by Lexy Timms
"I'll see you soon. Get well and get the fuck out of here. Text me." He kissed me again and got up, walking to the door and pausing to look back at me.
I couldn't help but feel beautiful as he studied me, though I knew nothing could be further from the truth.
"See you soon." He winked and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Had he killed anyone before that night, or did we share the horrible experience of both having done if for the first time together? It would haunt me forever. I never wanted to be anything but good, strong... brave. Having to take someone's life, even in self-defense, left me wondering if I really knew myself at all.
My father would be proud, and the thought sickened me.
A soft knock resounded at the door before my grandma walked back in. "Lovely boy. I say we keep him."
"I killed two men tonight." I forced myself to sit up as Grandma walked back toward me.
"I'm sorry, baby. A person should never be put in a situation where they have to defend themselves by using a gun." She moved up beside me and pulled me into another warm hug, patting the side of my arm and kissing me. “You went from a young girl, naïve to the world around you, to being a slave to the devil. Let me help you get out.”
“I’m in too deep,” I whispered. “He’d kill you to prove a point.”
She let out a long sigh. “There’s always a way out.”
“You want to spend the rest of your natural life on the run from him?”
“You can’t go back for more!”
She hugged me again and I held on tight.
“Does your father hit you?” she asked softly.
A tear rolled down my cheek. “No.”
“So the violence isn’t physical. But it can take the form of verbal abuse, manipulation, or emotional abuse. Psychological violence leaves no scars and no physical evidence.”
I let out a tiny sob as she squeezed my hand.
“You can’t live like this, under the care of a psychopathic parent,” she said. “It’s not what your mother would’ve wanted. He’s conditioning his victims. He camouflages his real evil identity and bad intentions to appear normal. But he’s anything but. He’s an extreme narcissist who derives pleasure from the dominance and victimization of others.”
“He’s my father,” I said. “And I love him.”
“You have a shield up that absorbs most of the emotional impact he throws at you. It’s called denial. But wake up. Look at what he did to you.”
“It’s supposed to make me strong.”
“Your father is a convincing liar. He’s able to manipulate others' emotions and perceptions so he can get what he wants.”
“He’s not manipulating me, grandma.”
“He has a Jekyll and Hyde nature. Dr. Jekyll is "charming" and "charismatic"; "Hyde" is "evil.”
“Dr. Jekyll has entered the building,” my father said as he walked inside the room. “Yes, I’m in my charming and charismatic mood.”
“You’re despicable!” she roared.
He rolled his eyes. “One of your tests should be to see if Selene can keep her mouth shut when it comes to her grandmother.”
Grandma moved back, the look in her gaze telling him just how pissed she was by who he was now that my mother was gone.
“I’ll let it slide,” my dad said. “Because I’m in my Dr. Jekyll mood. If Mr. Hyde were out, she might’ve not fared so well.”
“I’m taking Selene to live with me,” my grandma snapped.
My dad’s lips pressed into grim lines. “Not happening!”
“But it’s her choice!”
He looked at me, his gaze intense. “Well, butterfly. Would you like to live with your grandma? After all, it is your choice.”
I gazed at him, then her. “No,” I softly said.
My dad smiled at my grandma. “Well then. You have your answer. This is a free world and she chooses me. So I don’t mind if she stays the night here and there, but her place of residence is with me.”
“You bullied her! I saw the look you gave her.”
He chuckled as she kissed me goodbye.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“I know why you did it. So he won’t kill me.”
My father chuckled.
I swallowed hard. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She kissed me on the head. “Sleep tight.”
I watched her leave.
My dad looked at one of his henchman. "I'm quite proud of her. Four men attack her and not a damn one of them is left standing." He moved up to the other side of the bed.
"Did you send me there to have me killed?" My voice broke slightly and my dad reached out and took my hand, squeezing softly as he sat down on the bed next to me.
"To die? Never. You're my own flesh and blood." He reached out and touched the side of my face. I wanted to jerk away from him, but I wasn't that stupid.
"Then what? Your tests are a little fucking much, don't you think?" I crossed my arms over my chest and tried hard to control my emotions. If I got to upset, I would start crying and there were no points to be won for anyone through tears. My father was a hard man who didn't seem to care much about anything anymore. Not even me, from what I was learning.
"My life is fucked up, butterfly. You said, and I quote, ’I want to be a patched member of the Black Hearts and will do anything to get it,’ so I'm giving you the chance." He reached for me, brushing his hand down my back. "Do you want it to stop? I'm fine with you simply being my daughter. We'll look at colleges and you can..."
I cut him off. "No."
He was patronizing me. He didn't think I was strong enough to survive. Though I hated myself for letting the need to prove him wrong consume me, it did.
"Good girl. You passed this test tonight and are now a prospect. We'll get the tats you've earned when you heal. I couldn't have dealt with those white trash boys better myself. You won't be implicated in anything and we'll clean it up." He leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of my face. For the first time in my life, I could visualize jabbing a knife into his side and watching him die.
I wasn't a monster; I wanted freedom from whatever hold he had on me. The same hold that left me alone most of my life, an outcast who would defend him to the death. It was the hold that buckled me under the pressure to sell drugs and try them, to lie to the cops. It was the tightening grip that forced me to take two men's lives that night, to call Lucky to have him rescue me and become a murderer alongside me.
"I love you, butterfly. I couldn't be more proud of you." He stood and moved to the window, letting out a long breath. "I do have a question for you though."
"Ask." I leaned back and pulled the covers up to my neck.
"You're not friends with the newest prospect of the Stone Wolves, correct?"
I jerked my face toward him and swallowed my fear. "What? Fuck no. Why would you even think that?"
"Elec found him in the parking lot with blood on his shirt a few minutes ago." My father shrugged and turned his dark gaze on me. "Just wanted to make sure we wouldn't hurt you further by teaching the boy a lesson. He's been up to something... I'm just not sure what."
"Teach him a lesson?" I got up carefully and moved to the window in time to see three of my cousins taking turns holding someone while the others hit him.
Terror gripped my heart and my blood ran cold as my father pressed his chest to my back and tightly gripped my chin.
"Yes, and if you're lying to me, this beating will be so much worse next time." He kissed the back of my head. "Don't disappoint me, Selene. I'll kill you just like I killed your mother. Do you understand?"
I stiffened in his hold, shocked by his admitting the truth we all knew.
The light inside of me died in that moment as I watched Lucky take a punishment he didn't deserve. I could do nothing but ignore the reality of who I was and what I came from. Otherwise, we would both forfeit our lives for the truth.
"Yes, Sir," I mumbled and stifled a
cry as Lucky hit the ground.
My father released me and walked to the door, his last words breaking my heart.
"Don't leave this room and don't let me ever catch you getting help from anyone again. If you do... I'll have you put down like a bitch. Don't forget who I am, first and foremost. I'm the alpha and omega, the all and encompassing. Your life doesn't exist without me, butterfly. I'm proud of you for tonight, and that alone is the only reason your friend will live to see tomorrow, though I'm not sure he'll want to." He laughed and the door shut as I pressed my hand to my mouth and let out a silent scream.
The curtains slipped from my hand and I turned, sliding down to the floor in anguish. Lucky was bleeding and broken on the ground outside and I needed to go to him, but to do so would cause his death, and mine.
I felt like I’d been hit with a lightning bolt. There was nothing left for me to do but to turn him away.
It's the only thing that could keep him alive.
His safety was far more important than my happiness.
My heart ached. My dad was an evil person to do this to me, to make me watch like this, to torment me. I found my phone and asked Dane to come help him. We were friends on Facebook, so I was able to message him. Through the window, I looked at Lucky outside. My heart broke in my chest as I texted him.
Juliet: Lose my number and forget I exist. That beating tonight was my fault. Test three passed for me. Never get involved with a Delgado. We always win.
To be continued…
Forsaken is available now!
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HXGTG4
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019HXGTG4?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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Other titles by Sierra Rose:
Contemporary Romance
Seduced by my Billionaire Boss – Part 1
Seduced by my Billionaire Boss – Part 2
Seduced by my Billionaire Boss – Part 3
Contemporary Romance
The Billionaire’s Fake Girlfriend – Part 1
The Billionaire’s Fake Girlfriend – Part 2
The Billionaire’s Fake Girlfriend – Part 3
Contemporary Romance
The Boss’s Son – Part 1
The Boss’s Son – Part 2
The Boss’s Son – Part 3
Romantic Comedy
Groomless – Part 1
Groomless – Part 2
Groomless – Part 3
Romantic Suspense
The Edge of Tomorrow - Part 1
The Edge of Tomorrow - Part 2
The Edge of Tomorrow - Part 3
Adventure Romance
The Expedition – Part 1
The Expedition – Part 2
The Expedition – Part 3
Adventure Romance
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8m9f7JDzk
My Despicable Ex – Part 1
My Despicable Ex – Part 2
Historical
What Lies Behind Us
Biker Romance
Forbidden – Part 1
Forsaken – Part 2
Forever – Part 3
Forgiven – Part 4
Sports Romance
The Game Plan – Part 1
The Game Plan – Part 2
The Game Plan – Part 3
Contemporary Romance
Accidently Married to the Billionaire – Part 1
Accidently Married to the Billionaire – Part 2
Accidently Married to the Billionaire – Part 3
Contemporary Romance
The Pretend Billionaire Groom – Part 1
The Pretend Billionaire Groom – Part 2
The Pretend Billionaire Groom – Part 3
SALVATION – Part 1
by
Dale Mayer
Beaten. Broken. Finished.
An abused wife meets the most unlikeliest of angels – a man who looks like the very devil himself. He won't let her give up. Nor will he let her go.
Will he be yet another captor or will he become her salvation?
Note: This story ends in a cliffhanger ending. The story is picked up at the beginning of the second installment.
Books in this series:
Salvation Part 1 - Amazon
Salvation Part 2 - Amazon
Salvation Part 3 – Amazon
Other books in the Biker Blues world:
Biker Blues: Morgan Part 1 – Amazon
Biker Blues: Morgan Part 2 – Amazon
Biker Blues: Morgan Part 3 – Amazon
Biker Baby Blues: Morgan Part 4 – Amazon
SALVATION – Part 1
Dale Mayer
Valley Publishing
Copyright © 2016
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-1-928122-61-6
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Chapter 1
The water swirled below her feet. The moonlight shone down on the dark scene from behind her, highlighting each ripple and wave under the bridge, shining on every curve and twist as the water led its own life down the river. She wondered if it was happy with its choices. Was it okay to do the same thing day after day? Did it mind when people dumped shit in it, poisoned its pure essence without a second thought? Did it get angry when a storm came and blew the trees down, forcing it to create different pathways? Did it care when the sun came out and drank gallons and gallons of its water into the atmosphere? Or was it sublime in its happiness to be what it could be, what it was always going to be – a river.
And she was a fool.
A fool who could only think about a river as if it were alive – when she was desperate to no longer be in the same state. Only the process of getting from live to dead was what was stopping her. She’d been unhappy for so long… No. Unhappy wasn’t the word. She’d been in pain. Desperate. Beaten. Broken. She’d been at the end of her rope for the last year and it was only getting worse. Ending it all was the only answer.
But was it?
How could she be afraid that he’d still follow her to whatever lay beyond – and maybe she wasn’t afraid of being followed as much as failing in her attempt to end her life and him finding out what she’d tried to do. If he succeeded where she failed, her life would be worse.
A broken laugh escaped. “No, it couldn’t be worse,” she whispered to the dark sky around her. A dark sky getting blacker with every moment. The moon was going behind the clouds as if it too didn’t want to see what she’d do next.
What she didn’t want to do.
But it’s what she had to do.
There was no tomorrow for her. He’d kill her one day. Bury her deep and no one would know. No one would care. Except him. He’d smile at the world around him, keeping the secret from everyone and happy about it on the inside. To know what no one else would know – yeah, he’d love that. At the same time, he’d be on the lookout for his next punching bag.
She felt sorry for that next victim.
Still, if she jumped, her body would show up sometime. Someone might notice the bruises, the breaks, and investigate. She’d love it if they would take a closer look at Greg.
For herself, there was only an overwhelming sense of guilt. She should have left a long time ago. She should have walked out when it first started. Should have. Could have. But didn’t. And somehow over time, it became okay. It became her normal. And everything that had been normal before ceased to exist.
As she sat on the bridge deck staring into the darkness, she wondered if she could work up the courage to jump.
After all, she hadn’t managed to work up the courage to leave her husband. To leave the man who’d tried to break her spirit for so long. That was the part that really hurt. The bones, not so much. They healed. Her emotions, her heart, her own sense of self-worth and that horrific guilt – they never healed. The more she fought, the worse it all became.
But she always chose to survive. Meaning she always gave in, up until now, though usually not until she’d become bloody and beaten – the same point as always. He was away today. Off doing something with his buddies. Something illegal she hoped. Her dearest wish was that someone somehow would do something and change the situation for her as she didn’t seem to be able to do it for herself. And that made her feel worse. But the truth was her options were non-existent and if no one else could help, the river was looking like the best choice available to her. He’d threatened to do something so abhorrent to her if she tried to escape again that she knew her life was over if she failed this time. She had only one chance.
Her escape had to be permanent this time.
She’d run away – twice. Both times he’d found her. Dragged her back. Beaten her until she couldn’t leave again.
