AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The way he looks at me says that I shouldn't be asking, but I don't back down. This is my future we are talking about. If either one breaks out, I will have no more future. I can guarantee that Luca will use me hard before he kills me; he could possibly be the one who tortured Bain's first wife. Sergio, on the other hand, will keep it very personal. He will keep me alive, but he will do unimaginable things to me; I can feel it. I hurt him today. Not only did I deceive him, but he lost a brother because of it, and he will never forgive me for that.
Bain sighs heavily and looks toward the door. "There is a place, a secret prison of sorts where the worst of the worst are taken. The ones that have power and money that would help get them out of the prison system. This place, where they are going, is not a place that can be bought. They are locked away deep underground and left to live out their days. The people that go into this place never come back out. So, you must believe me when I say you are safe."
I keep my eyes on my stepfather, and what I see in his expression makes me think he truly believes what he says. Maybe it's true, and nobody has ever escaped…yet. So, why do I have this deep-seated feeling that I haven't seen the last of Sergio D'Angelo?
Forty-Eight
Picking up the broken pieces of not only my life, but my heart as well, has been nothing short of challenging. Learning that Beau turned his back on me, believing whatever it was the D'Angelo brothers were sending him, is devastating. Did he ever really love me to begin with? How could he think that I was choosing them over him?
I get it. Beau only saw it from his enemy's point of view, but did he not know that I would do whatever it took if it meant keeping him safe and getting him out of jail sooner? Had I known he was already free, I would have tried to make my escape sooner.
However, deep down, I feel like I was meant to be there as long as I was. Who else would have been able to get close enough to the mafia brothers, so they would put some semblance of trust in me to help with their auctions? The information I gathered over the time I was there will save not only the ones that I knew about but others before them as well.
Helping Agent Castor find the victims has been my mission over the last few months I've been back home. It helps keep my mind off Beau, as well as my mother's illness. I am there for my mother whenever she needs me, but I still need to de-stress a few times a week. Watching your mother wilt away, knowing that her time is fast approaching, isn't easy to deal with, especially when you try to be upbeat for her.
As promised, Castor, with the help of Interpol, pulled Mia, the fifteen-year-old, out of the home of a prominent overseas politician. Not only did they find Mia, but they also extracted three other minors, two girls and a boy, along with a handful of women the politician had bought in the past. That alone began mending my broken pieces, but there are still so many more to save.
With the help of my stepfather, I started a victims' group to help those who are brought back reclaim their lives. Instead of going back home, they come to me until they feel they can finally go home. Some days, I feel like an impostor because I'm trying to help others when I still have a long way to go in healing myself. I did find and bring in two counselors willing to do pro-bono work with the victims of the D’Angelo trafficking ring.
This is how I fill most days when I'm not helping my mother. Bain is with her most of the time, and she also has a nurse who spends a few hours with her while Bain is at the office and I'm working with the victims. My time with my mother is precious to me, so I don't waste it on demanding answers from the past. It's done, and I'm back home.
I'm getting this time with my mother that I didn't get with my father before he was taken from me, and I plan on cherishing every minute of it. We have grown even closer, and I've learned everything I'll ever need to know about my mother. She's even told me things about my father that I had never heard before or known about. We usually laugh, cry, and joke with each other, but during my last visit with her, she turned serious on me.
"I need you to promise me one thing, Ryan." Squeezing my hand, she makes me promise that I will do whatever she is about to ask.
"I promise, Mom. Whatever it is, I promise to do it…"
Her eyes soften a little, and she tilts her head. "I know Bain didn't go about it the right way, and he should have not only told you and Beau about the threat, but also told Beau about his mother. He regrets it all but won't admit to it. Give him time, and he will come around."
I nod. "Okay, if you say so."
I'm not snarky about it and will give him time, but I'm still upset over it. I'm not sure if I'll ever understand why he refused to tell us, but if and when it is explained to me, will I ever be able to forgive him? I'm respectful to my stepfather now only because he's there for my mother, and he did help bring me home, but that's the extent of it.
I've caught sneak peeks of their intimate moments, and I know they said they married to give me a home and protection, but I've also seen their love for one another during those moments. So, if it soothes my mom's worries, I will promise her anything.
"I need you to promise to look after him for me. With Beau gone, and not knowing if he will return, you will be all he's got. I'm not naïve, Ryan; I know you know about histastes. Well, the ones before me anyway." I feel my cheeks heat as she studies me briefly before saying, "Let him be himself again if that's what he needs, but don't let him get taken advantage of by all those greedy women."
"Mom," I huff in disbelief, "I have no say in that aspect of his life."
"I know, honey, just do what you can," she says, squeezing my hand.
"This is just a weird conversation, Mom, but I will promise to look after him," I tell her, even though I'm not going to put my two cents in when he brings women into his life.
"Thank you, baby." She closes her eyes. "I'm going to rest for a bit. Bain wants to spend some time with me later, and I want to ensure I'm in good shape."
"Okay, Mom"—I lean down and kiss her forehead—"Check in on you later."
She nods without opening her eyes, and I leave her to take her nap. Our conversation runs through my head, and I'm trying to understand the craziness of my mother's words. I remember what Beau told me about his father, and I've experienced a little at his hands when he thought he had to punish me. I shiver at the memory, but when I reflect on it, I realize that my accusations may have been false.
Yes, he spanked me, and yes, he felt between my legs when he shouldn't have, but was it really out of perversion, or was it just a role he was so used to playing with the others? Other than that, he never really came on to me if I really look back on it. It was more of a teenager's imagination. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm going to do as my mother requests, I must get over the past and move on. My mother is right; once she's gone, we will be all the other has left, at least until Beau comes home.
"I'm so happy you were able to make today's session. I hope to see you at the next one in a few days," I tell the three faces that I've come to know over the last few months.
"Thank you, Ryan," Laney says as she hugs me. "I'll be here."
"Yes." Heather follows right after, "You have been helping me so much. I don't know what I'd do without you and these sessions."
"Well, you all are helping me heal, too; just know that." I grin and turn to the last woman.
