I tried to keep my head in my lap for the duration of the stay at the people's house, but my heart broke for the family that Syn was breaking up. It was sweet that he was trying to help the little boy, but I wanted no parts in it.

I wanted to leave everything how it was and let it go into God's hands. He was the only one truly fit to judge those that deserved it, not some crazed maniac playing with knives. Getting involved in his mess was not a part of my plan. I never truly believed Syn was as big of a monster as people had made him out to be until today when I saw him in his full element.

The control he had over his anger and the lengths they went to terrified me. I rocked back and forth in my spot as I thought of the mistake I made on the drive here. I had a breakdown in the car and sent Queen my location, letting her know what was going on.

In those moments in the car, my only thoughts were that those were going to be my last minutes alive. I wanted my family to know where I was in case something happened to me, but now...I sat in fear awaiting the moment when Syn would find out what I had done.

"I said to put your hands on the table. Do not make me ask again," I said as I twirled the large knife between my fingers.

The woman slowly laid her hands on the table and I leaned forward. "I am going to ask you a few questions, if you lie to me, there will be consequences." Most of my torture tactics were learned in Hell, but this one here...was one I learned from Julius.

She nodded and let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes. "Are you abusing your son?" I asked.

"No."

"So he's lying to me."

"Yes. He always had a wild ima-," I raised the knife and brought it down onto her hand and she let out a loud shriek, dropping her head to the table.

I pulled the knife roughly out of her hand and eyed the familiar crimson color coating it. "I saw the bruises. Those are not from his imagination." She continued screaming with her head on the table. "Lift your head and look at me," I growled. She did as I ordered, but before I could ask her another question, the front door burst open.

The man of the hour marched into the house, and I held out my arms. "Welcome. Join us." I pointed the gun at the empty seat near his ex-wife, and his eyes widened at all the blood around us. He took slow steps to where I had told him to go, and when he finally sat down, he looked straight at me.

"Where are my children?"

"Safe."

"Why are you here?" He glanced at his ex's wound before trembling and looking at me in disgust.

"I've heard about the allegations Queen made against you. Is there any truth to them?" I asked, holding in my anger.

"The allegations mean nothing!" He snapped. "She is going to be my wife. Nothing I do to her is your concern."

When his words spilled out of his mouth, I lost all control and shot the woman in the head. Her body fell limp to the floor and he screamed, trying to grab her. He sobbed as he held her body in his arms and he let out a guttural scream. You should've said no.

The front door burst open again with a bang, and I turned to see Xavier stride in, sending me an apologetic look. I looked at him in confusion, not understanding why he was looking at me the way he was, and my eyes landed on Queen. She took careful steps into the house, avoiding the glass, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she came deeper into the house.

Fuck. I turned to Xyla who was trying her best not to look at me and I rolled my eyes, knowing who was responsible for the party we were now having.

"This him?" Xavier asked me. I nodded and he walked toward the man, picked him up by his collar, and threw him onto the glass table. The glass shattered and the man lay limp on the floor coughing up blood. Xyla let out a scream and I rolled my eyes again. I wanted to be able to enjoy killing this man slowly, but she was ruining it.

Justin rolled to his side, his bloody face turning towards Queen who still hadn't said anything. "Baby, help me," he whispered in a strained voice.

She stepped forward to do as he said, and I stepped in front of her. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to," I said, willing her to understand the true meaning behind my words. Her eyes met mine, and a look I couldn't make out flashed across her delicate features. "I believe you," I whispered, low enough for only her to hear and her eyes watered as she glanced at Justin.

"Queen!" He roared.

"If you want to leave with him, I'll let you," I said. "But if you want him gone, then trust me and turn around."

"Queen, come here!" Justin screamed.

She flinched at the sound of his voice and tilted her face back up to look at my eyes. With the world around us drifting away, our eyes communicated the words we couldn't speak out loud, and Queen took a deep breath. Her eyes tore away from me, breaking the contact as she took a step away from me.

I dropped my hand, unwilling to believe that this was all for nothing and I ran a hand through my hair. Justin continued calling for her and she glanced at him before looking toward me. I shook my head at her in disappointment, stepping aside for her to go to him and she took a deep breath.

Instead of walking to him as I thought she would, she pivoted on her foot, turning her back to me. She ignored Justin's cries for help and Xavier and I exchanged a knowing look. I pointed my gun toward Justin, not bothering to look at him...and I fired the gun, silencing his cries for help.

The room became silent after the gunshot fired, and I tucked the gun back into my waistband. "Well." Xavier clapped his hands together. "I'm going to call for cleanup."

"Y-you just killed him!" Xyla screamed. "This is surely an act of treason. Heaven will damn you all once-"

"Heaven won't be finding out a thing," I said. "Everything that has happened here tonight will stay here, Xyla. If you so much as utter a word of this to anyone, I won't hesitate to let your parents know just how close you are to my brother."

She gasped, her smeared makeup adding to the crazed expression on her face and I turned away from her. I walked past everyone and climbed up the stairs three at a time. I walked through the second floor and opened each room one by one looking for James.

The first door I opened revealed an empty master bedroom, probably Justin or his mother's, and I moved on, slamming it shut. The next room was a fully decorated pink girl's room with toys all over the floor. The walls had glow-in-the-dark stars and childrens' books were open on the bed.

I went through several empty rooms until I reached the last one at the very end of the hall. I pushed open the door and looked into a room with no furniture; only a small lamp on the floor lighting the room. I peered around the room and found James sitting in the corner with his ears covered, holding on to his bear.

I went over to where he was sitting and sat down against the wall beside him. I ignored the sense of deja vu I got from being in the room and turned to him. He lowered his hands when he looked at me, and I sighed. "It's over."

He nodded, squeezing the bear against his chest, and I looked around the empty room. Besides the lamp, the only other thing in it was a thin mattress and a terrible excuse for a blanket lying on top of it. I thought back to the daughter's room and grimaced at the clear favoritism. She had everything she could dream of, while he was here with the bare minimum. It reminded me of the days when Julius did the same with Felix and me.

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Like live with you?"

"Well, at least for now. You can stay with us until we figure out a more permanent home for you."

He gave me a small smile and nodded. He yawned, and I became aware of his puffy red eyes and large eye bags.

Sleep and food seemed to be the first thing I needed to make sure he had. I stood up, grabbed the small blanket on the bed, and wrapped it around his shoulders.

I reached out to lift him, but he flinched at my touch and I lowered myself to him. "I am not going to hurt you, okay?"

"Pinky promise?" He held out his small finger, and I looked at him in confusion, his face dropping as the seconds passed and I made no move.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You take your pinky, like this." He lifted his other pinky. "And then wrap them around each other. Then the promise is locked." He demonstrated and I observed his instructions, nodding after he was done.

I held out my finger as he had shown me, and he smiled as he wrapped his around mine. "I promise." I wrapped his small arms around my neck, lifting him into my arms and turning to the door. I paused when found Queen standing against the door watching us with an unreadable expression.

"Hi," she said to James. He lifted his head off my shoulder and looked at me as if he was asking for permission to speak to her and I gave him a small nod. He turned to Queen and gave her a timid wave.

"My name is Queen."

"The one my dad hurt?"

I frowned at how aware he seemed to be of the thing going on around him, and Queen seemed shocked too, glancing at me before looking back at him. She was at a loss for words and James held out his small bear for her. "His name is Charlie. He makes me feel better after my dad does something mean. M-maybe he will make you feel better."

Queen took the bear he offered and hugged it to her chest, letting out a deep breath and smiling at him. "I feel better already."

James smiled at her and snuggled his face back into the crook of my neck. I looked at Queen who bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced at me. She looked less stressed than she did a few days ago, but there was a dark expression on her face. I didn't mean any harm to her, but I wondered if I unintentionally made her relive moments she wanted to forget.

"We should go," she said. I nodded, following behind her as she left and we made our way downstairs. As we walked down the steps, I saw Xyla still crying into her hands and I pushed back the bubble of irritation arising in me. It was a wonder that her eyes hadn't dried out already.

"That's fine, I'll send you the address. Be discreet," Xavier spoke into his phone, raising a brow when he noticed the child in my arms. I gave him a look telling him that I'd explain later and he returned to the call.

I felt James stir in my arms and I tried to move so he wouldn't see his parents' bodies, but I was too late. He looked at them for a long moment and I expected him to break down, but he just laid his head back down onto my shoulder.

I wondered what he went through to make him this numb, but at the same time, I knew whatever it was, it was over now. I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Whatever his parents had put him through would be a distant memory.

We waited in silence for our men to come and Xavier gave them instructions on what to do. After he was done, he made his way to us. "You guys can go. I'll stay behind and take care of everything," he said. I nodded at him unable to find the words to say and he laid his hand on my shoulder and smiled at me, understanding my silence.

I walked to my car with James in my arms and Queen and Xyla following close behind me. Xyla sat in the passenger seat and Queen sat in the back with James, laying his head on her lap. It was almost eleven p.m. and I decided to stop driving and take us to one of my houses nearby for the night. None of us needed to be in the car together for hours after everything that had just taken place.

I gave Xyla the keys to open the door and I lifted a sleeping James out of the car. I carried him into the open door and took him to the room next to mine, tucking him into the bed.

When I was done, I walked back into the living room. Xyla had already chosen a room for herself and went in, without saying a word to Queen and I. Imagining myself married to the girl was draining. She just lacked anything that I was interested in and there was no depth to her.

What you saw was what you got.

My eyes drifted to Queen who was sitting on the couch and staring into the electric fireplace in front of her, and I took a seat beside her. I remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt any of her thoughts, and I sat back, stealing glances at her whenever I could.

"Why did you go there today?" She asked. I frowned, not fully knowing how to answer the question, so I just shrugged. "Thank you. I don't know how you found out and I'm not sure I want to, but thank you." I nodded, crossing my arms and she cleared her throat. "So what do you want in return?"

"Hm?"

"In exchange for helping me. What do I owe you?"

"Why do you assume I want anything?"

"Because you're...you," she said. "From what I've heard, you don't do anything without it benefiting you. So lay it on me. What do you want?"

"You're asking me?"

She glanced around the empty room, a slow smile spreading across her lips as she giggled. "Who else?"

"If I were to tell you what I wanted," I began, my eyes trailing the delicate features of her face. "would you give it to me?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"You always have a choice where I'm concerned."