Page 145 of The Monster and the Masochist

“Are you asking me why I didn’t tell anyone?” Theo rasped, her wide eyes growing immediately defensive.

I frowned and shook my head slowly.

“No. I’m a defense attorney, Theodora. I know why you didn’t tell anyone,” I soothed her. “I don’t blame you. Not for what happened to you, and not for keeping it a secret. I’m just asking if your father knew, or if he maybe suspected that something had happened.”

Theo searched my gaze with an intensity that told me she wouldn’t have recovered if I’d asked her why she hadn’t reported the incident.

Frankly, if I’d asked that, she would have been right to be upset. It was a stupid fucking question.

Why would a survivor ever feel safe coming forward in a world designed to protect predators?

In a world where women’s voices were systemically silenced?

Where LGBTQ+ assault cases are statistically ignored?

I didn’t need to ask Theodora why she hadn’t told anyone, because I already knew.

She didn’t think anyone would believe her. And if they did, she thought they would blame her for it.

As if it were possible for a child to ever be at fault for being assaulted.

“No. He didn’t know about it… but… I used to have a lot of nightmares because of it. He… helped me with those. He gave me these stupid Q-Tips…” A wistful look flickered across Theo’s face at the mention of the little cotton swabs.

“He told me they were magic, and if I waved them like a wand and thought of three good things, it would make all the bad things go away.” That peaceful look of nostalgia flickered across Theo’s face like a candle in the wind. I frowned as it sputtered out before my eyes and gave way to a look I was unfortunately far more used to seeing on Theo’s face.

She choked on her next words, and my heart broke as her face crumpled in pain.

“Sometimes when things get bad… I still try to use them, but… they’re not working anymore. I don’t… I don’t have three good things. All I have is the league, vodka, and fucking flashbacks.”

Another cold rush of pure fury rocked through my body, and my monster finally spoke.

‘This man that hurt her… He is the one she is trying to drown with the alcohol. He haunts her from within,’ my monster rumbled as I gently stroked my broken girl’s tear-stained cheeks.

‘Not for fucking long. We are going to kill him.’

My monster hummed in agreement.

‘Naturally. But killing him in this world will not be enough. She needs to purge him from her soul, or she will never be truly free.’

‘That won’t be so easy.’

‘But not impossible. We killed both your mother and her memory. We can help our street fighter with this as well.’

‘We need to be delicate about this.’

‘Give her the silver charm. We will use it as an anchor when the opportunity presents itself.’

I nodded and pinched Theo’s chin, drawing her in for a long, yet chaste, kiss.

“Wait here. My monster and I have something for you,” I murmured, and Theo stared at me, wide-eyed and vulnerable in her blanket.

How anyone could hurt someone so fucking adorable was beyond me.

It made me see fucking red.

Slipping off the couch, I retrieved my Chanel bag and fished out the Tiffany blue box I’d been meaning to give her.

“Wh-what’s that?” Theo asked, sitting up and eyeing the box with curiosity.