Page 25 of Beautifully Wounded

“Fine. Whatever. I saw nothing,” Brody concedes.

“Make sure you don’t fucking forget. Now get the fuck out,” Ringo booms, and I hear a grumble and footsteps before the door opens and closes again.

“Get your little brother under control. He’s on his last fucking legs,” Ringo snaps at JD, who sighs.

“Sorry man. I’ll have another word with him tomorrow,” JD mutters. “She going to be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Ringo says quietly. Softly.

I want to believe he means well, but how can I with what I just saw? Why would he bring me to a place like this?

I hear them move away, and when I know I’m alone, I let my walls down and the dam of emotions bursts free.

I cry.

I cry so hard, trying to stay quiet, my chest aching like a phantom hand is reaching inside and trying to pull my heart free.

What am I going to do? I can’t stay here with these animals, but where am I going to go after what just happened at home?

I still can’t believe my sister Maggie helped my parents drug me.

“Hey.” The deep voice is close, and I hold my breath, willing my tears to dry up so I don’t look so pathetic.

“I don’t want to be here.”

“I know.”

“Please, just let me go.” I beg into my hands, still not looking up at Ringo.

“I will.”

That gets my attention, and I peek through my fingers to see Ringo sitting on the worn green carpet in front of me, his knees up and his arms resting on them.

“Y-you’ll let me g-go?”

He nods. “Yes. When the time is right.”

“But I can’t stay here,” I snap, dropping my hands to reveal my tear-stained cheeks. “I can’t be around that. Around… abusers.”

Ringo’s shoulders rise as he sighs, his whiskey-coloured eyes almost looking sympathetic.

“I know it seemed like abuse, Charity. But Darla consented to what happened. And Brody, well, he’s just an immature idiot. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

I stare at him for a long moment, so many questions swirling through my head, and for the life of me, I don’t know why I ask this question first.

“Is that what you do? To women, I mean.”

Ringo’s brows shoot high, and for a moment, the hardness that masks his face seems to slip away.

“I’m not into puke play, Charity. Or choking chicks on my cock.”

My lip wobbles as memories of Daniel’s fingers digging into my head painfully beat their way to the forefront of my mind.

“Talk to me, Angel. What’s going on inside your head?”

I shake my head, not ever wanting to admit to the things that were done to me.

“Look, I know you don’t know me, and I know I’m an arsehole, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to change that part about myself, but I can assure you, I will never hurt you, or stand by and let someone else do that. I’m sorry that I don’t have somewhere nicer to take you, but I promise I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can. Until then, can you try to trust that I’m doing everything I can to protect you?”

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