Page 31 of The Aftermath

“Don’t make me do this, Silas. Please.”

“You beg me so beautifully, baby, but I need to hear it from you.” His eyes are pleading with me, and even as my entire being is being torn to shreds, I don’t want to do this. It’s fucking killing me to stand here and know he knows. I feel sick to my fucking stomach because I don’t know how much he knows.

“I can’t tell you that, Silas.”

“You can and you will!” He screams, tugging at the chains, and honestly, right now, I’m glad he can’t get to me.

“I won’t.”

“You will. You will if you fucking love me, Angel, and I know you love me. You’ll fucking tell me!” My chest aches because he’s right. I love him. More than I thought I could, I love him.

“It wasn’t just your dad,” I tell him, wiping the tears from my cheeks. He narrows his drunken eyes on me and waits. “It was my brother, too.”

“Tom?” I hear Rylan behind me. I don’t look back, just nod my head.

“He’s the one who got me away from everyone else. He told me he wanted to take me for ice cream, and after he’d been gone for so long, I jumped at the idea. I got in the car, and we drove to the park. He said he needed to wait for someone, and I didn’t know any different.”

“Then what?” Silas asks.

“Your dad showed up.”

“And?”

“I don’t want to do this, Silas.” Sobs rip me apart, but I know why he’s pushing me. He needs to hear it, I need to release it and that’s exactly what Silas is doing right now. He’s making me release it all.

“I’m going to fix it all, baby. Do you hear me? I’m going to fix everything!” He yells loudly. I jolt, but I reach up and wipe my cheeks, trying to stay strong.

“I got out when Tom got out and walked around the car. As soon as I stepped up next to Tom, your dad put a hood over my head and tossed me into what I assume was his car. I tried to fight him, tried to kick out the back windows. I wasn’t strong enough,” I tell him as he continues to watch me intently. “The ride didn’t last long, and I was taken inside somewhere and tossed to the floor like a rag doll. When the hood was finally removed, I saw him. Ron stood over me and smiled.”

“Keep. Talking.” His teeth are gritted, and his jaw is locked. He’s pissed.

“I tried to fight him, too. He … he was stronger and laughed at me when I fought. Tom came in and held me down. I think you can figure out the rest,” I tell him, shutting up quickly. I wrap my arms around myself just as Silas roars. It echoes through the room as he rages. The screaming doesn’t stop, and neither does the rattling of the chains. I have to walk away from him.

“He’s going to be fine once he’s sober,” Rylan reassures me as he pulls me into his arms. I cry. I don’t think I’ve cried this hard in my life, not even when it happened. Not even after.

“That wasn’t everything,” I confess through the hiccups of tears.

“What? What else is there?” As if Silas knows, he laughs.

“Come on, Angel. Tell us the rest.” Glancing over my shoulder, I turn to face him.

“You already know, don’t you?”

“I had some suspicions. I didn’t know for sure until you told the story.” His fists tighten around the chains.

“I can’t do this,” I mumble and turn away from him.

“She was pregnant. That motherfucker put a baby inside her when she was only a baby herself!” Silas screams. I fall to my knees and sob as Tamsyn settles next to me.

“What?” Hoax snaps this time. “Is that true?” I nod my head as I cry into my hands.

“They sent me away until the baby was born. They told everyone my grandma was ill and she only wanted me. They cut the baby out of me along with everything else in me!” I stand to my feet now, angry at Silas for making me do this. Angry at them for what they did to me.

I storm toward him and punch him in the chest repeatedly. I feel someone pulling on me, but I jerk out of their grip and continue hitting Silas.

“Leave her alone!” Silas roars as I keep going.

“Are you fucking happy now, Silas? Everyone knows! They all fucking know what happened to me!”

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