Brax's POV
The muffled cry that sliced through the darkness shattered the stillness of the house. Panic gripped me as I slowly turned to the hallway, eyes wide, and breath caught in my throat. Standing in a doorway clutching a battered teddy bear was a young boy, no older than six. His eyes locked onto mine, filled with an innocent terror that cracked my hardened exterior.
My heart sank into a pit of sorrow, matched only by the weight of the loaded Beretta in my hand. The boy's small frame trembled as he stared at the scene before him—the lifeless body of his father sprawled on the floor.
Memories flooded back, unbidden and violent. A younger version of myself, staring at my uncle's lifeless form. The same crushing heartbreak and confusion in his eyes now mirrored my own then. My arms s
