Chapter 34: Chapter 32

Alexander’s POV

I tightened my hold on Sophia and took a deep breath.

I was exhausted. Both emotionally and physically. I couldn’t open my eyes even if I wanted to. But I needed to check on my baby.

I reached out to place a hand on her forehead. I wanted to see if she had a fever. I was worried that she was going to get sick after spending all that time in the snow.

I started feeling around, but I couldn't find her forehead. All I felt were blankets.

What the…

I opened my eyes and looked at my arms.

My heart almost stopped beating.

She was gone.

I gasped, but my breath got caught in my throat.

“SOPHIA!” I screamed as I jumped off the couch and started looking around frantically.

William was asleep at the armchair. My shouting startled him and he almost fell.

“SOPHIA!” I screamed again as I rushed toward the kitchen.

“What the…” I heard William mumble.

I didn’t have time to answer him. My baby was gone. She was fucking gone!

Where was she? Did she leave again? Did she try to hurt herself again? Where was she? Where was my little girl?

“Fuck!” I heard William shout.

I heard him running toward me.

“Where is she?!” he screamed as he ran into the kitchen.

She wasn’t here. She wasn’t fucking here.

I ignored him and ran toward the front door. What would I do if she left again? It would be my fault this time. I didn’t hold her as tightly as I should have. I should have kept her safe and I failed. I fucking failed.

I grabbed the doorknob just as I heard Eli’s voice.

“She is upstairs,” he said, making my heart race.

I turned around abruptly. Upstairs?

Eli looked at William and motioned for us to follow him.

“Don’t freak out, Alex, okay?” Eli mumbled. “This is a good thing.”

What was a good thing? What the fuck was he talking about?

My heart was racing a mile a minute as I walked behind Eli. He was too fucking slow. I needed him to go faster. I needed him to take me to my child.

My vision blackened when I realized that we were just a few steps from Damien’s room.

“Oh, fuck no!” I exclaimed as I pushed the door open.

I relaxed immediately when I saw her. She was sitting on Damien’s lap. Her head was on his shoulder and she was sleeping.

My relief was replaced by anger in a second.

“She came here on her own,” Damien said quietly before I could speak. “I didn’t take her, Alexander. She came to me on her own.”

He tightened his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her temple.

I clenched my fists.

“Why the fuck would she do that?!” I whisper-yelled. “You almost fucking killed her. Why would she just come to you?”

I was trembling with rage. I wanted to take her from him, but I didn’t want to wake her up.

Damien flinched. Eli slammed his elbow into my ribs. I looked at him angrily.

“Don’t be an asshole, Alex,” Eli said quietly. “He isn’t hurting her.”

“Yet,” I said, looking back at the fucker. “Give me my sister back.”

I took a step closer to him and reached out for her. Eli pulled me back.

What the fuck was he doing?! I looked at him wide-eyed.

“She is his sister too, Alex,” Eli said, narrowing his eyes at me. “Let him explain.”

Oh, I was going to lose it.

“There isn’t anything to explain!” I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice down. “He fucking hurt her and he is going to do it again if I don’t stop him!”

What the fuck was wrong with Elijah?! Didn’t he see that Damien was dangerous?! Our sister almost killed herself because of him! He would hurt her again! He would say or do something stupid again and he would hurt her!

I wasn’t going to let that happen!

My heart was going to jump out of my chest. I needed to get my child away from him.

“I am not going to hurt her again,” Damien said, making me look back at him. “We talked and I apologized. She said that she didn’t want to be kept away from me. I am her brother too and I won’t let you keep her away from me.”

Fear exploded inside of me. Was I the only one who saw danger when I looked at Damien? I counted on Elijah to back me up, but even he was taking the fucker’s side. Was I insane?

I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. I couldn’t speak. All I could focus on was fear. I didn’t want to lose my sister. I couldn’t let that happen. It would kill me. I just got her back. I loved her more than anything and anyone else and I couldn't lose her.

Damien placed a hand on her head and pressed her closer to him. I flinched.

“I know I fucked up, Alexander,” Damien sighed. “But I am done fucking up. I will do whatever I have to do to make it up to her and to all of you.”

He glanced at others and gulped.

“I hurt you all so much and I am sorry,” he continued. “I will do better. I will do my best because of her. I promise.”

I kept clenching and unclenching my fists. I wanted to take her from him.

Damien looked at my hands and sighed.

“Here,” he mumbled as he moved his hands gently. “Take her. I can see that you need it.”

I moved immediately. I picked her up and she frowned a little.

“It’s okay, baby,” I said quietly. “It’s me.”

She didn’t wake up. She must have been exhausted. I wrapped her legs around my waist and she leaned her head on my shoulder. I placed a hand on her head and pressed her close to me.

I could breathe now that she was in my arms.

Damien smiled a little and rubbed her thing gently. I looked at him and gulped. His smile turned into a frown.

“She said something that worries me,” Damien said, looking from her to his brothers and Elijah.

“What?” William asked as he approached us.

He caressed Sophia’s cheek and placed a kiss on her temple.

“Don’t run off like that ever again,” he mumbled quietly. “I almost had a heart attack.”

Lucas sat next to Damien and wrapped his arm around Damien’s shoulders.

“What did she say?” Lucas asked.

Damien looked at her and took a deep breath.

“She said that she tried to kill herself before,” he mumbled, making my heart stop. “This wasn’t the first time.”

My knees buckled.

“What?” Elijah mumbled, his voice breaking.

Damien looked at him and tightened his jaw.

“I didn’t ask her about it, but we will have to talk to her when she wakes up,” Damien said. “I am worried.”

I tightened my hold on her.

I was going to do whatever I had to do to keep her alive. I wasn’t going to lose her. There was no fucking way that I would let her or anyone else hurt her.

She wasn’t leaving me. She wasn’t leaving all of us. Over my dead fucking body.