“I did it because I was her once.” The odd tone of my voice draws everyone’s attention back to me.
I don’t pay them much thought as I allow the memories to pull me under.
“I was always a good girl. I tried so hard all the time, but it was never enough. He took what he wanted when he wanted, until there was nothing left to take. I still remember the way he smelt, the pain as he tore my innocence away from me, and the blood left on my thighs as a macabre souvenir. That was just the beginning of the torment I would face over the years. He treated me like I was a doll and he was my collector. He would dress me up and pose me as he wanted then bend me to his will. Afterwards, he would put me back on the shelf and wait while the bruises faded. He didn’t care about the damage he had caused to my splintered psyche. Inside I was just a mass of twisted fissures waiting for something to finally shatter me.”
I look up and can’t find a dry eye in the house. I’m surrounded by alpha males that are broken by my words. I look at Caleb, needing him to hear this next part.
“I met your dad on the same bench that I found Josephine today.”
He looks at me, shocked, and I watch him swallow hard. He has never asked me any questions about how or where we met, but now it’s time.
“He had just been told he had cancer when he came and sat beside me, completely oblivious to my presence until I offered him a tissue. He told me his story, and I told him mine. What he offered me was far more than a tissue. He offered me safety. A home. But do you know what the best thing he ever gave me was? Trust. I told him my story and he believed me. Nobody had ever believed me before, but he did.”
I turn to Sam, who looks dejected.
“When I sat on that bench I decided that I was done waiting for Robert to one day hit me too hard or choke me too tight. He had taken everything except my ability to die. I was planning on the best way to kill myself when Joe offered me a way to live. I just had to find a little bit of faith one last time.”
I stop abruptly when Sam stands up and storms out of the room. When I hear him throwing up, I turn panicked eyes to Ryan as I try to stand to follow him.
“I will go,” Ryan tells me before placing a shaky kiss on my temple.
I look to Malcolm and then to Jacob. Both know more than most. I draw my strength from their sad smiles of understanding and nods of encouragement. Jacob moves to sit on the floor by my feet and rests his head on my thigh. I let go of Caleb’s hand and run my fingers through Jacob's hair, and take a second to regroup before Ryan comes back through the door with Sam. Sensing his mood, like he often does, Ryan swaps seats so that Sam is next to me. I lean into him, resting my head against his shoulder, and feel a shudder course through him. I carry on talking but soften my tone.
“Joe took a chance on me that day. I don’t know why he did it. I’m not even sure if he knew why but it was the right thing to do and he saved my life because of it.
"When I woke up in that room with my mother I swore to myself I would fight because, for once, I had everything to live for. When she said I was being sold and Jason showed up, I knew something was off. He was gentle with me. There was no lust or malice in his eyes. It was odd. I didn’t know what to think but for whatever reason I didn’t feel threatened. When I found out about his sister I felt connected to him somehow. He was what I prayed for when I was a girl. A big brother to save me, someone to do anything just to protect me. I was not going to take away that young girl's hope for survival. I kept quiet about him, like he asked me to do, so that he could continue to look for her. I never saw or heard from him again until this morning when he texted me.”
The room goes wired again but I continue.
“He found her, but she tried to kill herself.”
Sam takes in a sharp breath at my side.
“I felt compelled to go. Don’t ask me why, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you. It was just instinctual. I sat on that bench, the same bench where I met Joe, and talked to a version of me from long ago. I can help her. I will help her, and I’m sorry if that is something that you guys are going to find hard to get on board with, but I won’t change my mind. She was fourteen when she was stolen and locked in a cage. She watched as her best friend was beaten to death in front of her. She has been raped, tortured and starved. What she will never be is abandoned. I need you all with me on this."
“I’m with you, Frankie,” Jacob tells me, and I bend and kiss his hair, knowing that he gets it more than most.
“I’ve always got your back, kid,” Steve chimes in, his voice gruff with emotion.
“Whatever you need, Frankie,” Malcolm tells me, and I smile in thanks.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Frankie,” Conner tells me. “But with you in this girl's corner, I have a feeling that everything will be okay in the end. I’m with you.” I blink back a fresh round of tears and mouth "Thank you."
“Sweetheart.”
I turn to Caleb.
“I’m with you. Don’t you know I would do anything for you? I’m so glad my father sat beside you. He would be incredibly proud of the woman you have become.”
The tears stream down my cheeks, but it doesn’t stop me from leaning up and kissing Caleb. I pour every ounce of love and gratitude I feel into it.
“I’m with you, too.” I turn to Ryan. His serious expression is a stark contrast to his usual smile. “There will never be a time when you need to question that. I will always be standing right beside you.”
I blow him a kiss. “I love you, Ryan.”
“Right back at you.”
I turn back to Sam, my heart in my throat when I realise he hasn’t spoken.
“Sam?” I whisper.
“I can’t lose you, Frankie. Don’t keep shit like that from us again. I don’t trust that fucker, and I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
“I can’t agree to that, Sam. I’m sorry I’ve scared you and let you down by not telling you everything, but I wouldn’t change it even if I could, because the results speak for themselves. What would you have done if it was Jacob who was missing?”
Sam’s head whips round so fast it nearly collides with mine, a look of horror across his face.
“What about… if it was me? Would you ever stop looking? Wouldn’t you do everything possible to find me and bring me home?”
I see the wheels turning. He never stopped to put himself into Jason’s shoes, and it’s a hard pill to swallow. It's very easy to judge when it isn’t your loved one that’s trapped in a nightmare. I rub my hand across my abdomen.
“What about if it was your daughter? Is there anything you wouldn’t do to save her?
I hear Caleb gasp from beside me.
“No, of course not. I get it, Frankie. You’re right. They can stay, and I won’t be an ass about it, but I will be watching him… Wait. Did you just say daughter? Are you pregnant?”
I nod then stutter out a laugh when I find myself in the middle of a pile of arms congratulating me.
“All right, everyone, back the fuck up and give her some room,” Sam shouts, and everyone returns to their spots.
He looks at me with a look of wonder in his eyes.
“I’m going to be a daddy?” he whispers.
I turn so that I can see all my boys. The men who have shown me what it truly feels like to be loved.
“Yes, you are all going to be daddies.
Dear Joe,
I miss you every single day, but life moves on. You must adapt and roll with the punches or life will just keep knocking you down. We’ve gained two house guests who became friends then eventually family. Jo and Jacob have a bond like nothing I have ever seen before. Something tells me that their story is far from over. I told the boys they were going to be dads, and I have never seen them look so shocked. Well, at least until I told them it was twins. As for me, I have everything I have ever wished for. Thank you, Joe, for the beautiful memories and for the chance of a future beyond my wildest dreams. You are the best friend I ever had, and you will alwa
ys be my hero.
Sleep peacefully.
Frankie.
Also by Candice Wright
Inheritance Novel Series
Rewriting Yesterday
In This Moment
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