AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My father terrorized me. He battered me. I lived in constant fear. But he never touched me like that.
He never raped me.
Which is exactly what happened to Darren repeatedly for months and months, over and over until they almost killed him.
I read the reports years after it happened. I knew all about the surgeries he had to have to repair the damage those bastards caused him.
And now Joey was contemplating risking that?
Go back. Turn the car around and go back to him. Go back to Johnny. Tell him. Tell him and let him help you. He told you he would.
No, you idiot, he can’t help you. No one can. Your own brother’s giving up on you!
“If you want to go, then go!” I screamed as hot tears poured down my cheeks. “Go off and leave us. Go be with Aoife and have a wonderful life together. I’ll protect the boys.”
“You can’t even protect yourself!” Joey roared. “I’m doing that, Shannon. Me. I’m the one trying to soften the fucking blows and they just keep coming.
“Then maybe you and Dad will both get lucky and he’ll finish me off the next time,” I hissed as a huge sob racked through me. “It’ll save you the worry, and him the energy.”
“Don’t fucking say that, Shannon!” Joey bellowed, slamming his hand on the steering wheel.
“Why not?” I strangled out between gasps. “It’s the truth.”
“Shannon, breathe,” Joey commanded in a softer tone as he reached over and rubbed my back. “Take a breath.”
I couldn’t. I could not fucking breathe. Leaning forward, I desperately tried to drag air into my lungs.
“Good girl,” Joey coaxed as he steered with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. “Nice and slow.”
By the time we made it back to the house, I had managed to calm myself down to the point where I could actually drag air into my lungs. For several minutes, we just sat outside the house, staring at our father’s car parked in the driveway.
I did not want to go into that house. And neither did Joey. We were both completely screwed.
No, you’re screwed. He’ll be fine…
“Shannon?” Joey’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I didn’t look at him. I didn’t respond, either.
“Are you listening to me?” he asked.
I nodded weakly, keeping my eyes trained on the car.
“The next time he puts his hands on you, I want you to fight back.”
I stiffened.
“Are you listening to me?”
I nodded.
“If he touches you again, Shannon, then I want you to grab the sharpest knife you can, and I want you to plunge it into his heart.”
Sniffling, I turned to look at him. “You’re not coming back, are you?”
Joey just stared at me, eyes filled with tears. “I can’t,” he whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek. “If I go back inside that house, I’ll kill them both.”
I watched his face, registered the truth he was telling me, and then I unfastened my seat belt and opened the door.
