Page 54 of Embracing My Nightmare
I kneeled with my face tilted toward the sky as I let the raw pain purge from me. Everything I had seen or experienced in that house was pouring out of me as the tears fell down my dirty cheeks. I gripped my torn shirt and held in across my chest, waiting for someone to tell me what to do next.
“Ma’am?” A deep voice sounded in front of me and I opened my eyes to find a man in holey jeans and t-shirt. He was wearing a black leather vest and was squatting about twenty feet in front of me, his hands held out in a harmless gesture. “Are you Elise?”
I nodded and he smiled sadly, removing his vest and taking off his shirt. He offered it to me, and with shaking hands, I took the large garment and pulled it over my shame. I was covered in Cameron’s filth, garbage and vile memories from the house, and the pain of Devlin’s lies.
I wondered if I would ever be the same after this.
Chapter 17
Devlin
Iwas lying on thefloor, my eyes shifting between Cameron and Elise when I saw her pull a big ass knife from the back of her pants. Silently thanking Chuck, I watched in shock and arousal as she pulled his head back and sank the knife into his neck. Closing my eyes as his blood rained down on me, I reveled in his death.
Elise was zoned out, the knife firmly gripped in her hand, pointing it at every noise until Chuck came in and removed it from her. She broke against him and I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms.
Asking for some help with the body slumped over mine, his blood soaking me, I watched as Elise left the house, leaving me and Chuck alone with his dead brother. He picked up the knife from where he’d tossed in and slid the body off me, helping me to sit up. I turned and he cut the zip tie, freeing my wrists.
I went to stand when he grasped my arm, stopping me from going to her. Turning to look at him, my face covered in his brothers’ blood, I felt the rage boiling deep inside. She shouldn’t have had to do that and now she will live the rest of her life knowing she had killed a man. It was my job to protect her and I was helpless when it counted.
“I’m taking her home with me,” he explained.
“No, the fuck you’re not. I need to be with her.” I was weak from the stun gun and my head wound was still seeping blood down my cheek.
Chuck sighed and looked at me with sincerity and wisdom. “He played mind games with her and she just experienced something prettyhorrific. Give her time to come to grips with what happened here. Let her heal, then be ready to answer her questions. I’m on your side, Devlin, but I need to take care of my daughter.”
He stood from his position in front of me and helped me to my feet. Looking me eye to eye, Chuck the father, Chuck the street kid, and Chuck the soldier all stood tall, daring me to defy him. My nostrils flared and I wanted to argue with him, but I knew he was right.
“One week. That’s all the time I’ll give her before I make her listen. He doesn’t deserve to own any part of her mind and I’ll tell her the whole truth, if she’ll give me the chance.”
He reached his hand out to me and I returned the gesture, the handshake a sign of respect between us. He stepped toward the opening and crawled out. I followed him, my movements slow as dizziness overtook me. Part head injury, part broken heart, I felt the happiness drain from me.
Standing in the sunlight, I saw at least two dozen DeathHounds situated around the yard. A shirtless man with only his leather cut on was kneeling in front of Elise as she slipped his shirt over her torn clothes. Tears streamed down her dirty face and my heart shattered at witnessing her pain.
Chuck walked up and gently touched her shoulder. She turned and took the hand he was offering before she rose to her feet. He pulled her into a hug and her sad green eyes met mine across the yard. Her lip trembled and she buried her face into his chest, breaking my heart again. I remembered her tears as a small child, hiding against my leg, hoping that I would protect her from the people responsible for her care. Risking my ownsafety, I took her from here and twenty years later, we’re right back where we started.
Skid walked up to me, a few of the Hounds trailing behind him. He took the small backpack off and tended to the bloody gash on my head as I kept my eyes glued to my lamb. Her small body shook as she sobbed in her father’s arms.
