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The voice is soft and deep. At once, I recognize the timbre, the beautiful deep, rich mahogany at once.
It'shim. The man from the alley. I still don't know if I actually remember him standing there with a rifle, but that's the image I have in my head. My memory started failing me years ago, and I didn't have the resources to figure out what was going on with me. I tried the best I could, but some memories still escaped like water overflowing from a rain bin.
I nod eagerly. "That's fine. I'm just lying in bed."
The door opens and I lay eyes on my savior. Okay, fine, that's a little dramatic. But that's how I feel at this moment, and certainly how I felt the first time I saw him.
Staring at the large, rotund man who spoke to me with such kindness in the hospital room, the man who reassured me and swore he’d keep me safe, sends a tremor of something I can't place racing across my skin. Goosebumps prickle my flesh, and a bolt of lust pierces me.
He's even moregorgeousthan in the hospital. My clients in the warehouse were skinny and scrawny, and they had snively voices. They touched me all over, running their disgusting bony fingers across my body, murmuring sick things to me as they fondled my cock.
This man is different. I don't know how I know this, but his rich, booming voice and powerful Hulk-like body lets me know I’m safe. He's a big teddy bear I want to snuggle with, not one of the creeps I want to stab in the eyes.
"I brought you something." Benedetto pulls a mystery object out from behind his back, and I nearly lose control of myself when I see what it is.
"Ernie!" I can't help but shout, even though the bad men will punish me if I raise my voice. It's my caterpillar stuffy, Ernie. I don’t recall how I obtained him, but he’s my closest friend.
“You had this with you in the alley." Benedetto walks to my bed and sets Ernie on the sheets. "I intended to return it to you in the hospital room. But it slipped my mind."
"Ernie’s ahim," I correct. I try not to sound bratty. "Notit."
Benedetto pats a spot on the bed next to me. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
He stares into my eyes and I take deep breaths to stay chill. But God, it's hard. I've never met anyone like him. I peek at his giant shoulder muscles, buried underneath rolls of fluff, and imagine him climbing on top of me. I bet he gives the best hugs.
"Sure." I gesture to the free spot on the bed. "Go ahead."
Benedetto rests on the bed. "Have you remembered anything else?"
I shake my head and sniffle. "I haven't." Staring at the mattress, I try not to sound like a fool. "I fell asleep in the hospital room and woke up in this bed."
"I understand. You haven't had a lot of time to think."
My eyes burn. "I remember cages. The men who punished me stuck me in them when I acted up. And my friends."
"Tell me about your friends."
"I had one good one." I pick at my cuticle. "His name was Ollie. He was the Daddy figure to the rest of the boys in the shelter and we came to him when we needed to cry."
"It sounds like Ollie had a lot of responsibility." Benedetto reaches out and places his palm on mine. "Did he ever confide in you about his abusers?"
I shake my head. "He kept everything bottled up. He was better than us that way. He cried at the beginning, but he learned to stop."
Benedetto stares at me like he has something urgent to tell me. At last, he exhales a breath and opens his mouth.
"My brothers and I discovered something about your identity last week.” He grits his teeth, then rubs my palm. "But we want to know what else you remember about your past life before we tell you."
I feel so little and small as I back up against my pillow. "I don't remember much." I bite my lower lip. "Believe me, I've tried these exercises before."
"Tell me everything you know."
"Sometimes, I remember a tree fort. I'm young, but I don't know how old I am." I rub tears from my eyes. "Every time I walk toward the tree fort, fog permeates my memory and the scene fades. This is as far as I get."
“Do you remember your name?”
“No.”
“Do you know how old you are now?”
