Madeline POV

I was going to have a heart attack.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get out of my brothers arms.

“We can’t let you leave, love.” Milo said, his voice breaking. “You belong here with us. We can’t let you go.”

I wanted to belong. I really did. But he would find me. He would come for me. He would kill me this time.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. I was going to pass out.

Sam cupped my cheeks and made me look at him.

“You need to calm down, baby.” he said softly. “You need to take a deep breath.”

I couldn’t.

“Maddie, baby, you are safe.” Sam continued softly. “Look around. You have four men who would kill for you. Do you really think that he would be able to get past us? That’s never going to happen. He will never come near you again.”

I sobbed.

Sam didn’t know him. Sam didn’t know how powerful he was. Sam didn’t know how capable he was.

“You don’t know him.” I said, trying to breathe normally. “He can do everything. He can…”

I stopped talking. I couldn’t breathe.

“Fuck.” Sam mumbled.

He looked at Max and Milo.

“I need you to let me hold her.” Sam told them. “Just for a second, okay?”

I couldn’t see Max and Milo’s faces, but their arms around me tightened.

“I am not taking her anywhere.” Sam said softly. “Just a minute, guys.”

My breaths were short and fast. It felt like I didn’t even get any air into my lungs. Why couldn’t I breathe? My lungs started to hurt.

Max and Milo unwrapped their arms around me. Sam picked me up, and wrapped my legs around his waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Can you feel me breathing, baby?” he asked as she started pacing around with me in his arms.

I nodded. I could feel his chest rising and falling in a steady pace.

“Follow my breathing.” he said as he started to rub my back gently. “You can do it, Maddie.”

I closed my eyes and focused on his chest.

I tried to take a breath at the same time he did. I tried to release it at the same time he did. My breaths were much shorter than his so it was hard to do it at first. After a while, I managed to do it. I was breathing in and breathing out at the same time he did.

My heart rate slowed down a little. My lungs didn’t hurt anymore.

“There we go.” Sam said as he kissed the top of my head. “You did great, Maddie.”

I closed my eyes and let tears fall down on my cheeks.

Sam kept rubbing my back gently. He was still pacing around the room.

“You are safe, Maddie.” Sam told me. “No one can hurt you again. I promise.”

“You don’t know him.” I repeated quietly.

“I don’t.” Sam agreed. “But I know my brother. I know your brothers. He would have to be some kind of magical God to get past us. It’s not happening, Maddie. He is not taking you from us.”

I wanted to believe that. I really wanted to believe that.

But the only way he wouldn’t be able to hurt me is if he didn’t know where I am.

I heard footsteps approaching us. I felt a hand on my head. I opened my eyes and saw Ryan. He gave me a small smile and caressed my cheek.

“Is he your current foster parent?” he asked me softly.

“Yes.” I mumbled. “He and his wife.”

“I can ask my friend not to tell them where you are.” Ryan said, making my heart race again. “He might be able to do that, Addie. Maybe they don’t even need to know where you are.”

Maybe?

“I can’t promise anything.” Ryan told me. “I’m not sure how that process goes. But we can try.”

Did I have another option? Probably not. I couldn’t leave. I didn’t want to leave. I felt safe with them and that was something I haven’t felt in years.

I nodded and Ryan smiled again.

“That’s my brave Addie.” he said as he kissed my cheek.

I wasn’t brave.

I was a coward. I ran away.

Ryan took the phone out of his pocket and left the room.

Sam approached my brothers and put me down on the bed between Max and Milo. They wrapped their arms around me immediately.

“Thank you for trusting us.” Max said as he leaned his head on mine.

“We will never let anyone hurt you again.” Milo said, making me look at him.

He gave me a small smile and kissed my forehead.

“What did he do to you, Maddie?” Sam asked, making me look back at him.

No.

I wasn’t going to tell them that! No freaking way!

My eyes widened and my heart raced again.

They couldn’t know! They could never know! They wouldn’t want me anymore. They would be disgusted. They would tell me to leave. They couldn’t find out. They just couldn’t.

“Nothing.” I mumbled, looking away from Sam.

I felt Max and Milo’s arms around me tighten.

“Maddie.” sam called as he placed a finger under my chin and made me look back at him.

I wasn’t going to tell them anything. No way! No freaking way!

“You didn’t run away and chose to live in a tent because they did nothing.” Sam said softly.

I gulped down the lump in my throat.

The bedroom door opened and Ryan walked back inside.

“What did your friend say?” Milo asked him immediately.

“He will see what he can do.” Ryan said as he approached us. “He will call me to let me know.”

He wouldn’t be able to do anything. He would find me. My heart started beating painfully. The burn in my lungs returned.

“Maddie?” Sam called my name and I looked back at him. “What did he do, baby?”

He could ask a million times. I wasn’t going to say anything.

I remained silent. Sam studied my face for a few moments before he looked at Ryan with a worried expression on his face.

“I know it’s hard to talk about it, Addie.” Ryan spoke, making me look at him. “You didn’t ran away because things were good.”

I took a deep breath. Things were far from good.

“But do you want to know one of many good reasons to talk about it?” Ryan asked me.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t see a reason to say anything to anyone.

“You can save someone else, Addie.” Ryan told me. “You can send them to jail and make sure that they never hurt another child again.”

My heart raced.

Would they give them another child? Would he hurt another girl or boy? Could I really save someone?

But what if no one believed me? I ran away. They could just say that I was a troublemaker.

What if no one believed me?