Violent Angel (Pretty Broken Things #1)

Prologue

16 years earlier

H ot metal bars dug into Elliot’s little hands, but he wouldn’t let go. Hauling in stuffy air stinking of rust and garbage, he swung his weight—along with the one hanging on his leg—to reach the next bar. Then the one after. Almost to the warped wood platform…

If I can do this, I can do anything!

Elliot would prove he was strong enough to be a hero, just like in his favorite stories.

Suddenly, the weight disappeared.

A hero doesn’t let his men fall.

Twisting while still holding on with one hand, he glanced down to where Lux had been clinging to his leg, but the toddler was gone. If he’d hit the sand, he’d still be there, trying really really hard not to cry like he always did.

There weren’t even any marks from where he’d fallen.

Confused, Elliot dropped down, crouching in the shadows of the jungle gym to scan the park full of skinny kids and bored adults. In Elliot’s old red T-shirt and jeans, his curly hair almost white, Lux should stand out unless he’d been trampled already. All the other orphans ran around like uncaged zoo animals—spotting his tiny friend under the stampede would be almost impossible.

But… there , a big man with a sunburned, shaved head who didn’t belong. The bow of his massive shoulders, the way he strode directly through the park, was off. And even with his worn leather jacket billowing around him to hide it, he obviously carried something.

The adults here to watch the orphans were useless—Elliot didn’t bother calling out to them. Dashing after the man, he growled deep in his throat, imagining himself as a feral wolf. Or maybe a bear. A big huge bear protecting his cub.

Not a small boy chasing down a massive stranger who could snap him like a twig.

Chest heaving as he caught up to the man at the street, Elliot lunged and wrapped himself around the man’s leg. White skin showed above the waistband of black jeans. Stretching up, Elliot clamped his teeth into the exposed flesh, biting until he tasted blood.

“You little motherfucker!” Shoulder hitting the side of a white van, the man backhanded Elliot in the side of the head. Held with only one arm, Lux twisted, raking his sharp little nails down the man’s face. A strange accent made the man’s words rough and wrong. “George! Get out here and help me before we lose the merch!”

Merch? Elliot shook his head to clear it, still clinging to the man’s leg and searching for another spot to bite. Whatever the man wanted Lux for couldn’t be anything good.

On the nearby sidewalk, several people looked over, giving his sticky mask of blood a horrified glance before walking by really fast.

Not a single one stopped to help.

A door opened and slammed shut, a second big man clucking his tongue as he approached. He fisted his hand in Elliot’s hair, jerking his head back and speaking with the same strange accent. “Well now, you’re a pretty little thing under all that blood. Is the cutie your friend?”

Grinding his teeth against the sharp pain in his scalp, Elliot swung his fist toward the man’s junk. “Let him go or I’ll kill you!”

Evading the punch, the man, George, let out a soft laugh. His blond hair, combed so nice and neat, framed a handsome, lightly tanned face, but under the surface something rotten and cruel writhed around like fat hungry magots. “I’ll take that as a yes. Okay, then, buddy. I’ll make you a deal. You get into the van quietly, and I won’t have Paul snap the cutie’s neck. Keep fighting, and we’ll just take you and toss him in the trash over there. Dead. And no one will notice him missing, will they? His body will be there, decaying for days, because no one cares about him.”

“I do!” Elliot’s eyes stung, but he wouldn’t cry. Just like Lux, he understood crying was bad. Crying got the wrong kind of attention from grownups. But maybe, just maybe, if he pretended to be good, he could protect Lux like he did at the orphanage. He stopped fighting and stared up into the man’s bright green eyes. “I’ll get in the van.”

“Good boy.” Reaching out, George slid open the back door of the van and shoved him inside. He stood back as the first man tossed Lux in, then leaned in close, speaking low. “You make a sound, we pull over and one of you is losing a finger. You try anything stupid, like getting out? Cutie becomes roadkill. Got it?”

Pulling Lux into his arms, Elliot nodded sharply. “We’ve got it.”

The door slammed shut, leaving them in darkness. Rumbling from the engine was Elliot’s only warning to brace himself against the wall of the van before it started moving, bouncing him and Lux on the rough metal floor, jarring his teeth together as the wheels hit holes in the street.

Turning to bury his face against the side of Elliot’s neck, Lux whimpered. “Bad dream? Wanna wake up, Elli. Please?”

Hugging Lux’s tiny body tight, Elliot made a soft shushing sound. “Not a dream, but that’s good, right? I couldn’t be in a dream with you, soarele meu. But I’m here and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Heroes always always kept their promises, and Elliot would keep this one, even though he wasn’t sure how just yet. At the orphanage, it was easy. The grownups were mean, but so long as he and Lux didn’t bug them, the three women and two men who ran the place didn’t bother with them. Crying and complaining led to screaming and smacks—especially when grownups got drunk.

Being quiet made life not quite so horrible.

The adults had a great big house for them to stay in that was usually warm. Served three meals a day, told them when to get clean and do chores. And made the older ones go to school.

That was the only time Elliot ever really got in trouble, because he didn’t like leaving Lux alone all day. Lux was only four and too small to protect himself. At almost seven, Elliot could fight off even the bigger kids, the ones who thought they could take Lux’s food and the few toys he had. Toys Elliot had claimed for him from the stuff the nuns brought to the orphanage.

But the bigger kids had to go to school, too. Eventually, Elliot decided Lux would be okay, tucked away in the space under Elliot’s bed with whatever snacks he could steal until he got home.

When he was home, the bigger kids who messed with Lux could be handled. A few fingers snapped like twigs, bloody lips, and a torn ear taught them to stay away from the baby.

Rocking Lux in his arms and humming quietly, Elliot considered the two men now in the front of the van, out of sight. Hurting them would be harder, but he’d do it the first chance he got. Maybe this would work out for the best. He’d wanted to get Lux away from the orphanage before someone tried to adopt him.

If Lux was adopted, he’d be taken from Elliot forever.

I will never let that happen.

He couldn’t trust anyone else to take care of Lux like he did. One family had already abandoned him. Families always dumped kids who weren’t perfect. Not like Elliot understood how anyone could look at Lux and not love him, but grownups were either mean or stupid.

And mean and stupid people shouldn’t have babies like Lux.

Lux was sweet and loving and gentle.

Everything I’m not.

But Elliot was gonna be a real hero today.

Starting…starting with saving Lux.

Long long after the van began moving, so long Lux had an accident, soaking them both in piss—he almost cried until Elliot reminded him not to—they came to a stop. The front doors slammed, boots crunching noisily on rocks as the men approached.

Cupping Lux’s pudgy cheeks, Elliot stared into his big, bright blue eyes. “Don’t speak, don’t cry, don’t fight. Act like a baby, but a really calm, quiet one. I can get us out of this, but only if you do exactly what I say.”

Lux sniffed, only once, then nodded, biting his trembling bottom lip. At least they’d practiced this before, when the grownups at the orphanage got drunk and ragey. Usually, Lux was safe, hiding under Elliot’s bed, but the few times he was noticed, he was like a little mouse.

One who couldn’t run away.

The back door of the van slid open, sunlight blinding them until the shadows of the big men blocked it out.

Paul’s lips curled in disgust as he made a grab for Lux. “It smells like piss. The little bastard made a mess in my van, didn’t he?”

Knocking his hand away—right before Elliot was tempted to bite out a chunk—George laughed. “Was a long drive, I’m just happy they didn’t put up a fuss and force us to stop.” He motioned for Elliot and Lux to climb out. “We’ll hose ‘em down and get ‘em stashed away. If you keep behaving…” He met Elliot’s eyes. “I’ll give you a treat to share with the baby. And I won’t separate you while you’re here.”

The ‘while you’re here’ gave Elliot a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he didn’t let it show. Grownups were easier to handle when they believed you were small and dumb and helpless. He couldn’t put on a baby act like Lux, but he had one of his own.

Holding Lux tight, he peered up at the man, his voice trembling just enough to make him sound like a scared kid. “We’ll be good, but please…please don’t hurt us.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t if you don’t give us a reason.” George put his hand on Elliot’s shoulder, directing him down a short path. “You’re worth more if you’re not all marked up.”

At the end of the path was a small log cabin, with a half caved-in roof and rusted equipment strewn all around. The thick undergrowth and dark forest beyond meant there’d be tons of places to hide once Elliot got them free, but he had to wait until the perfect moment.

Not now, though. Even though him and Lux were being super good, the men would still be on guard. But eventually, they’d get comfortable and think they’d won.

That’s when I’ll make my move.

Behind the cabin, Paul laid out a blue tarp, snapping at them to strip off all their clothes and toss them in a trash bag. He prepared a hose with a strange attachment, and when he sprayed the icy water on Elliot, a thin layer of sudsy soap covered him.

Laughing as Lux whimpered and clung to Elliot’s leg, Paul exchanged a look with George. “If we can get him to make that noise when we film, we’re gonna get some damn good offers.” He brought his hand up to touch the scratches Lux had left on his cheek. “I’m gonna enjoy this.”

“Good, then maybe you’ll stop bitching every time we head out to get new merch.” George’s gaze ran over Elliot, his lips curving. “I wasn’t expecting the bonus, though. We’ll have to hit up that contact again, she’s got good intel.”

Paul smirked. “She’s a smart chick. And I wouldn’t bitch if every run was like this. The snatch-’n-grab is always a pain in the ass. If I had to hear another kid screaming ‘Mommy’ for five hours, I’d’ve eaten fucking lead.”

“Then I’d have to find a new partner and I’ve just started getting used to your cranky ass.” George punched Paul’s shoulder as he began to rinse Elliot and Lux off. “We got lucky this time, the kid fit the order, but you were right. Kids who’ve got no one are easier to deal with. Put out some feelers with your girl and we’ll do things your way next time.”

The conversation obviously made Paul happy, and when Elliot took the threadbare towels the man handed him to dry himself and Lux off, he seemed more relaxed than he had since he’d grabbed them. Leaving them wrapped in nothing but the towels, Paul led the way into the cabin, George taking up the rear, snatching up a couple of granola bars as they passed through the dirty kitchen.

He tossed them to Elliot before opening a door that looked much newer than the rest of the cabin. “There’s your treats. You’re probably gonna hear a lot of crying, maybe even screaming, but if you don’t add to the noise, we’ll get along just fine, got it?”

Holding Lux’s little hand in his and clutching the granola bars to his chest, Elliot nodded.

Cement steps led down into a pitch black, damp basement, the fresh, sharp scent of paint and bleach barely covering the gross smell of vomit and poop. Padding barefoot down to the cold cement floor, Elliot winced as the lights came on, blinding him even as terrified screams and sobs erupted from all around.

The basement was one big room, connected to a long hallway leading to what must be a bunch of smaller ones, all closed off behind doors with small slots at the base of each. The main room had two beds, a couple of plain dressers, a table with a microwave on it, and a huge TV on the wall. One bed was made as neat as Elliot always kept his own, while the other was a bundle of stained sheets and blankets, with crusty clothes mixed in.

On the center of that bed was a big knife.

Elliot’s palms itched to get his hands on it.

Not noticing where his attention had strayed, Paul brought them to the very end of the hall and opened the last door. He gave Elliot an expectant look.

Tugging Lux along with him, Elliot went into the small room.

The door was shut behind them. A heavy lock clicked.

While Paul and George’s voices faded down the hall, Elliot picked Lux up, carried him to the bed, and wrapped him in the faded blue comforter. There were faint stains on it, but it smelled clean enough and would keep Lux warm.

Leaving the baby curled up on the bed with the granola bars, Elliot checked out the rest of the room. Not much to work with. No windows, a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling for light, a plastic training potty in the corner, a crate with a big bottle of water on it, and the bed.

But the cement floor was dirty, small rocks and tiny pieces of junk caked in dirt on one side like a bucket full of bleach water had been tossed and swept over the whole area to ‘clean’ it. The harsh scent triggered flashes from his past with each breath. Elliot didn’t remember much about his parents, but his mother…his mother liked things really clean.

Harsh chemicals stung Elliot’s nose and he screamed, twisting as scalding water poured over him. The rough brush made his skin hurt even more, but she wouldn’t stop.

“Dirty, you’re always so dirty! Stop that noise! Stop it!”

Hauling in a shaky breath, Elliot locked the memory away. Memories like that made him weak. He couldn’t be weak now, Lux needed him.

Kneeling on the floor, he picked through the dirt, finding a small silver coin, bigger rocks, and a few pieces of glass. A smile spread across his lips as he brought the glass to spread it out on the floor in front of the door. In one of his favorite shows—it was in English, so he didn’t understand most of what was said, but he got the basics—the hero put glass everywhere to warn him if someone was coming.

Like this, Elliot could sleep a bit. Save all his energy for what came next.

Our escape.

Climbing into bed with Lux, he closed his eyes. His brain didn’t want to shut up at first, but Lux’s soft, even breaths lulled him into darkness.

He woke to screaming and sobbing in the hall. Paul snapped for someone to shut up. A little girl cried, begging him to let her go.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

And there was quiet again.

Dragging himself out of bed, tying the towel so it fit almost like an ugly pair of shorts, Elliot picked up the coin and sat on the floor. His dreams had reminded him of something else useful from his shows. There were big screws securing the metal bed frame to the floor. If he could unscrew one, it would make a great weapon.

Not as good as that knife, but something to start with.

TV shows always made this look easy, but using the coin to twist the screw was really hard. He forced it and forced it, getting only the smallest turn. Thankfully, the men left him and Lux alone for most of the day, but even after what must’ve been hours, the screw only poked about an inch out of the floor.

Exhausted, Elliot went down for another nap, waking only when Lux nudged him, holding up the last granola bar. He shook his head, mumbling for Lux to eat it.

Tearing open the wrapper, Lux broke off a piece and pressed it to Elliot’s lips. Gave him a stubborn look when he cracked his eyes open.

Then fed him the whole thing.

The next time Elliot was jerked to consciousness, it was by the sound of crunching glass. Shoving to a sitting position, he stared at George as the man strode into the room, carrying a bundle of clothes.

He shoved a pair of black jogging pants, socks, and a plain white T-shirt at Elliot before crouching down in front of Lux. “Let’s get you dressed, cutie. It’s time for you to make your film debut!”

Lux glanced at Elliot, not resisting when a pale blue T-shirt and underwear were put on him, followed by a pair of blue overalls the color of his eyes with little cars and teddy bears embroidered on it. Everything fit him good, and would be a lot more comfortable than wearing nothing besides a towel, but the excitement in George’s eyes set off a piercing alarm inside Elliot’s skull.

Paul came into the room, carrying a tray with two sandwiches, juice boxes, pudding cups, and mismatched metal spoons. “You can have your dinner now and he’ll have his when he comes back. Don’t eat it on him.”

“I won’t…” Elliot’s mouth went dry. “You said you wouldn’t separate us.”

“Won’t be long.” Paul lifted a brow, stepping closer as George picked Lux up and Elliot scrambled toward them. Something in Paul’s eyes stopped him short. “If you’re gonna start trouble, we’ll put him in another room. Is that what you want?”

Shoulders slumping, Elliot stared at the floor and shook his head.

“That’s what I thought.” Paul set the tray on the crate by the bed while George walked out with Lux—who was being perfectly still and quiet. “Get dressed and eat. You’re next.”

The second Paul reached the doorway, Elliot darted across the room, stuffing a rock into the corner of the doorframe, keeping the door open just enough so it wouldn’t lock. With his attention on George and Lux, Paul didn’t even notice.

But Elliot didn’t have much time. Whatever these men wanted Lux for, it was bad. Very bad.

I’ll stop them, soarele meu. Remember my promise.

Grabbing the spoon, Elliot went back to work on the screw, which came up much faster now that he had a handle and could use more of his strength. The thing was longer than his hand, with a nice weight to it, but most important of all?

A sharp tip.

Creeping out of the room, Elliot sensed eyes on him from everywhere, the kids behind the other doors watching through the slots.

Not a single one made a sound.

In the main room, Paul had a camera on a stand, pointed toward the neater bed. Sitting on it, George still held Lux, but the nice new clothes were on the floor.

Red flashed across Elliot’s vision as he leaped onto Paul’s back. Both arms around the man’s head, he gripped the screw in his fists. Plunged it right into Paul’s eyeball with a satisfying pop!

Howling, Paul bucked Elliot off him and dropped to his knees. “Kill that motherfucking little shit! My eye! George…George, he busted my eye!”

George looked stunned for a second, but then he tossed Lux aside and sprang off the bed.

Ducking out of reach, Elliot dove onto the messy bed. Grabbed the knife and turned just as George came down on him.

A fist cracked into the side of his skull again and again, spotting his vision.

But the knife slid smoothly into George’s throat.

The hitting stopped. Warm liquid covered Elliot’s face, slicking his tongue with a coppery taste, almost drowning him as the weight on top of him got even heavier. Shoving, while Lux came over to pull, they rolled George onto the floor.

Sobbing and clutching his face, Paul was still kneeling a few feet away.

Elliot brought the knife and stepped up behind the man.

Made him quiet with one long slice.

A rapid, deafening Crack! Crack! Crack! from the cabin above brought his gaze to the stairs, light pooling down as two men tripped backwards. Their bodies danced jerkily in the air before they fell, tumbling over each other.

One dropped a gun and Elliot abandoned the knife, cutting across the room to snatch up the better weapon.

“No.” Dressed in a black military-type outfit, wearing a black mask that covered the bottom of his pale face, a man came down the stairs, stepping over the bodies, a much bigger gun pointed at Elliot. He spoke English, a language Elliot didn’t understand much of, but the firm ‘ no ’ wasn’t difficult.

Neither were the instructions that followed, accompanied by gestures with the gun toward the bed.

Retreating with his hands up, Elliot sank onto the mattress, then pulled Lux behind him.

Dark eyes surveying the room, the man with the big gun laughed. When he spoke again, it was in Romanian. “Did you do this?”

Elliot nodded. “They were filming Lux. Touching him. They deserved to die.”

“Yes, they did.” The man lowered his weapon. “But how did a little thing like you take down two big guys like that?”

Chin jutted up, Elliot held the man’s gaze. “They thought I was just a little thing. They were wrong.”

“Hmm…” Making a thoughtful sound, the man glanced over his shoulder and raised his voice. “All clear! Come evacuate the victims.” He brought his attention to Elliot again as several more men in black came down, going straight for the cells. “You’re more than a victim, aren’t you, mot?nel? Would you like us to bring you back where you came from, or—”

“We’re not going back. The orphanage can’t protect Lux, but I can, all on my own.”

Taking off his big gun and handing it to one of his men, the guy who seemed to be the leader approached, crouching down to Elliot’s eye level. “Not yet, but we can help you. Give you everything you need. Come with us and you get ten thousand blood credits. You can use them for food, clothes, a place to live, and eventually? Training so you can take down more fuckers like those two.”

Elliot’s eyes widened. He didn’t know what ‘blood credits’ were, but that sounded like a lot. “Only if Lux stays with me. And…and he gets the credits, too.”

The man looked pointedly at Lux, who was…sucking his thumb, ignoring the blood all over him. “In a few years, when he’s old enough to decide for himself? Sure. But for now, he can use some of yours.”

“Okay.” Elliot took a deep breath and held out his hand. “My name’s Elliot. He’s Lux. If you’re lying, I’ll kill you. If you hurt him, I’ll kill you.” He squared his shoulders to make himself as big as he could, but even crouched down, the man made him feel very small. Still, it was important the man understood how serious he was. “I’m very good at it.”

The man chuckled. “I can see that.” He shook Elliot’s hand. “I’m Gerard. And I’m gonna make you even better.” He jerked Elliot close, lowering his voice. “But if you ever threaten me again, mot?nel, you won’t be around to keep Lux safe. We clear?”

“If you’re not a bad guy, I won’t have to.” Elliot swallowed hard, his whole body trembling as everything that’d happened caught up with him. If Gerard was a bad guy, he couldn’t fight him. Not with all those guns, all those men. His voice turned all weak and pathetic, but he couldn’t help it. He was scared. “I’m sorry, I—”

“For fuck’s sakes, Gerard, take it easy on the kid.” Another even bigger man came to Gerard’s side, warm brown skin showing through the holes of his mask. He bumped Gerard with his knee. “He’s like, what, five?”

Elliot scowled, taking Lux’s hand when the baby crept in close. “I’m almost seven.”

“Hear that, Virg? He’s practically a soldier already.” Gerard’s tone held approval, his expression a bit warmer as he looked at Elliot again. “I have a feeling we’re gonna get along just fine. The most important thing I need to know, Elliot, is do you want to kill more bad guys like them?”

A vision of George holding Lux in front of the camera came with every blink.

The screams and cries of the kids Gerard’s men carried out echoed in his skull.

I didn’t do this alone, but…I was part of saving them. I’m a hero for real.

If he wanted to keep being one, he couldn’t stop with saving only Lux and the kids here. He had to save as many as he could.

Make the Georges and the Pauls of the world bleed.

Lifting his free hand, sticky and red with the only mess he didn’t mind, Elliot smiled.

And met Gerard’s eyes.

“I want to kill them all.”