AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, I was taken to the church and there was Reuben. I knew who he was of course. Everyone knew everyone. I was horrified. I’d hoped at least I might marry someone closer to my age and that I’d be his first wife. Maybe we’d fall in love and he’d only take me as his wife was my stupid hope. The ceremony lasted ten minutes. As soon as it was over, my father told him he’d send the rest of my things to Reuben’s house. I left there with my husband.” I paused. The next part was going to be hard. Blade waited quietly.
“I was taken to his house. His other wives and kids were there. I was introduced. The wives had nothing but hate in their eyes for me. I won’t go into details, other than to say the marriage was consummated that night. From that day forward, I lived in hell for the next three years until I escaped and came here.”
“I hate to ask this, but I’m going to, because I know it’ll impact how you and I proceed. You said the marriage was consummated. I assume he raped you. Was it ever consensual for you?” He looked sick asking it.
“No, it was always by force. He got angry when I didn’t get pregnant. He was certain I was barren. He talked of getting rid of me and taking another wife. I prayed for it. He didn’t realize there are certain plants that can prevent pregnancy. I was interested in plants and that was one thing I’d been allowed to study since I worked in the gardens. I took a couple of those plants every day in a tea.”
“So you never got pregnant. That’s good.”
“No, I did. He ended up locking me up for several days as punishment for something I don’t even remember. When he let me out, he took his husbandly rights, as he called it. He said I’d learn to submit to my husband one way or another. Since I hadn’t had the plants for several days, I got pregnant.”
“What happened to the baby? You indicate you don’t have any children,” he asked, gruffly.
“The baby was innocent. He or she had no blame for what his father did. I wanted my baby desperately even though I hated his father and didn’t want to bring him into that world. I was four months pregnant when Reuben discovered I’d been preventing pregnancy that whole time. I’d stupidly shared the secret with another young woman. She told her husband and he told mine. He beat me so badly that I miscarried. As I lay there, losing my baby, he informed me that as soon as I healed, he’d give me another one. That was the last straw. Since I was so weak and sick after that, he was sure I couldn’t do anything. He didn’t keep a close watch on me. I snuck out in the dead of night and walked miles and miles to town and to my savior, MaryAnne. She took it from there.”
“Jesus Christ. It’s a miracle you survived all that. I swear that you’ll never face anything like that. I’ll never treat you like that or hurt you, Cassia. I’ll worship you and love you.”
“Blade, you don’t understand. I don’t think I could ever let another man touch me. I never felt an ounce of pleasure. I never had an orgasm, other than one the day we kissed. Or at least I think that was what that was. I’m defective. He told me all the time I wasn’t a real woman. That I was frigid and worthless. You’re wasting your time. You need to find someone who can be what you need. It’s not me even if I could let you try.”
I couldn’t stand it anymore. I got up and ran to my room. He tried to follow me but I shut and locked the door. He talked for hours through the door while I tried to shut out his voice. He made me want something I knew wasn’t ever going to happen. He sounded so sincere and loving. It only made me cry harder.
Blade: Chapter 6
I spent most of the night outside her bedroom door either talking to her or listening to her cry. It tore me to pieces not to be able to go in there and hold her. All I wanted to do was make it right. I knew she’d kept the details of what she suffered from me, but I could imagine and that made me want to kill the man she was “married” to as well as her father. It was only my fear of scaring her more that kept me from kicking in the door.
I needed to find out from Smoke the names of the people who were allowed to simply leave the Converts’ compound after the leaders were killed. Many of them had no idea what they were getting into when they joined it and then became trapped. We hadn’t punished anyone besides Hiram and his lieutenants. I needed to know if Reuben had walked away. If he had, I wanted him to be found. There would be no escaping justice.
My neck was stiff and my back hurt. I was stretching to get the kinks out when she opened the door. She was startled when she saw me. “Blade, tell me you didn’t lay on this hard floor all night.”
“I can’t. I was about to knock and see if you were ready.”
“Ready for what? And why did you stay? I told you last night to go home.”
“Cassia, there was no way I could leave you. Not in the state you were in. If I couldn’t be by your side, then at least I could be close in case you needed me.”
“Blade…” she sighed.
“Adam.”
“Sorry? Adam?”
“My real name is Adam Becker. I told you Blade is my road name. There’s not many people who call me Adam now, but I’d like you to, if you want. It would still have to be Blade when we’re around other people, but not when we’re alone. It’s considered disrespectful to call me anything other than my road name. Once earned in my world, they stay with you forever.”
She came further out of her room and trailed behind me on the way to the bathroom. I pointed at it. “Go ahead and do whatever you need to do. I’ll explain more when you get done.”
“You asked if I was ready. Ready for what?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as you finish up in there. Go on.” I gently pushed her into the bathroom. She was still giving me confused looks as she shut the door. I went to the living room to make my call and to get away from the sound of the shower. Hearing it made me imagine what she must look like naked. Getting an erection right now wasn’t a good idea.
My call was answered on the second ring.
“How’s she doing? Heard you didn’t come back to the compound last night,” Storm said gruffly. I could hear Tristan in the background laughing.
“I stayed here. She was super upset and locked herself in her bedroom and cried half the night. I couldn’t leave her. She told me more about what that bastard did to her.”
“Say no more. So, we’ll be going on a hunt soon, I take it? Need to get Terror and the rest of the club up to date on what happened. Still think she should talk to Neriah. Are you bringing her here today?”
“I plan on talking to Terror when I get there. And yes, I’m going to do my best to talk her into coming with me. Since she already knows Bryony, will she be around so Cassia might feel more at ease? I don’t want her to feel like she’s being thrown to the lions. We’re a lot to take in all at once.”
