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I took solace in the hope that she had, in fact, left and not ended her misery how Father had always led me to believe, but it did me little good. Mama wasn’t coming back for me, and I was about to be sold, along with my unborn baby.
“…hard to believe, sir!” a woman cried indignantly from the hallway. “I can smell her up there.”
My head jerked around toward the door, ear pressed to the crack.
“Young lady, I suggest you get off my property before I have the authorities arrest you for trespassing,” my father barked back, their voices growing closer. “Don’t think I won’t.”
“Maybe you don’t understand, Dr. Madison,” the woman snapped. “You aren’t in any position to be making demands. Briar is legally bound to Mr. Corpus, as per your contract, and I have every right to collect on that.”
Rachel!
I started to bang on the door.
“Rachel!” I called out weakly. “Rachel, I’m up here!”
“He released her!” my father thundered, and I heard a scurry of footsteps on the stairs. “That’s his problem, not mine.”
“I’d say the debt is still your problem.”
Their voices began to fade out, and I realized my father was pulling her out of earshot, but I strained my hearing to catch the end of their conversation, hope exploding inside me.
“That’s between Mr. Corpus and me, isn’t it?” Father said smugly. “Given Briar’s current condition, I’d say he’s too embarrassed to come around.”
Rachel snorted. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with, doctor. But you’ll learn. And don’t think this is the last time you’ll see me, either.”
“You say that every time you come here. Briar doesn’t want to see you, and I don’t want you here. How much clearer can we make it?”
“I’ll keep coming here until Briar tells me otherwise. When I hear it from Briar’s mouth, I’ll stop coming around. Until then, you can expect these daily visits, doctor.”
The front door slammed, reverberating through the house, and I scrambled toward the window, pulling at the shutters with as much force as I could muster. Pulling my shaking form up to the pane, I peered through the glass as Rachel stormed toward the waiting SUV, and my heart almost choked me.
I banged on the window.
“Rachel!” I called, hoping to catch her attention with my feeble fists. “Rachel, I’m up here!”
I thought I saw her pause for half a second, but she only opened the door to the tinted vehicle and slid inside, Royce driving away before I could manage even one more cry.
The door to my bedroom flew open, and I recoiled as my father entered. It was almost like steam was emanating from his ears.
“You can cry for her all you want,” he spat, his eyes brighter than I’d ever seen them. “But there’s nothing she can do. You’re mine to do exactly what I want with.”
“Why won’t you let me see her?” I whispered.
I didn’t understand why she kept coming to see me. Had Ash come, too?
“Don’t get your hopes up, my dear. The demon is just tying up loose ends, ensuring that you don’t cause him problems. You said he didn’t want you, didn’t you?”
“But Rachel—”
Father’s face softened, and he drew nearer, extending a hand down to help me up.
“Look at you, cowering on the floor like I’m the demon here. I’m your father, Briar. I’m trying to help you. Forget about them, and let me do what’s best.”
“You’ve kept me drugged for weeks!” I choked, swatting his hand away. “You don’t care about me or my baby!”
“The baby is fine. I’ve been keeping up with the bloodwork and ultrasounds. She’s progressing normally. If you promise not to run off again, I won’t need to keep you sedated, but if you’re going to be hysterical…”
He eyed me with contempt, and I withered under his stare.
