AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Well, Mother’s always right.
Everything goes to hell and I’m left with no options once again.
Forgive me Mother, I can’t help my sins.
**If you are familiar with my books, you know I tend to go heavy on the Triggers, and even though this is a dark romance, this one only has a few. Please skip this story if you don't like mentions of cheating, depression, and daddy/lg content.**
CHAPTER ONE
TEMPEST
The gates of Holy Cross Academy close behind us and it seems so final. I was never happy being there, but after the last few months, I started to accept my fate and make the best out of my situation. Maybe I overdid it a little by starting something with Chastity, but in my defense, she made the first move, surprising the hell out of me. Not that I would change a moment. I’m glad I was able to help her heal and move on from her trauma. I just wish that bitch didn’t catch us and go tattling to Chastity’s grandmother.
I sigh loudly and keep looking out the window as this car takes me to my fate. My mother hasn’t said a word to me since our driver opened the door for me. She’s hardly looked my way, but I know the explosion is bound to happen. One thing about Veronica is she likes to sit quietly and let her emotions stir until they bubble over and explode.
I must have drifted off at some point because the car stopping at the high gates of my childhood home wakes me. I take a glance at my mother, but she seems engrossed reading something on her phone. My hands twitch to use my own, but like Mother Cross said, my phone was confiscated and is currently on the side of the road somewhere between here and the Academy.
I’ll have to find a way to sneak out and buy a new one. I need to contact the guys and make sure Chastity is okay.
We reach the front of the house and the driver exits the car, but doesn’t come to open our doors. I take a deep breath in and try to remain unphased. I know the dreaded talk is about to happen, and one thing Mother is good at is destroying you with her words.
“I don’t even know where to begin. Sleeping with your stepbrother is one thing, but Mother Superior's granddaughter! Really, Tempest? You are an abomination. A serpent disguised as an angel. I am so ashamed of you. I should have just confessed my sins to the priest and had that abortion. Would have saved me so much misery and disappointment.” I gasp and let the tears fall, but it doesn’t matter.
She sneers and grabs my chin with her pointy manicured nails, bringing my eyes to hers.
“I have enrolled you in an online school. You will stay here until I decide what to do with you. Now, get out of my face,” she says, releasing me with a shove. My door opens, as if the timing was planned, and I climb out, not bothering to turn back and face the witch disguised as a mother.
It’s been three weeks since I was expelled from Holy Cross Academy and brought back to this empty manor. Since Mother dropped me off, not holding back her disgust, then drove away, I haven’t seen her since.
My old nanny, Kiki, has been keeping me company and is making sure I’m eating. I managed to get access to a phone, but I haven’t been able to reach Chastity, and I am going stir-crazy.
I just need to know that she’s okay, and that her grandmother didn’t do something awful to her. She’s such a kind soul, and doesn’t deserve the life she’s been dealt. I wish I could still be there to help her heal. She was making such amazing progress, and I miss our cuddles. We became close in such a short time, and I hope once she’s finally free from the chains that hold her, she will get in touch with me.
I meant what I said. She will always be my friend. I hope those guys are watching over her too. I never thought they would find someone to tame them or claim them, but Chas just has a certain air about her.
She draws people in, some good and some evil. I just hope now she can move on. I didn’t want to make things more difficult for her, and I can only hope being related to Mother Superior will save her from some of her wrath.
I throw my book down onto the bed and groan. I need to get out of here. Just run away. Find some place that wants me. Somewhere I can escape to, where I will be accepted for who I am. But I know that’s a pipe dream. My mother will never let me go. I’m her meal ticket after all.
I roll off my mattress and stretch, then make my way to the door. Maybe I can convince Kiki to watch a movie with me and braid my hair. I miss the days when she would make us a huge bowl of popcorn with her secret sauce, and play with my hair.
I find her in the pantry, pulling out the fixings for tacos and sighing. I clear my throat softly. I don’t want to startle her. “Oh baby, I didn’t see you there. Are you hungry? I was thinking Mexican tonight, but I don’t have any tortillas or shells. Your mother really needs to expand her grocery orders. You’re too thin as it is, and all this diet nonsense is going to drive me into the madhouse.” I laugh and move closer to give her a hug.
Kiki has always been there for me. She’s like my grandmother. She taught me how to ride a bike, cook, sew, and has always been the one I can go to without worrying about judgment. My father isn’t a bad man, but he’s too involved in his job. He never had time for me until he married King’s mom. Then all of a sudden he wanted to do family trips and outings. It was nice until I had to go and screw it up. Just like I usually do.
She squeezes me back and pulls away to rest her warm palm against my cheek. The worry lines on her forehead warn me that we’re about to have a talk, and more than likely I’m not going to like it.
“Tempest, you’re grown now. You don’t need to stay a prisoner here. Your mother won’t hold the purse strings for much longer. You deserve to be happy, honey.” I give her a small smile and shake my head as she lets me move away.
“You and I both know she will never let me go. Not unless I run away, somewhere she can’t find me.” I sigh, and she wipes a tear off her cheek that escaped from her misty eyes.
“Don’t worry about me, Kiki. I’m a fighter. I’ll be okay.” I clap my hands and move towards the stainless steel fridge. “Okay, so tacos are out, but can we make taco salads?” I ask, as I pull open the doors and grab a head of lettuce.
Her nose scrunches at the thought of more salads, but she nods and gets to work. I offer to help, but she shoos me away. I know she’s missed me these past two years while I was at Holy Cross, and cooking for me is a way she shows her love. I’m surprised she’s stuck around here to care for Mother, since she has children and grandbabies of her own now.
She’d be much happier away from the toxicity, but I’m glad she’s here. I’ve missed her. I used to wish, when I was little, that she could adopt me and take me home with her when she would leave at the end of the day. Away from Mother Dearest. But wishes are just words spoken that no one hears.
I must have been lost in my head as a hand pulls me back from the past. I turn to Kiki as she holds out a plate of taco salad for me, and a soda she must have snuck in like contraband.
