Page 133 of Deliverance

“I think I…I might of kille-ed Harry Brenton, or he-he’s gonna die. I d-don’t kno-w,” I say, my voice shaking with practically every word as the reality of our situation begins to consume me.

“Where are you?” she asks, the sound of her walking echoing in the background.

“His house,” I breathe out.

“Be there in two,” she says, hanging up the phone as she does.

I set my phone down, my eyes staying on a barely breathing Harry Brenton. I don’t look away for several seconds, before Bridgette shuffles in my arms. Glancing down at her, I notice that her lip is split, and she has a blackening eye. Carefully, my thumb reaches out, tracing the areas. She winces at the contact and my stomach turns.

My heart was absolutely broken when Bridgette opened up to Brad and me. To imagine what my sweet girl had endured and lived through for years was unbearable. Witnessing it? Walking in on it? For those few seconds, where I stood there unmoving as he broke her, hurt her, violently raped her and I did nothing. I…those mental images and sounds will be forever burned into my brain.

“I’m so sorry, B. I’m so sorry,” I begin to sob once more.

She shakes her head. “You saved me. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I promised you. I failed you. I?—”

Her hand covers my mouth as she shakes her head, resting our foreheads together as a tear trails down her face.

“You saved me,” she gasps on a broken cry.

We stay like that for I don’t know how long before Skyla’s voice calls out through the house.

“Maggie! Maggie, where are you?”

‘H-here! In here,” I call out.

Several pairs of footsteps echo through the house before Vincent is the first to step in, gun drawn. He points it at us for a moment before shifting his stance to Harry. Wesley and Ronan are behind him, followed by Asher, then Liam and Skyla. Liam ushers Skyla around the body, walking over to us, while the rest approach Harry.

Liam crouches down, and Bridgette tenses, backing up slowly. I put myself between them as he quickly throws up his hands in surrender.

“Hey, it’s okay. Take a breath. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Bridgette’s lip trembles as she gives him a shaky nod. Skyla bends down to me, looking me over.

“Are you okay, Mags?’

I nod my head shakily and her eyebrows knit together like she doesn’t believe me.

I wouldn’t believe me either. I think I’m in shock. That’s why I can’t stop shaking, why I feel so cold. I just can’t…think.

“Bridgette, are you okay?” Skyla asks.

B doesn’t speak for a moment before she just shakes her head.

“She’s bleeding,” I say. “She needs to be looked over by a doctor. A female one,” I clarify.

Skyla’s eyes trace over Bridgette before landing on her blood smeared thighs. A look of horror and pain fills her face before anger takes over.

“Asher,” she says stiffly.

“Yeah, princess?” he asks.

“Call the doctor, the one I like. Have her meet us at the house immediately.”

“You got it,” he says, pausing as he looks between Bridgette and me.

He frowns as he pauses on her, looking back to Harry before shaking his head bitterly as he makes a call.

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