Page 54 of Ensnared By Silence
DJ cried from his room, and Elise went to check on him. Chuck and Blaire offered to watch both kids for us to talk, but Elise and Amaya didn’t want the kids far from us. Elise returned a minute later with DJ toddling next to her, chewing on his little fist.
I loved that little boy with every ounce of my soul, and I watched with a light heart as he stopped next to Aubrey and giggled. She smiled at him and he pulled from Elise’s hand and crawled into Aubrey’s lap. He kissed her on the cheek, leaving a wet mouth print before he turned and sat on her lap, leaning back on her like a recliner and laughing happily.
He knew before we did that she was family, and as I watched my newfound sister play with my son, I promised I would kill those three fuckers slowly. Not only for Aubrey, but for the countless others who they hurt along the way.
Chapter 19
Aubrey
For the last threeweeks, Hayden and I spent every minute we could with each other. I tried not to think about what I finally admitted, knowing there were worse skeletons in my closet than three demented men who liked to drug women for their own selfish pleasures. I prayed that part of my life was never brought to light. There were some monsters best left in the dark where they belonged. Those old demons couldn’t hurt me anymore, but the threat of Tucker, Jared, and Wesley was still very real.
James and I were spending time together every afternoon, and slowly, he was telling me about ourmother.From what I learned that was not a title she deserved and I’m glad, to a degree, she wasn’t a part of my life. Amaya and I were growing closer, and she told me one afternoon when we were sitting on the balcony alone about what happened to her sister.
The tears flowed freely as she explained how she was tricked into trying to save her sister by the same people who hurt Natalia. My heart was heavy as she explained the shame and humiliation she experienced and how James saved her when she was lost, giving her a family and more love than she still felt she deserved.
My niece, Elizabeth, had me wrapped around her tiny little finger. They went out one night to dinner with Devlin and Elise, and Chuck, Blaire, and I watched DJ and Elizabeth while they were gone, with Skid standing guard at the elevator. Slowly, I realized mybrotherswere more dangerous than I originally thought, but that didn’t lessen my growing love for them. I never listened to the rumors of the Flats, but something about Devlin was scratching at a scabbed over memory and I refused to pick at it.
Wounds like that are best left to heal into a scar. Aggravating them can only lead to blood and pain.
The Christmas festival at Pierce Lake was tomorrow, and I spent the last few days baking cookies with Elise, Amaya, and Blaire. It was nice to have female friends, women who understood what I survived and could relate on a level most people wouldn’t understand.
“Do you have enough room to carry these last two boxes, or should I have my dad grab them?” Elise asked as we loaded the boxes of fresh-baked cookies into the back seat of my car.
“Are those for Hayden?” I asked, and she nodded. “I’ll put them up front and drop them off at the cabin.”
“Is he working tonight?” Elise asked as she closed the trunk.
“He should be finished by eight, and he finally hired another manager, so he doesn’t have to be there as late anymore.”
Hayden didn’t like waking me up when he came home late from closing the tavern, even though I insisted it was fine. I felt safer when he was near me, and since the day he brought me back home, we’ve switched to spending nights between his cabin and my house. I have been able to sleep in the same bed as him, separated by a pillow. Every morning, I was waking up closer and closer to him. He was so patient with me.
No matter how safe I knew he was, my subconscious kept the fight-or-flight response on high alert when I slept. Smoking a joint before bed helped some and talking to one of the counselors at the Natalia Foundation helped a little more. I hoped, one morning soon, to wake up with his strong, loving arms wrapped around me.
“Be careful and we’ll see you in the morning,” Amaya replied and hugged me before she and Elise entered the elevator and disappeared with a smile behind the closing doors.
I drove the ten minutes through Pierce Bluff and turned onto the road leading to Hayden’s cabin. Most of the houses that lined the road were decorated for Christmas and I smiled, knowing the bigfamilycelebration we were planning for this year was days away. I overspent on presents, looking for the perfect gift to express my appreciation and love for each one of them. My heart was filled with true joy for the first time and it felt good to speak my truth without feeling mortified, knowing no one judged me for what I survived.
