Page 19 of Lady Boss (Itty Bitty Delights)

“That bastard touched you for eight goddamn years?” Wesley explodes, and I jerk my eyes to him. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? You know Mom would have reported him.”

“Because Mom couldn’t even take care of herself, let alone the five of us. What do you think would have happened to us? We would have all been separated and put into homes. It was Phillip who was paying for Mom’s treatments and medicine. That would have stopped had he gone to jail and Mom would have died sooner.”

“Jesus, Pen,” he mutters, raking his fingers through his hair then grabbing the back in tight fists. His eyes look tortured when he sets them on me. “Eight fucking years. How in the hell did we not know?” His gaze ping pongs between Camila, Harley, and Taylor. “Did he touch any of you?”

They all say no, just as I knew they would.

“The first time he came to me, I refused him and threatened to tell Mom. He said if I wouldn’t let him touch me, he would go to one of our sisters. He also said if I told anyone else, he’d go to jail and it would leave Mom with no way of paying for her treatments. We’d go into foster care and be separated. I hate it, but I knew what he said was true. I couldn’t let any of that happen, so I let him do what he wanted.”

I look at each of my sisters, seeing the tears in their eyes.

“I knew the three of you would have made the same choice I did, but I didn’t want you to. I took the burden of going through what he put me through because I couldn’t stomach the thought of any of you going through it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything after Mom died? There is no longer a statute of limitations on child sexual assault in Florida.”

“Because I was ashamed.”

“Pen—”

I hold my hand up when Taylor tries to speak. “I know. It was stupid.”

She shakes her head, her expression filled with sorrow. “No, it wasn’t stupid. You were a child and you were scared.”

My chin dips in a nod. “I know it wasn’t my fault. It’s not like I blame myself or think he did what he did because of anything I did. Phillip is a sick and twisted man. I wasn’t ashamed because I thought it was my fault. I was ashamed that I let it go on for as long as I did. I just couldn’t take the chance of the five of us not being together. Then, after we were all gone, I just wanted to forget.”

Camila retakes my hand. “I wish you would have come to us.” A tear slides down her cheek. “For you to have to go through that alone, even after we were out of the house. Even the memory of what he did to you must have been traumatizing.”

“After about a year being away, I was able to put most of it behind me. I saw a psychologist while I was in college and it helped. But then he showed up at my house a few months after I opened Adair Marks and it all came back. He knew how much I hated him, and he knew I’d never want any of you to know what he did, or for it to get out into the world. He said if I didn’t pay him, he’d tell all of you that it was me who came to him.”

“He’s lost his goddamn mind!” Harley shouts, shooting up from her seat. “We would never believe that!”

“I knew that. It wasn’t that I was worried you would believe him. I just didn’t want any of you to know.”

“He wasn’t afraid you would go to the cops?”

I look at Taylor. “No, because he knew I would keep what he did a secret until the day I die.” The back of my eyes sting, but I blink the tears away. “I refuse to put you guys through any more drama that involves him. He molested me, but you guys would be affected too if that became public, and I will not let that happen.”

“Penelope, please—”

“No,” I cut Taylor off. “It’s finally over. He has nothing he can hold over me now. You guys know my secrets, so there’s nothing he can do.”

I look at each of my sisters, holding their gaze long enough to show them I’m not changing my mind about this.

My eyes move to Wesley and my gut clenches at the pure rage radiating off him. His eyes are hard and his jaw is like granite as he grinds his teeth together. His complexion has turned a deep shade of red. He looks two seconds away from exploding. The look reminds me of a younger Wesley, before he joined the priesthood. Back then, due to Phillip’s heavy hand, Wesley’s temper had a short fuse. I haven’t seen him this angry in many years.

A shiver of fear races down my spine. Fear of what he’ll do to Phillip should he ever see him. This is part of the reason I wanted to keep this from my siblings. Wesley takes his protection of his sisters very seriously. To know Phillip was hurting me sexually for years right under his nose could drive Wesley over the edge of reason.

“Wes,” I call his name.

He looks away from the space his eyes were occupying and brings them to me. “I’ll fucking kill him,” he growls. The deep timbre of his tone scares the crap out of me, and I have no doubt if Phillip were in the room right now, Wesley would follow through on his promise.

I get up from my seat, ignoring the tension heating the room that’s coming from Kai for the moment—he’s been quiet this whole time, which is worrisome—and walk over to Wesley. I stop in front of him. He stares down at me, his body stiff. I tug at his arms, which are still crossed over his chest, and step into the space I made. His arms immediately go around my waist, and I wrap mine around his neck. My brother is the best man I know, and it breaks my heart that he’s hurting because of something else that Phillip did.

I want the bastard dead just as much as Wesley does, but I will not have my brother going to jail over the man.

Our hug lasts for a couple of minutes, and I’m glad when I notice his body slowly relaxing. I pull back, letting my hands slide down to his biceps. Even while he was a priest, Wesley still kept his body in shape by regularly working out. The thick muscles in his arms can attest to that.

“I want you to let this go,” I demand quietly.

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