To Capture a Thorn (The Society 2)

Prologue

Eleven years ago

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Sian watched as her mother glanced behind her and all around. Even at eight years old, she knew this was unusual. Normally, her mother had nothing to do with her. Drew was more her mother.

“Oh, honey, nothing is wrong. I just need you to be a bit quiet for me, okay? Do you think you can do that for me?” Joan cupped her face, her thumbs stroking across her cheeks. The affection took Sian by surprise, and she smiled at her pretty mother and nodded. Most of the time, her mother treated her as if she wasn’t there.

“I can.”

“Good girl. I can’t believe how big you’ve gotten, sweet girl. You’re so amazing and special. I hope you know that. So beautiful.” Her mother kissed her cheeks.

Sian wasn’t used to this.

As her mother went about packing a bag full of all her clothes, she watched in amazement at the speed at which she worked. When the bag was full to bursting, Joan grabbed her hand, and together, they left her bedroom and headed toward the front door.

Her mother’s hand was all sweaty and she heard her pant.

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

“I’m more than fine, sweet girl. We’ve just got to get out of here, okay?”

Sian was more than happy to get out of here. She hated it here. Everything was so cold and horrible. The only good part about this house was Drew. She had so many rules to live by. Her daddy scared her, but so long as she didn’t get under his feet and he never saw her, then she was safe.

They got to the bottom of the stairs when the door opened and her mother drew back as the monster himself appeared.

“Joan, imagine my surprise when I heard you left the office.”

“Get out of my way, Alexander. This ends now.”

“You think I’m going to let you take my daughter to those bastards? To destroy everything I’ve built?”

“You’re a liar and a cheat. They’re going to find out eventually. I will not let you harm my daughter anymore. You’re a piece of shit. Do you hear me, a piece of shit! You were back then and you are now.”

Sian froze as she looked at her daddy. No one talked to him like that. No one. Her stomach tightened and she was so scared. Her mother’s palm held hers tightly.

“So you think you’ve finally got a backbone, do you?”

“You’re not going to do it to me anymore. I’m not going to allow you to keep me locked up in my own head. This stops now. You may still be able to keep the power you’ve gotten by manipulating your way to the top. Not happening. Not anymore.”

Sian screamed as her father suddenly moved. Within seconds, her mother was on the ground, yelps and cries coming from her.

The hand that had been holding hers so tightly moments before slipped away slowly. The mommy she knew started to fade as her father used his fists and feet. Sian knew what it was like to be beaten by them. To be swiftly kicked out of the way.

Once he was finished, he turned toward her. Drew had told her she should run. Whenever he got violent with her, to just run and hide. She’d come and find her.

Every part of her body froze.

Drew was going to be so disappointed in her.

Sian cried out as he grabbed her arms and started to shake her.

“You will not remember anything of this, do you understand?”

She didn’t respond fast enough, so he backhanded her, and she fell against the stairs. Sian screamed out but he kept on repeating the same words. She was to forget everything, otherwise, her mother was going to pay the price. She had to learn to do as she was told.

Eventually, Sian had no choice but to agree.

Then, much to her horror and surprise, he pulled her in for a hug and told her she was a good girl. To go and play while he dealt with mommy.

A couple of weeks later, her mother was walking around the house, ignoring her, unaware of her daughter and what had happened weeks earlier.

Chapter One

Sian

Ten months after the fire

I stared at the gravestone, a heaviness in my heart at what it read. Heather, my best friend, lay in a coffin in the mud beneath my feet. I couldn’t begin to grasp how quickly her life had been over, the fire taking her from us. With my hands shoved into my jeans pockets, I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to.

She’d been my best friend, my only one in the past few years.

Like so many times when I came to visit her, I was overcome with such utter sadness. Tears filled my eyes and fell down my cheeks. I swiped them away just as fast.

“You must be bored of me crying here all the time.” I sighed. “I know you wouldn’t want me to be sad, and I try not to be, but it’s so hard. I miss you so much.” I cleared my throat as it suddenly felt thick and tight. “I guess the biggest news after the fire is I graduated. Yay, and the school gave you an honorary graduation. We had a wake and there were so many people, it was … it was amazing. I was a little pissed off because none of them knew you, you know. None of them cared about who you were, but after you died, they were there. I guess that counts.” I took a deep breath. If it hadn’t been for the Saintly Devils, I would’ve lost my shit at the wake. The people who’d tried to get rid of her, pushed her out and ignored her were all there, crying and mourning her, and it had sent me over the edge. I nearly spoiled the whole memorial for her.