by Lila Rose
He crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you mean by that? More people?”
I sucked in a shuddered breath. “T-they killed Donny and Mrs Minna, right in front of me, because of me. No more people will die,” I said, steel in my voice.
“No one will. We have the means to protect you. Right now, we have the house surrounded. The four people upstairs will be taken into custody.”
I gripped the hoodie at my chest. “Four?” I demanded.
“Yes. Four.”
“Three men and one woman?” I asked. He nodded. Could it be the four? It had to be. They were the only ones who came to the house. The only voices I’d heard above and in my nightmares. Only I hadn’t heard them that day, so I couldn’t tell if it was the two other men I never wanted to see again.
I moved my hands down to my stomach when it twisted and growled. Killer’s eyes hardened once again. Heat coloured my cheeks.
“T-they….” I wiped at my eyes. “They’ve killed, but they’ve also drugged and raped a girl. I-I saw her o-on the couch.” His face blanked. I shook my head, curling my arms around my waist. My body shook like I’d been standing in the snow in my underwear for an hour. Frustration warred inside of me. This was my chance. I could be free, but I had to tell him everything. He nodded, wanting me to go on, but then he pulled his phone free and looked at the screen. He typed something back and then pocketed it again. “I….” I cleared my throat. “I think they’ve done it to more girls. Young girls. Maybe fourteen to sixteen. They’re bad people. Bad.”
He nodded. “How long you been down here?”
I looked away from him, to the floor, and whispered, “Over two years.”
My eyes snapped up when I saw feet in front of me. I let out a strangled noise and backed against the wall, arms up.
“I won’t hurt you.”
“I-I can’t trust anything.”
He nodded once. “Smart.” Slowly, he reached out and took my wrist. Gently, he used his other hand to slide up my sleeve. When he saw the scars, he cursed over and over. I pulled my arm from his hold.
He sucked in a deep breath through his nose. “Who did it?” he clipped. “You’ll be safe no matter what, but we’ll want to know.”
“I’ll be safe?”
He nodded.
I bit my bottom lip when it trembled. “Free from here, from them?”
His jaw clenched. “Yes.”
Was I dreaming?
Could it really happen and I would be safe? Harriet and her family would be as well?
Noise rose above. Voices screamed, a door banged. More voices. I dropped to the floor in a crouch and covered my head.
Death.
Blood.
Failure.
Arms circled me. “You’re good. You’re fine. They’re here to help.”
“That bitch. That fucking bitch,” rose above all other noises. I cringed and burrowed my head into my knees more, tightened my arms around my head. I started humming when things got thrown around above, then whimpered when I heard the basement door fly open with a crash.
Banging footfalls rushed down. The arms around me dropped away. I felt him stand.
“Get up, bitch. Get the fuck up. They’re dead. Do you hear me? Dead, just like you will be.” A leg knocked into me. I whimpered and peeked to see Killer holding Gloria back.
More footsteps raced down the stairs.
“Get her the fuck outta here,” Killer snarled.
“Warden, I’ll take her,” a man said. Hearing Ryan’s last name, registering that time, I peeked out again to find Ryan standing just in front of Killer. Another man had a ranting Gloria by the arms and tugged her towards the stairs.
“I’ll kill you, you pathetic bitch. You’re dead.”
They all ignored her. Ryan’s eyes dropped to me. I lifted my head and watched Killer step close to Ryan. They shared quiet words. Ryan nodded before he turned and left the room.
My head swirled. He wanted nothing to do with me. I couldn’t say I blamed him.
Killer turned to face me. “Come on, let’s get you someplace safe.”
“My friend Harriet White and her family. They need to be safe. She could still send someone for them.”
“I’ll let the right people know. She’ll be fine.” He walked closer, his hand held down and out for me. “Come on.”
For the first time since being down there, I didn’t want to leave because I didn’t know what would happen next.
Still, I reached up and grabbed his hand, ready to take my chance of getting out of there, even when fear rattled my body.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EMERSON
Someplace safe actually meant next door at Ryan’s house. I didn’t understand why Killer would lead me there, but he had. Then he planted me on the couch in the living room and stood beside it with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked menacing. If he hadn’t been kind to me, I would be scared of him. Then again, I still was a little.
I pulled my legs up onto the couch and wrapped my arms around them. But then I thought better since my feet were still only covered in socks and the walk there could have dirtied them. I didn’t want to leave any marks on Ryan’s couch, so I placed them back on the floor. I arranged the hoodie so it covered the marks on my thighs and then tucked my hands under my knees, hunching in on myself.
When Killer had led me from the house and through the front door, no one had been around. I had heard voices coming from the back rooms in the house—where I kept peering over my shoulder to make sure no one was coming after me—but we’d made it safely into Ryan's. As I sat there, I glanced around for the first time.
The living room had the basic needs. Some furniture was still covered, which made me think Ryan had been painting recently. The couch I sat on faced the front door, and I surreptitiously glanced there and then away. There were stairs to the right of the couch.
Stairs.
They made me think of Mrs Minna and the lie Gloria had made up. My eyes stayed riveted to the bottom of the stairs where Lenny would have laid her body.
My stomach heaved. I covered my mouth and coughed.
Killer looked down at me. I quickly moved my gaze to my knees, tucking my hand back under.
“You need anythin’? Water? Food? Blanket?”
I shook my head, even when I could use all of those. “No,” I whispered. I wouldn’t be more of a problem for him or Ryan than I already was.
Flashing lights shined through the front windows. The police had arrived. “A-are you sure Harriet and her family will be all right?” I asked again.
“We’ve got someone at the address you gave us.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat; it almost sounded like a growl. “Don’t need to thank us.”
I nodded again. “Okay,” I whispered.
“You wanna tell me who gave you those scars yet?”
Did I?
Honestly, I wished he’d never seen them.
“Gloria.”
He cursed. “Your aunt, right?”
“Yes.”
Before he could say anything, we heard footsteps, a lot of them on the front porch. Reacting, I hunched over more. My blood pumped faster through my veins. When the door burst open, I let out a squeak, then spotted Ryan stepping through. More men followed. My chest ached at seeing them all. They looked big, angry, and intimidating.
But then I heard a woman’s voice behind them all, snapping and cursing.
“No,” I whispered. “She’s here,” I cried. I moved so fast my head spun. I was up and over the back of the couch, curling in on myself, hiding. They didn’t take her. She’d sweetened her way around them. They believed her.
She’d kill me.
Kill Harriet.
“It’s not her. It’s not your aunt,” Killer said, crouched at my side. The woman said something. Hearing her harsh voice had me whimpering. She could hurt me like Gloria did. I knew, deep down, it wasn’t logic
al, but I couldn’t stop the fear clogging my throat.
“Violet, out,” I thought I heard Ryan say.
Killer disappeared from beside me, but then I heard him. “She’s not good with women. Her aunt abused her. She’s got scars—”
A sob caught my throat, and the voices in the room stilled.
“Come on, sweetheart. We’ll wait outside,” a man said to the woman named Violet.
“I don’t think she’s good with a bunch of us in here,” Killer added.
“Call him. No women, but him,” Ryan said. His voice was clear and familiar. “Give the room to Lan, me, and Killer.”
I listened to people leave and waited. I suddenly felt foolish for freaking out. They’d helped me, were keeping my friend safe. They’d gotten me out, and here I was on the floor, my legs tucked up under my hoodie, hiding behind a couch all because a group of men and a woman’s voice scared me.
When the door closed, Ryan said, “We’ll wait for him before you question her.” No one replied, but the message must have been accepted because the room fell silent.
It was after some time, after I sat there wallowing for being a coward and regretting acting the way I had, that I offered, “I’m sorry.”
Someone grunted.
Killer, who’d been standing beside me, eyes into the living room, glanced down at me. “What’d I say about sayin’ sorry?”
Drawing in a shuddering breath, I said, “Not to.”
“Damn right. You just stay there and relax, yeah?”
I nodded, unsure who we were waiting for, but I had the need to stand and look at Ryan. I hadn’t seen him up close, with his eyes actually on me, but then I was scared with how he would take me in. I looked like I’d crawled from the sewers. I probably even smelled like it. Shame had me staying where I was.
My body jolted when there was a knock. I didn’t hear anyone move, but I heard the door open and then, “Hello, my hunky men. I’m here ready for duty. Where do you want me? And someone please say the bedroom.”
Someone cursed, there was a groan, and I saw Killer looking at the floor, clenching his teeth, and shaking his head. Who was the man who could say something like that to burly men and get away with it?
“Julian, just get over there,” Ryan said.
“Oh, I get it. You want to watch me walk. Some foreplay first,” he teased, his voice coming closer my way. “I like the way you think. Why I bet—why, hello there, my dove.” The man in jeans and a polo tee got to his knees at the end of the couch. His smile was warm, just like his eyes. “My name’s Julian. I’m a friend of these divine creatures….”
I knew right away why they called Julian in. Already my shoulders eased and my stomach unclenched. His smile was infectious. I wanted to smile with him, yet I didn’t. The man felt like sunshine on a cold, miserable day.
“Emerson,” I said.
“Emerson.” His smile grew. “Such a pretty name for a cutie pie. How about I find you a shower and a change of clothes. Then we can have a chat with the sexy cop over there.” I glanced the way he thumbed, but all I saw was the couch.
A shower sounded amazing though. But I hated the thought of making the police officer wait more than he already had.
“I’ve wasted time. I should—”
His hand shot up. I flinched, and his smile dimmed a little. He lowered his hand to his thigh. “Don’t you worry about the men here. They won’t care about waiting until you have a nice warm shower.”
Did that mean I did stink?
My cheeks warmed. “Okay,” I said meekly. I dipped my eyes down to the floor. Julian’s hand slowly came into view. I pulled my head up. He tapped my hand.
“Let’s get you upstairs.”
It meant standing. It meant walking by Ryan and the officer, Lan. It meant going near and then up the stairs. The ones where I knew Mrs Minna’s body had been.
But moving meant living. It meant being strong and finding who I used to be again.
Maybe with a shower, a real shower after years, I could get one step closer to me.
I slid my hand in his. Julian’s smile softened. He stood and gently pulled me up with him. I made sure my thighs were covered. I wasn’t strong yet, so I kept my eyes on the floor as Julian led me towards the stairs.
My hand gripped Julian’s tightly. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, my eyes watered, I sucked in a harsh breath, but I kept going. I kept moving and stopped myself from thinking of Mrs Minna.
Before we reached the second-floor landing, Julian called down, “Do one of you handsome men want to find some clothes for my dove?”
“I-I have clothes next door.”
His lips thinned for a fraction of a second, and I had a feeling he’d somehow seen my clothes next door in the basement.
“Don’t you stress, pet. They’ll find something.” He tucked my hand into his elbow and patted it. “Let’s conquer this shower, get you all toasty and warm.” He walked us into a bathroom that was down a hall, off a sitting area at the top of the stairs. His hands dropped away when he went over to the shower and turned on the water. “You know, I prefer a bath, but my man loves his showers.”
“Your man?” I blurted. I should have guessed he was gay; he was very flamboyant, but I didn’t want to presume and be wrong.
“Oh yes, honey. He’s my one and only. Even though I tease him greatly about the other men we hang out with, I’m devoted to my poppet. Besides, a little jealousy spices up the bedroom, if you know what I mean?”
I shook my head. I meant to say I did know what he meant because I understood it, but I’d never felt it.
“Not to worry, my dove. You’ll know one day. I’m sure of it.”
I doubted it, but I didn’t say so. Not with the scars on my body. No one would want to stare at them. I didn’t even want to look at them and they were on my body.
“Oh.” Julian’s gasp had me looking at him. His eyes were on my arm. I glanced down. Absently, I’d been rubbing my fingers over the scars on my arm.
My stomach bottomed out. I hated that Killer had seen them. I’d even kept my shorts hanging low so I could cover the ones on my thighs because I hadn’t wanted Julian to see them. They were dirty and ugly. He was light and sweet.
I pulled both sleeves down and gripped them in my fists, bringing them up under my arms.
Julian shook his head at me. “My dove,” he whispered.
Tears pooled in my eyes.
He stepped right up to me, and I was proud I didn’t retreat. His eyes were too kind for me to back away. Gently, he tucked my hair behind my ear before dropping his hands to the bottom of my hoodie. Slowly, he lifted.
If it had been anyone else, I would have freaked. I would have fought. I would have pushed. But with Julian, I let him lift the hoodie from my body. He gazed at my arms and my scarred chest in the low-cut tee.
Sadness filled me. Tears dropped from my eyes. “Do you see?” I whispered. “No one will want this.”
His bottom lip wobbled, his eyes welling. “Oh, honey, no.” He ran his hands up and down my arms. I wanted to move away from his touch, but he said, “I see a woman who is strong. Who has lived through hell and has come out on the other side. I know someone will love you for who you are, not what they see, because you are beautiful.”
A sob caught in my dry throat. I tipped forward, my forehead landing against his chest as I let out a keening sound. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against him as I cried.
He kept holding me, whispering words of praise, until I could pull myself together.
Straightening, I winced. Julian saw it and asked, “Are you okay?”
I snorted. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be.
He amended, “Are you hurt?”
“My ribs are tender. S-she kicked me.” Up until then, since the adrenaline had worn off, I hadn’t thought or reacted to the twinge in my ribs.
Julian hummed under his breath, his smile tight. “My mother-in-law is a nurse. She could come by and
check.”
“No!” I cried. My pulse throbbed from how fast it raced. I took a deep breath. “Sorry, but please, no nurse.”
“Honey.” His gaze ran over me again, and then he said softly, “You could be malnourished, need medical treatment.”
I grabbed his wrist. “Please, please no doctors, no nurses, and no women. I promise I’ll eat, I’ll drink, and I’ll get better.”
His lips thinned, but eventually he nodded. “I’ll see if they need wrapping after the shower.” He leaned in and kissed my temple, something my father used to do. “Take your time.”
“Thank you,” I said as he walked towards the door.
“No thanks needed. I’ll put fresh clothes outside the door. No one will be up here, okay?”
I nodded and offered up a wonky smile.
When he closed the door after he left, the smile dropped from my mouth. I took a steadying breath and removed the clothes I hoped to never see again. A moment later, I stepped under the spray of water. The temperature was perfect, and I sighed contently.
My mind ran through the events.
I was out.
Free.
I still couldn’t believe it. There would be moments when I wouldn’t feel safe, sure they’d come back for me somehow. I was certain of it. But right then, happiness started to form throughout my body.
No more Gloria.
No more Lenny.
Or two meals a day.
Or wearing ratty clothes.
I didn’t know where or if they’d left any money from my father’s accounts, but I would deal with that later.
I was out.
Away from that hellhole.
Elation had my chest expanding, a giddy laugh falling free while my stomach spun. I lifted my head into the pouring warm water and smiled.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WARDEN
When Emmie cleared the stairs and we heard the bathroom door open, I looked to Lan and Killer. We all wore weary and worried expressions. A shiver of anger ran over my body. I wanted to rip those cunts a new arsehole.
