Page 31 of Room Twenty: Owning Their Angel

When I step out of the doctor’s office, the smile on my face freezes in place and then crumbles. Standing in front of me with his hands in his pants pockets like he doesn’t have a care in the fucking world is my stepfather. I haven’t seen him in a long time, not since I left Dogwood Ridge a little over six years ago.

I graduated high school, and I got the fuck out of there.

I almost didn’t have the money to run because even though I worked, the money was never supposed to be mine. My stepfather made sure to take every single dime I earned, but what he didn’t know was I had more than one job and got paid under the table at the other one. I made sure he never knew.

Living in fear for years was enough, I wasn’t going to let him take even more from me. That doesn’t mean it was easy. I was waging a war inside myself where I didn’t know if I could stand strong or collapse under the weight of everything that he would do to me.

I was 16 the first time he squeezed my ass, a promise of more in his eyes. By then my mom was so blitzed all the time she had no fucking idea what was going on. As much as I had tried to ignore it before then, I knew the timer on how long I would be safe was counting down. My own personal doomsday clock.

How sweet.

The resentment I felt for him, and my mom grew every day.

I was treated like a maid and the expectations were extremely high. I had to keep my grades up, I had to work, I had to keep the house clean. I could never talk back, I could never go out with friends, I could never have the simplest things I needed.

Hell, the only reason I had a cell phone was so my job could get in touch with me. If they needed a shift covered, I was expected to say yes, no matter what else I had going on. Robert relied on my money because he couldn’t keep a job and mom was utterly useless.

It was the hardest time in my life. I craved some sort of stability, but it was never there. I was floundering and no one seemed to notice. I’m sure some of my teachers would have cared, maybe, but I made sure to keep my mask firmly in place at school.

I was afraid of the unknown and what would happen if anyone found out how bad it was. I was also afraid of the reality of my life. I guess I chose the devil I knew by never speaking up. It became a motto in my life.

I ran as fast as I could from Richard and my life in Dogwood Ridge. I attached myself to men who didn’t give a shit about me and had no problem using me.

I often wondered if it would have been better to stay with Richard and give into the depravity his leering looks and wandering hands promised. I just couldn’t stomach it because I had known the man since I was four.

He was the only father I knew since mom got pregnant from a one-night stand. She didn’t even know the man’s name.

Quite the legacy.

Now he’s standing in front of me, his eyes filled with appreciation as he looks me over.

“Wh-what,” I stumble over my words, “are you doing here?”

Richard takes a step toward me, but I back up fearfully and hate that I’m showing him any weakness. His eyes snag on my pregnant belly and I desperately wish I had something to shield my little one from him somehow.

“Funny story, Heather,” he sneers my name and I try to stop myself from shrinking in on myself, “but a friend of mine saw you not long ago in Sweetwater Valley.”

I start shaking my head back and forth in denial even though I can tell from the look in his eyes that it doesn’t matter where his friend saw me because he’s here now. Bile rises in the back of my throat, and I swallow over and over to get it to go back down. Part of me is tempted to let it rip all over him, but who knows how he would react. Well, and gross, but that’s secondary to being afraid.

Richard was never violent, but I always felt like it was brewing right there under the surface. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to me if he raised his hand and hit me. And isn’t that just fucking sad?

“Well,” he continues, his tone conversational and bordering on jovial, “I had to go and see if he was telling me the truth. I was pleasantly surprised to find out he was.”

“Okay,” I squeak out the word, knowing there’s another shoe ready to drop. “But I’m not in Sweetwater Valley right now.”

“I know,” his eyes darken, and I can see a promise for retribution there. “I had to hire a PI to get more information about you. I was very surprised to find out you became a whore for a biker gang.”

“Club,” I correct him in a whisper and regret it immediately as anger flares in his eyes.

“Do you even know who the bastard in your belly belongs to?” His lip curls into a snarl. “Not like it matters, you owe me and you’re in the perfect position to pay up.”

“I don’t have any money,” I protest.

“I know,” he chirps like he’s happy about it, “at least not the kind of money I’m looking for but the little gang you’re running with has the resources and you’re on the inside.”

He winks at me and my heart fucking sinks. I back up another step and shake my head. “I’m not stealing from the club.”

“You will.” He turns and throws over his shoulder, “I’ll be in touch.” I stare after him, but I’m not really seeing him. “Oh,” he turns and walks backwards, “you should know your mother is doing very well.”

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