Page 2 of Forged in Flames (Made of Steel 2)

Chapter 2

I had tried to leave once before. But Don had found me. Weeks of planning and he had found me before I even left the state. He had nearly killed me that night. After that, I never tried again.

I threw my worn copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone down on top of my clothes and zipped my backpack shut. It was one of the last things my father had given me. And one day I'd give it to my baby.

This time there was no planning. I just had to get as far away from Don as possible. For once in my life, I needed to be strong. The next bus was leaving in 20 minutes. Then I'd be free.

We'd be free. "We're going to be okay," I whispered and placed my hand on my stomach. "Everything's going to be okay." Suddenly, he didn't feel like a monster anymore. He. Was it a little boy? Maybe he'd have my dad's smile. Maybe he'd have my nose that I got from my mother. He was going to be good. He was going to be so good. I'd make sure of it. But first I had to save him from this life.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "I'm sorry that I doubted you." I wasn't sure how it happened, but this baby had suddenly gone from one of the worst things in my life to one of the best. He was a blessing in disguise. And I'd never let anything happen to him.

David. Thinking of my father's name gave me a sense of peace. If it was a boy, I'd name him David. And if it was a girl, I'd name her Jennifer after my mom. This baby was a piece of me, but it would also be a piece of them. I'd have a family again. Maybe I'd feel whole again too.

I ran down the stairs two at a time. Don would be home any minute. It was now or never. For the first time in years, I had hope. That's what this baby was. Hope. This baby was exactly what I needed. I suddenly had a purpose again. I opened up the back door and froze.

Don was standing there with a cigarette in his hand. His breath puffed out in a cloud in front of his face. He smiled. "Where do you think you're going?" He took another long draw from his cigarette. I could barely see his face with all the smoke. He put the cigarette out against the railing and flicked it at me.

The act made me flinch. I had felt the butt of his cigarette being put out on my skin before. Everything he did terrified me.

My reaction made his smile grow. "I'll ask again, doll. Where do you think you're going?"

"The library. I have a test tomorrow and I need to study." The snow had started to pick up, and all I could hear was silence. There were no cars going by or dogs barking. It was like a quiet blanket had settled around us. There was nothing scarier than silence. It meant no one was around to hear my screams.

"Get back inside." He put his hand on my forearm.

I cringed under his touch. His skin always felt like fire. Everything about him burned with flames, threatening to end my life at any moment. He was unpredictable. Deadly. Uncontrollable. And I could see it in his eyes tonight. The flames were dancing everywhere.

"I..."

"Now. Don't make me ask again."

"I have to study. I'll be back in a few hours."

He smiled again. "Why? So you can get a scholarship and leave? It's not happening, Summer. We've already talked about this. You're staying right here. Who else will protect you, anyway, huh? I'm all you have. Now get inside." His voice had dropped an octave. Threatening. Demanding. Terrifying.

Protect me? I needed protection because of him. God, I hated him. I hated everything about him. I could go to whatever damn college I pleased. I'd save enough money and provide a good life for my baby. And I'd never see his smug face again. His flames were catching on to me. It was like I had no control over it. But I had never been good at playing with fire.

The snowy night was completely silent as we both stared at each other. His eyes wandered over my body, stopping on my stomach. I swallowed hard. It only took me a moment to figure out that he knew. How the fuck does he know?

I tried to step around him but he put his hand on the center of my chest, pushing my back against the brick wall of the house. "You think I wouldn't find out? You know better than that, doll."

I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I wasn't sure there was anything he liked doing more than hurting me. But when he was drunk, he seemed to lose all control. He was worse than any villain I had read about. A hundred times worse. He wasn't even human when he drank. And I could see it in his eyes tonight. The devil himself was staring back at me. He wanted me dead.

"Please, Don." My voice sounded pathetic. I was pleading with someone who could never hear me.

"Please what?"

"Don't hurt me." Don't hurt us.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you got rid of my baby."

What? "I didn't."

He smiled. "There's no point in lying. You know better. That'll just make this worse for you." He put his hand on the side of my face.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed into the silence. Fire. I knew better than to let his flames catch on to me. I shouldn't have said anything at all.

He put his hand over my mouth. He looked surprised by my words, but it just added to the force of his hand. "Or what? You'll fight back?" The smile had returned to his face. "You know that I love when you fight back."

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