I run out the back door and only make it halfway to the clearing when I get a cramp in my side. I slow down and walk the rest of the way. When I get to the chapel, I freeze. There are pieces of paper scattered all over the clearing.
I rush to the bench and look under it but the box is gone.
“It would always hurt. They would just slam into me as if I was a piece of meat.” I hear behind me. Shivers race down the back of my neck and I swing around.
“David,” I squeak with fear. I can’t believe what I’m seeing! Fear ripples over me, numbing my face, my tongue – my everything. I start to tremble as he casually walks towards me.
“It’s supposed to fucking hurt, my little whore. That’s the big turn-on. The more it hurts you the more it pleasures me,” he sneers. I watch him crumble the piece of paper and toss it to the side.
He takes another step towards me and finally my legs start to work. I swing around and run. If I can just get to Adam! I just need to get to him. He’ll keep me safe!
My heart is pounding wildly in my chest and I can feel David getting closer. I shriek and try to dart to the side but it’s too late and David’s hand sinks into my hair. He yanks me back so hard that I fall awkwardly to my side. A kick to my back rips a scream from me and then his hand is in my hair. Just like that day he dragged me down the passage he drags me towards the river.
“Once a filthy whore, always a filthy whore!” David hisses as he yanks me along the gravelly path. Rocks scrape my skin raw and my scalp is on fire. “You think you can burn down my house and I won’t come after you?”
I can’t get a word out as I struggle to miss the bigger rocks. One slams into my lower back and I let out a whimper.
“Ahhh … I’ve missed that sound.” He yanks me one final time and I fall into the water. My dress gets soaked quickly and it clings to me as I scramble to get up.
David’s fist comes fast and it slams hard into my jaw. I fall backwards and for a moment the water covers my head. I swallow some and I push myself up again. I come up sputtering and coughing, but then David places his hand on my head and he shoves me back under the water.
I slap and scratch at him and finally he lets me back up. He shoves his face right into mine and hisses, “I told you I decide whether you live or die. Time to go to hell, whore!” He shoves me back down before I can take a proper breath.
I struggle against his grip and I start to slap and scratch at him again, hoping he will let me up again. I’m running out of air! Panic slams harder and harder into my chest making it feel as if steel bands are clamping down on my lungs. I grab hold of David’s wrists and try to pull his hands off of me, but I’m not strong enough.
I fight the urge to take a breath but I can’t hold out when the burning in my lungs becomes too much. I scream as I gasp for air – but all I get is water.
I start to choke but it only causes me to swallow down more water. My body jerks and I don’t have the strength to fight David.
Suddenly I’m yanked from the water, but I still can’t get any air into my lungs. I keep chocking and coughing, and then I start to vomit the water up. It feels as if my lungs are on fire.
My ears are ringing but I hear Nanna scream, “Get away from my grandchild!”
“She’s a fucking slave! What are you going to do, bitch? You’re a bit old but I’m sure I can get someone who would like an old fuck like you. Take you for a ride one last time. Although, they might have to roll you in powder to find the wet spot, that’s if you can even still get wet. You must be as dry as husk.”
“And you talk too much,” Nanna hisses and then I hear a loud bang. My whole body flinches at the loud sound.
It feels like I’m going to be coughing forever. The water just won’t stop coming.
Adam~
I’m busy hammering a nail in when I hear the gunshot and for a moment I stand frozen as it echoes over the property. I start to run in the direction of the river. I’m sure it came from there.
When the clearing comes into sight, I see Nanna. She’s aiming her riffle at something. As I get close I hear her say, “Oh look, you have a wet spot.”
I hear someone coughing badly and then I see it all. I see a man lying on the ground and then I see Sophia. She’s kneeling in the river and she’s an awful grey color.
Nanna keeps the gun on the groaning man. He’s holding his thigh and blood is sweeping through his fingers.
I get to Sophia and I pull her up. I drag her out of the water and then I let her sit. I give her back a few good whacks and some more water comes out.
“Fucker!” I hear Jack shout. I swing around just in time to see him kick the man. Jack’s eyes meet mine and I see the maddening rage on his face.
“David,” Sophia wheezes and then a flash of red hot anger shoots through me.
“That fucker is David?” I scream and I start to stalk towards them.
Jack throws an arm out to stop me. “He’s mine. He’s my brother. I’ll take care of him,” he hisses.
It takes everything in me to hold back. I want to strangle the man. I want to rip his head off and shove it up his ass!
I go back to Sophia and pick her up. I hold her close to me and watch as Jack drags David into the water. Jack grabs his neck. “That is my sister you just tried to kill,” Jack hisses and then he shoves him under the water. He uses both his arms and he holds David under until the last jerk tears through his lifeless body.
I walk to Nanna. She’s shaking but still holding the gun. She saved Sophia. “Thanks Nanna,” I whisper and then it all just becomes too much.
Nanna pats me on the back and says, “Go take care of our girl. I’ll take care of Jack.”
Tears stream down my face and I hold Sophia tighter. Her breaths are still uneven and she’s making a whistling sound with each breath she takes.
I go straight to the bathroom and I turn the water on warm. I strip her out of her muddy clothes and then I strip too. I hold her under the warm water until her color looks better and then I dry us both. I take her to bed and tuck her in under the blanket and then I get in next to her. I pull her half under me and I just hold her.
I close my eyes when she starts to cry and I can’t help but cry with her. I almost lost her to her worst nightmare.
My emotions are all over the place, from anger to fear, from hate to love.
Her arms go around me and she clings to me. I lift myself slightly and I start to kiss every inch of her face. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to stop him,” I say between kisses. “I promised to protect you and I didn’t.”
She places a hand to my chest and she pushes me slightly back. “It’s not your fault.” Her voice sounds painful.
“Don’t talk, Sweetheart. Just rest,” I say and I hold her until she drifts off.
Sophia~
Adam won’t let me out of bed for almost two days!
Nanna walks into the room with a plate of food for me. It’s the first time I’m seeing her since the incident.
“Nanna,” I whisper and I hold my arms open. She places the plate next to the bed and then she sits down next to me, and she hugs me.
We sit in silence for a long while and then she says, “My heart almost stopped when I heard you scream.”
“It’s okay, Nanna. You came just in time.”
“I should’ve shot his pecker off!” she says angrily and then she reaches for my plate of food.
I take a bite of the mash she made and I notice it’s all soft food. “You made this just for me?”
“Of course. You can’t go swallowing chunky food with your sore throat.”
“Aww… Nanna,” I say on a sob. I’ve never felt so loved before. Not even my Mama loved me the way Nanna does. “Thank you, Nanna. Thank you for everything but for most of all, thank you for being my Nanna.”
She wipes a tear from my cheek and smiles lovingly at me. “I’ll always be your Nanna, you don’t have to thank me, my sweet girl.”
Nanna visits a while with me
and then she takes the plate back to the main house.
Adam comes in and he takes the spot Nanna just got up from.
“Please,” I start to beg. “I want to go get my box.” I’ve been at him the whole day and I hope that he’ll cave soon.
“I’ll go get it for you,” he says and he gets up.
I grab his hand and hold him back. “No, I want to do it, Adam.” I scoot to the end of the bed.
“I’m not letting you go alone. It’s almost dark,” he says and I know he means it. He has that serious look on his face.
“Okay,” I smile and get up. At least he’ll let me go.
We walk slowly down to the river and a tingle of fear races down my spine. I take Adam’s hand in both of mine but he pulls it free, and then he places his arm around my shoulder.
When we get to the clearing the pieces of paper are still scattered everywhere. I don’t ask about David. I don’t care what happened to him.
I start to pick up the pieces of paper and Adam helps me. I get to the box and my heart hurts when I see that the top part is bend skew. “He broke it,” I whisper.
Adam takes the box from me. “I can fix it quickly. It just needs a new nail.” He holds the box for me to see. “See here, this one got pulled out. I can do it as soon as we’re home.” He hands me all the papers he picked up and we walk back home.
I go straight for the trash and I throw all the papers away.
“You don’t want to keep them?”
I shake my head as I close the lid on my past. “No, I love my memory box. It’s been through hell, just like me and I want to fill it with good memories, just like you’re filling my life with good moments.”
Adam walks over to me and he kisses me hard. “I don’t think you’ll ever understand how much I love you.”
He quickly fixes my box and I go sit by the small table with it. “Will you write something for me?”
“Sure.” Adam comes to sit next to me and he pulls a sheet of paper closer. He takes the pen and waits for me to talk.
“Adam,” I say and he looks up. I nod to the paper. “Write your name … Adam.”
“Why my name, Sweetheart?” he asks.
“Because you were my first good memory.”
Saved By Him (The Monster Series Book 2) Page 14