AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can hear someone screaming on the other end of the phone. I’m guessing Matthew.
Slade interrupts the tirade. “Look, I’m not even sure what the fuck happened. Some chick approached the girls, and next thing I know, your woman is tossing this chick’s phone in the fountain. Hannah got between them, and when I tried to figure out what was going on, Rose had some kind of panic attack.” Slade is cut off by more screaming… a lot more screaming. Slade ignores the yelling. “Then Hannah grabs Rose and takes off running like they were being chased by hell hounds. My Hannah!” Now it’s Slade who is shouting. “We were followed by the woman, and a man who I suspect is the cause of your girls little freakout. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I do not appreciate my—” Slade stops himself from whatever he was about to say, “—Hannah being put at risk. What the fuck is going on?”
My tears come faster now. He’s right. I put Hannah in danger. “I’m sorry.” I say it once and then over and over again like a mantra, the words echo through my lips.
Hannah’s hold on me tightens, and she makes soothing hushing noises. “It’s okay, hon. Not your fault. Breathe, Rose. You’re going to hyperventilate. Breathe.” When gentle doesn’t get through to me, her voice hardens. “Rose, take a deep breath.”
Something in her tone jars me out of my panic, and I take in a shuddering breath. And another.
“Good girl,” Hannah praises.
Soon, I’m breathing normally again, the panic temporarily stuffed back down inside me.
“You good?” Slade asks, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror so he can look at me.
“I think so,” I murmur.
“Now that you’re calm, you mind telling me what the fuck just happened?”
“Slade!” Hannah scolds. “Can’t you see she’s fucking traumatized.”
“Of all the times for you to decide to stop with the whole ‘Master’ thing you have to pick now? Un-fucking-believable.”
Hannah stiffens, and hurt fills her eyes. I don’t know her well, but I’ve picked up a few things… like she’s madly in love with Slade. Like over-the-moon, completely gone for the man, and despite the fact that he doesn’t return her affection, she’s still loyal to him. She offers her submission no matter how many times he rejects her.
“Slade, please, don’t be mad at Hannah. I don’t want you to fight because of me.”
“We’re not fighting,” Slade growls. “Now, will you please tell me what’s going on?”
Hannah hugs me a little tighter whether to reassure me or herself, I’m not sure.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, debating how much to tell them. I hate the thought that my new friends are going to know I’m just a whore. It’s bad enough that everyone knows I sold myself to Damon for six months… telling them this? They’ll never look at me the same way.
And when Matthew finds out what I am? I choke back a sob just thinking about it. I know exactly how he’ll react. He’ll be disgusted with me. He’ll see exactly how damaged I am, and he won’t want me anymore.
“You can trust us,” Hannah says. “This is a judgment-free zone.”
Pretty to think so. With a defeated sigh, I decide I might as well get it over with. “The woman’s name is Christi, and the man with her is Nelson Grant.”
Slade’s eyes find mine in the mirror, and I can tell something about the name registers with him, but he doesn’t say anything.
“He was my foster father… Matthew’s too.”
This time when Slade meets my eyes in the rearview mirror, I know he’s heard the name Nelson Grant before. I wonder how much he knows. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You can trust us.”
“You know who he is, don’t you?” I ask.
Slade’s eyes grow dark, and I again wonder just how much he knows about Mr. Perfect. “Matthew’s told me some things,” he says evasively.
“To make a long story short, I ran away. I came to New York to disappear. I don’t know why they would even be here. They should be in Chicago…” I trail off. “It doesn’t make any sense. Mr. Perfect never leaves Red House…” I shake myself, trying to speculate why they are here isn’t going to change anything.
What I need to focus on is my next move. I can’t stay here anymore. I’ll never be safe in this city again. Now that they know I’m here, he’ll stop at nothing to get me back. I can’t go back. I’d rather die than go back.
Just the thought of going on the run again fills me with exhaustion. I’m so sick of running. Of always having to look over my shoulder. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s a lonely existence. Never being able to trust anyone, having to be suspicious of everyone and everything. There were nights when I would have to sleep on the street because the shelters were full, always alone and scared. Those nights, for a brief, fleeting moment, I longed for my bed at Red House.
I missed the girls. Well, Cara and Lydia. Some of the girls, like Christi, seemed to enjoy the life we were forced into at Red House. I’ll never understand it. I don’t think I want to understand how a person could come to enjoy being abused. The thought makes me sick.
“What’s Red House?” Hannah asks.
