Redemption Hills: The Complete Collection

15. Milo

FIFTEEN

MILO

I prowled through the crowd that had gathered at Absolution.

It was no different from any other night. Except for the unhinged rage that streaked through my veins.

Eating me raw as it clawed and gnashed and searched for a way out.

Lights strobed in a dizzying whorl, and the band onstage thrashed to the chaotic rhythm.

A slew of bodies slammed in time.

My hands were in fists, and my teeth were clenched as I shouldered through the crush that vied to push deeper into the fray.

It had taken every part of my haggard soul not to veer off course on my way to work and drive straight to Karl Haller’s house and show him exactly what I’d wanted to do that day last week.

Somehow, I’d managed to drive my ass directly to the club without taking a disastrous detour.

Had worked on this shit for years.

Controlling the rage.

The pit of ugliness that seethed.

Now, it boiled and blistered and seared my flesh.

A tattoo of destruction.

I stormed through the crowd, eyes peeled for anyone stepping out of line.

I wondered if I was the inciter of it. If my fury had spilled out from my pores and into the crowd to feed the mayhem.

Because I felt when the disorder had shifted into a riot.

A bunch of people came stumbling back while a small group went ballistic in the middle.

Half of the crowd hurried to get out of the way, but a ton of others pressed in to get a better look at the fight that had broken out at the base of the stage.

I shouted to get out of my way as I pushed through the ring of madness.

About half a dozen assholes were in an all-out brawl.

Arms swinging wide.

Punching and kicking.

Three tumbled to the floor.

Heavy metal played on like an anthem to the frenzy.

I nabbed one of the assholes by the collar and jerked him to his feet.

A woman came rushing for us, shouting the guy’s name.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it, but not before it was too late.

The motherfucker to the side of her threw an errant fist as she ran past him, no fuckin’ care of where it landed.

It cracked the woman in the temple.

She stumbled to the side in shock, grabbing hold of her head and bending in two as a shout of pain wailed out of her. Someone grabbed the woman and pulled her back to safety.

But there was no safety for the scum who’d hit her.

The violence inside me broke its chains.

The sleaze hadn’t even slowed after he’d assaulted her but had gone for another man.

I tossed off the guy I’d had in my hold and stalked toward him.

In a flash, I had him by the throat. “You piece of shit.”

His eyes went wide as I squeezed.

A second later, Sage, Kult, plus two other bouncers broke through the frenzy.

Trent barreled in behind them.

“Get these assholes out of here,” Trent shouted.

Took all of a second for my crew to round them up. I shifted the fucker who was raging against my hold so I could drag him out, and in a flash, we were shoving back through the gawkers and hauling their asses to the side door.

Violence clouded and compelled, a vicious scream that howled in my ear.

I fought it.

Pounded it back down into the depths where it belonged.

Where I couldn’t let it free.

One of the bouncers held open the door while Kult, Trent, and two others dragged the guys out.

“Cops or the door, sir?” Kult asked Trent.

Trent shoved the guy he had a hold on out the door, sending him sailing.

“Fuckers can take their bullshit outside.” Trent pointed at the guy he’d tossed to the curb. “Don’t want to see your face in my club again. Got it?”

“Whatever, asshole,” the guy swore, backing away and swiping the blood from his mouth.

I slipped out, angling to the side so I could wrangle the bastard out who was kicking and flailing.

“You’re lucky I didn’t end you,” I growled at his ear before I shoved him toward the road.

I turned around to head inside.

I heard the rush of footsteps before he jumped on my back. He slammed me so hard I lost my balance and got knocked to my knees.

He landed a punch to the back of my head.

Pain splintered, but it had nothing on the red that blurred my sight.

Rage full.

I had him flipped around and pinned to the pavement before the asshole could make sense of the motion.

I let one punch free.

It cracked against his face.

Blood gushed.

In an instant, my sight bleared over.

You worthless little shit. You’ll never amount to nothin’. Blow after blow. Come on, fight back, you pussy.

End him.

Your betrayal won’t go unnoticed.

Autumn, baby. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.

Karl hit me. Can you believe it?

You bitch. It appears you need a reminder of your position.

Voices spun through my mind.

So many. Too loud. Too much.

Sanity slipped.

Blinking in and out.

Tessa.

Autumn.

Fists flew.

I no longer realized they belonged to me. Not until I was being hauled up and pushed against the wall.

Trent flung his arm across my chest to hold me back. His voice broke through the chaos. “Cool it, man. You’ve gotta snap out of it. Someone called the cops, and they’re on their way. You hear me?” he hissed, his face close to mine, breaking through the disorder.

Pants rushed my throat, and my entire body writhed with the thirst to destroy.

“Listen to me,” he urged low. “You’re fine. Take a deep breath.”

Worry rushed through his pitch-black eyes.

I squeezed mine shut and tried to gather the rage that still burned in my fists.

I slammed my head back against the roughened bricks.

“Fuck,” I groaned as the reality of what I’d done bled through.

“It’s okay, man. Get out of here and go into my office. I’m going to take care of this shit, and I’ll be in.”

Trent handed me a tumbler of amber liquid before he leaned back on the edge of his desk and crossed his feet at the ankles. He blew out a heavy sigh before he looked down at me, where I sat trembling in a chair.

“Is he hurt?” I could barely force out the question.

Trent cracked a grin. “More than likely since you went beast on his ass, but he and the rest of them took off as soon as they heard the sirens.” Trent smirked. “Saves paperwork.”

I grunted. “You should fire my ass for pulling that shit.”

Trent actually laughed. “Fire you? I hired you because of that shit.”

I took a shaky sip of the whiskey. Hot liquid burned as it rolled down my throat. “Not supposed to lose it like that.”

“Would have lost it, too. Kult told me he hit that girl.”

My throat threatened to close off. “Yeah.”

“Asshole deserved it.”

I inhaled deep. “I can’t do it, Trent. Can’t lose control like that. Can’t become him again.”

Trent rubbed his fingers over his mouth, contemplating, before he stared me down. “You fought to survive, Milo. Don’t ever fucking apologize for that.”

“Did it for the wrong reasons for a long, long time.”

“Did you have a choice?”

Not once I’d sold my soul, no. Not without it costing everything.

My spirit shivered as Autumn’s face flashed through my mind.

Guilt clawed at my insides. “I came here tonight already on edge, and that’s on me. Karl’s been messing with Tessa. Threatening her. Not sure I can control it when it comes to her.”

Fury clouded Trent’s expression. “Did he touch her again?”

“We went to get her stuff. Fucker didn’t know I was there, and he got his hands on her, thinking he was gonna take what she didn’t want to give.”

His jaw clenched while the violence I’d just tamed screamed.

Trent pushed from the desk and knelt in front of me, his voice as dark as my heart. “We fight for the ones we love, Milo. It’s who we are. It’s in our blood. And we fight to the end.”

Except I hadn’t fought hard enough for Autumn.

“I won’t let that bastard get near her.”

“Good, because if you don’t do it, then I will.”

Grinning, he stood.

“You okay?”

Hardly.

I choked out the scrape of a laugh and the somberness rolled in. “I have to control it, or I’m going to lose my kids forever.”

Trent set his hand on my shoulder, and he dipped down, his voice low with emphasis. “You fight for them, too, Milo. With everything you have. Whatever it takes. I know you, man, you’ve been hurting for a long fuckin’ time. It’s time for you to find what you’ve been missing.”

And I needed to remember that was my kids.

I stepped into the vapid shadows of the cabin. It was late, the darkness thick, my spirit heavy.

I needed to drag my ass to my room and take a shower.

But no.

I couldn’t stop myself from quietly edging across the floor to her door.

Drawn.

Persuaded.

Moved.

Her influence more than I could resist.

She’d left her door open a crack, and I nudged it the rest of the way so I could check on her.

Make sure she was whole and safe.

That she wasn’t tossing with the fear of the monster that I wanted to end.

Her breaths were long and deep, the woman lost to sleep, her slight frame silhouetted by the blanket draped over her body.

I eased forward, my heart jackhammering in my chest, no longer sure what the fuck I was supposed to feel.

Not this , I was sure of that.

The ache.

The need.

The urge to reach out and caress the curve of her cheek.

Soft, red locks spilled out over her pillow, and all that wild, warm energy was subdued. Locked in her sleep.

Like a fool, I reached out and let just the tip of my finger trace the edge of her beautiful face. This girl who’d made me feel something for the first time since the day my life had gone dim.

A spark of light in the darkness.

She whimpered at my touch, then I froze when my name ghosted over her lips.

“Milo.”

That feeling swelled.

Close to overflowing.

Swallowing, I forced it down and walked from her room.

Because I knew better than toying with what I couldn’t have.