Page 33 of Devious Delusions

Stepping back, he straightens and keeps his back to my father as he orders, “Start the show, Harkin.”

No one has ever ordered my father to do a thing. But he walks forward without saying a word as the doctor smoothly turns to avoid his face being seen. The doctor continues walking backwards until he’s in the shadows. Those bright eyes are the only thing I can see. It’s all I can focus on as my father, the man who is supposed to protect me, presses something at the foot of the bed, causing it to drop away.

The lump in his throat grows, pushing his Adam’s apple out, choking him while I can’t make sense of why he’s touching me. His hands are on the inside of my knees. They move up, going past the padded cuffs to my inner thighs.

Realization is slow but gut wrenching and I scream. The sound is trapped in my head, echoing around my skull, only coming out as a whimper.

“You never listened, Delilah,” he whispers as he pushes the hospital gown further up until it’s against my lower stomach.

“Continue the show,” the doctor says, with a threat lacing his words.

A show.

Entertainment.

But there’s nothing entertaining as the cool platinum of my father’s wedding band warms against my skin, and I can’t move. I only have control of my eyes to beg him. His eyes aren’t the harsh ones I grew up with. They’re evil and I recoil internally as the leather strap of his watch brushes my skin.

World’s best dad is engraved on the back of it. I thought it was a lie when I gave it to him at his company’s Christmas party, but that’s nothing compared to now.

Bile moves up my throat as a zipper is undone and I snap my eyes closed with the scream still vibrating through my skull.

15

DELILAH

Warmth wraps around my wrists as I scream. The sound isn’t stuck in my mind. It’s real and hurts my ears. There’s no pain associated with the hold. It’s gentle and caring as a soft voice calls out to me.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s just a dream, baby.” A sob cracks my chest as I’m held against a hard body and Asher continues speaking softly. “You’re okay. I’m here, no one will hurt you.”

Gently swaying side to side, he kisses my crown and waits for me to open my eyes. Everything mixes together and I remember the freak was here. I push deeper into Asher’s chest, knowing his promises are lies.

“I’m here, Lilo, it’s okay.”

He was lying beside me, and it didn’t stop anything. As sick as it is, I have proof and quickly turn my head to grab the pillow. No feathers fall out as I lift it and I freeze. Each fiber of the material is still held together. There should be a cut in it. Anymark, even a tear. But there’s nothing. Not even a stray feather on the floor.

Kicking the sheets off my legs, I stare unblinking at the socks. Socks that don’t belong to me. They have frills on the edges and a diamond pattern weaved into them down to the toes.

The panties are mine. But I wasn’t wearing them.

I continue looking at my own body until I reach my covered chest. I’m dressed in a tank top, panties, and those frilly fucking socks. I was naked.

Moving my eyes back down the length of my body, I talk to myself. “I went to sleep naked.”

Asher hugs me closer and kisses my head again. It takes longer for him to speak as his arms tighten around me. “You got dressed in the middle of the night. You said you were feeling cold.”

He strokes down my arm and pauses again. Each repetition of his hand comforts me while my mind breaks. Everything hurts, inside and out. My muscles are sore and there’s an ache forming deep within my skull.

It turns to guilt as he asks, “Did something happen, Delilah?”

I don’t even know how to answer him. I was naked and woke up to the freak. I touched his dick. I liked it. But there’s no evidence of it, so I look up at the open pale green eyes waiting for an answer.

“No, it was just a bad dream like you said.”

He nods once and takes a deep breath.

It’s not a lie when there’s no evidence of anything being real. I must have dreamt it all. If I can’t remember dressing myself then what else am I forgetting?

But the socks are evidence and I wrap my arms around Asher as I try to ease my conscience. “Did any alarms go off?”

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