Page 76 of Claim

No matter how much I begged, telling her that the kids in my class were the ones who gave me the bug in the first place, so I was fine staying in school, she insisted I had to go home.

Now here I was, in the middle of the chaos of my parents.

My lips trembled as I squeezed my arms around my body.

I wanted my brothers.

They would protect me. They always protected me. But they were all at school, and I hadn’t felt safe ever since they left.

A girl should feel safe in her home, but not me.

Sophia Donatella Morelli had no such luxury in this house full of secrets everyone pretended never existed. I wasn’t blind. I saw things. I knew things.

So many lies, so many half-truths. And a father who couldn’t forget his past, so he covered it with anger and alcohol.

A blood-curdling scream reached my ear, followed by a sharp thud, making me cringe. My body shook as tears filled my eyes.

Slowly a low whimper came through the wall my bedroom shared with the library. Then came the sounds of flesh on flesh and uncontrollable sobs.

Mom.

Father had dragged her in there and now was hurting her again. It wouldn’t matter if Mom talked back or remained utterly stoic. He’d find some excuse to take out his rage on her.

He believed if he handled things behind closed doors, people wouldn’t know.

Everyone knew. His friends. His business partners. His social circle. And most assuredly, his household staff.

They never spoke about it to his face, only behind his back.

Without thought, I found a spot in the far corner of my closet, under my winter clothes, and curled into a ball, hoping no one would know I was there. Maybe Father wouldn’t figure out I was home if I stayed quiet.

Whenever Lucian was around, he’d storm in and find some way to protect our mother, even if it meant suffering our father’s wrath.

I so wished I had his strength to fight back. But then again, the few times I’d gotten in the way… No, I shook the thought from my mind.

Suddenly, everything grew quiet, and a lump formed in the pit of my stomach.

Oh God, what could he have done?

Gingerly, I crept out from under my clothes and trekked to the door connecting my bedroom and the library. It was more of a sliding panel, and most people had no idea it existed. I only knew of it because Lucian had shown it to me when I was seven, and I used it as a fun way to escape from the family. It was my special secret with my big brother.

Moving past the large dressing table opposite my bed, I touched the latch holding the panel closed, and pulled it down as quietly as possible.

Then I shimmied the wall a crack open when strange noises erupted from the room. These were sounds I’d heard before, ones that frightened me.

I shouldn’t look. It was better. I turned around and pretended I wasn’t there.

Heart drumming in my chest, I peeked through the opening, hating everything I saw.

No. No. No.

“Sophia, wake up.”

I gasped in shallow breaths, unable to comprehend where I was, as fear overwhelmed my body.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” I shoved at the hands holding me.

“Sophia. It’s Damon. You’re safe. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

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