Unbroken (The Protectors 12)

Aleks wiped at his face. “Don’t be sorry,” he said. I laughed when he repeated the words back to me that I’d said to him so many times.

I looked at Ronan. “You talk a good game. But talking isn’t going to help any of those kids out there,” I said as I motioned to the door. “When you’ve spent as many years as I have watching kids suffer like Aleks did, then you can fucking preach to me about family and loyalty.”

Ronan studied me for a moment, but he seemed unimpressed by my words. He looked at Aleks. “Aleks, is there something you want to tell your brother?”

Aleks looked both surprised and relieved at the same time. “Yes,” he said with a nod.

Ronan motioned toward Dante. Magnus released his hold on Aleks and the second he did, Aleks hurried to stand in front of his brother. Dante lowered his weapon.

Aleks opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked at me in distress and I knew what was happening. His mind was struggling with the processing thing that happened when he was completely overwhelmed. With everything that had happened, it was no wonder he was having a hard time putting his thoughts into words.

Not to mention the huge audience he had…

“Just breathe, baby,” I said. “Remember that story you told me… about the do… do…”

Aleks pulled in a breath. “Dobradinha,” he said softly. The reminder of the funny story seemed to ground him for the moment he needed to get his thoughts in line. He looked relieved. I could feel Dante’s and just about everyone else’s gazes on me, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t take my eyes off Aleks because I was just so fucking proud of him. If there’d ever been a time for him to escape into his head or lose himself to a blackout, this was one of those moments.

But his voice was firm as he began speaking.

Firm, but quiet.

Soft.

So very much him.

“Dante, I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered. “So very much.”

Dante actually seemed to shudder as some unnamed emotion went through him. “Me too,” he said with a nod. “I was so fucking scared, Aleks.”

Aleks nodded and wiped at his face. I wished I could see his eyes, but he was facing away from me.

“Do you remember when you came to Fath… Marcus’s house?” he asked. “I betrayed you at first.”

“No,” Dante said firmly. “No, you never betrayed me, irmãozinho,” he said, his own voice thick with emotion.

Aleks managed a nod. “Vaughn knows why I told Marcus about you.” Aleks’s tongue seemed to trip over using Marcus’s name, but I was so damn proud of him for not referring to the man by the title he’d forced Aleks to use. It was yet another step forward for Aleks.

“You had no choice,” Dante said.

“I did, Dante. But it was the only choice I knew how to make. I knew if I fought when they took me, I’d die. I didn’t want to die and I knew you were going to come for me so I did what they told me to do. This man… Brian… he said if I was good enough, if I behaved, you would come get me and take me home and Mama and Papa would want me again. So I was really good.”

Aleks let out a harsh sob. “But you didn’t come and I started to think that maybe it was true, but I knew in here it wasn’t.” Aleks pointed at his chest.

I heard Dante suck in a ragged breath, but I didn’t look at him. I didn’t need to. I knew what he was feeling. Luca and I and our brothers felt it every single damn day when we thought about Gio.

“I found ways to escape but only in here.” Aleks pointed to his head. Dante reached out to clasp his cheek, but he didn’t speak. Aleks reached up to cover his brother’s hand with his own. “When you came and I saw that note, I thought it was a trick… it was someone trying to make me be bad so Fath—Marcus could punish me. And even when I saw you in that office, I was still afraid. It took so long for my head to catch up to my heart,” Aleks whispered. “But in my heart I knew it was you and that you had come to take me home.”

“Always,” Dante breathed. “I will always come for you, Aleks.”

Aleks nodded and pulled in several breaths. “My mind still plays tricks on me, Dante. I thought if I couldn’t be normal, you might not want me anymore. So I pretended. I got a job and I made decisions and I told you I was okay all the time… I’m not okay, Dante.”

Dante pulled Aleks to him and wrapped his arms around his brother. “You’re perfect just as you are, Aleks. You don’t need to change for anyone but yourself. I will always love you, no matter what.”