to make you understand why he is the way he is. Xavier is not the monster he claims to be."

I'm about respond when someone walks into the gym. My eyes move to the door, a scowl forms on my face when I see Ivy King in all her plastic glory. I tried as much as possible to stay away from Ivy because she held an essence I do not like.

Ivy looks at Ace as if sending him a sercet message. Ace clears his throat awkwardly and gets up to leave. He flashes me a smile before he leaves. 

Ivy doesn't say a word but her eyes speak loudly. She scans my body with a look of disgust on her face, "Can I help you, ma'am?" I asked

"Where's Xavier?" she asked sassily.

"I have no idea, Miss," I replied and got up to leave.

"I find that surprising since you always seem to be around him," she said, a hint of jealousy in her voice. I ignored her comment and continued to walk towards the door.

"Stop," she ordered.

I turned around and faced her, "Listen miss-"

"No you listen," she interrupts, "I don't know what game your playing with Xavier but you better stop because he's taken."

I snorted, "by who?"

"By me. We're engaged." she said while pulling up her arm so I could see the gorgeous ring on her finger. Her words hit me like a truck, my heart sank into my stomach. Xavier couldn't be engaged.

"I assure you miss there is nothing going on between Xavier and me and there never will be," I said coldly and barged out of the gym with tears in my eyes.

***
Anger.

That's all I felt right now.

I wanted to beat the shit out Xavier and demand to know why he lead me on and touched me even though he's engaged. I couldn't even look at Ivy without feeling guilty.

I felt used and I only had myself to blame. I should have know better than to get too close to Xavier.

I stood in the kitchen with a glass of water in my hand, I took a sip of the water and put it on the counter with a loud bang. "You could break that,  you know," a voice said. I turn around only to see Abel ans his tattooed friend from the night Rose was shot.

I glared at them, "Antonio she doesn't look too happy to see us," Abel mocked.  I rolled my eyes and turned way from them. I took note of the name of Abel's friends name. His name wad on the list of suspects.

"We'll cut to the chase," Antonio said, I heard his footsteps approaching me. Antonio grabs my hand tightly and forces me to face him. "I know you and your friends are pocking your nose in business that does not concern you," he spat.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

" I think you do," Abel whispered darkly.

Antonio took his phone out of his pocket, he looks at me with a sinister smile. "I'll show you what happens to women who don't mind their business." 

He holds his phone up to my face. I stared at the picture on his phone in horror, a woman about twenty years old had a knife in her head. She'd been stripped of her clothes, her body decorated with cuts and bruises. Some of her fingers were cut off, she'd definitely been tortured before she was killed. Antonio places his phone on the counter and walks closer to me till there is no space between us.

"You're next," he whispered.

I stared at Antonio with wide eyes I wasn't sacred I was mad, that how could to something like that to another human being and talk about it with pride. So with new found confidence I had, I pull head back and smash it into his nose. Antonio stumbles back his hand on his now bloody nose.

"You bitch!" Antonio exclaimed. Abel grabs my left arm and yanks me towards him, he had a dangerous scowl on his face, adernaline pumped my rough my veins. I balled my right hand into a fist ready to send a punch to Abel's nose but before I can attack someone speaks.

"Step away from her right now."

I turn back and find Caden, he had a glare on his face. Abel and Antonio step away from me with their heads down. "Get out right now," Caden spat, "I'll be handling your punishments later."

They both dash out the kitchen not needing to be told twice. "Are you okay?" Caden questions. He looked genuinely worried, "Yeah I'm fine but I'm starting to wonder if you and Ace are following me," I joked.

Caden chuckled, "You wish."

Before I can oppose to what he said, Caden's phone rings. He takes it out of his pocket and looks at the screen, the smile his face disappears and is replaced with a frown.

"Excuse me, I have to take this," Caden said and exits the kitchen.

The sound of another phone ringing startles me. I look at the direction of where the ringing came from and discover Antonio's phone on the counter. I waited for the phone to stop ringing then I grabbed it looking for who just called him.

He had a miss call from someone called Boss Lady.

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. Antonio only worked for Xavier and Xavier's father there are no female leaders in the gang, this smelt like trouble and being the curious person I am I want to find out what it means.

Antonio's phone beep indicating he got a text from Boss Lady, it read:

Meeting at 12 don't be late at E14 don't be late.

At that moment I made a decision to find out what is going on once and for all.

Author's Note

Loving Broken hit 6K reads and is close to 7k!!! I'm losing my mind!!

Thank you guys so much for reading and leaving comments.

If you liked this chapter don't forget to vote and share this book please.