AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I crossed my legs, willing myself not to fidget, but I was trying not to freak the hell out.
“Ashley is at school. You said you had something important to speak to us about?” Father started.
Mother reached over and patted my arm. “You seem worried. How can we help?”
I glanced at Zayne, who gave me a nod. If he believed in me, then I could do this.
“I need to tell you some things that will be difficult to hear.” My hand flew over my heart. “It’s also hard for me to talk about, but I no longer have a choice.” I paused for a moment.
My parents remained quiet, waiting for me to talk again.
“Donovan isn’t who you think he is.”
Father’s brow furrowed, and he folded his arms over his chest. “What do you mean?”
I cleared my throat, taking a moment to gather my courage to speak my truth. “Donovan has been raping me since I was twelve … he’s still hurting me.” I stared at my feet, unable to bear seeing the disappointment and disgust on their faces.
Nervous silence stretched between us, and my brain scrambled to fill the gap. Instead, I remained quiet and tried to give them a minute to absorb the horror I had just breathed into the room. Gathering up my courage, I looked at my parents.
A gasp finally escaped Mother, shock registering in her hazel eyes. “Honey, you’ve been living with him for over a year. You’re telling us that this is still happening?”
I held my head high, gripping the arms of the chair until my knuckles turned white. “Yeah. He overpowers me easily, plus if I resist him, he’s threatened to harm you and Ashley.” I choked on my little sister’s name. “I can’t let him hurt her.” A cold sweat rippled over me, and my heart hammered, making me feel like I was going to pass out.
A dangerous growl escaped my father. “No man threatens my daughters, son or not.” Fury rolled off Father in waves as he rubbed his jawline. “You’ll move back home immediately, and I will personally kill the son of a bitch for what he’s done to you.”
I shook my head. “There’s more.” I wiped my palms along my shorts. “Donovan sold me to Ander for millions of dollars to secure my position as prima ballerina.”
Mother shot out of her chair, a wail catching in her throat.
“I’m so sorry, but I need to tell you everything. When you sent Donovan to France, he and Ander became good friends. Donovan sold me to Ander as a sex slave, and they both hurt me over the years.” A tsunami of shame drowned me, but I pushed forward. “They had a party, and a client shattered my knee. I thought it would free me from Ander, but it didn’t. We just moved back to the States. Ander and Donovan continued their sick games, peddling me for millions to wealthy men with sick fetishes. Donovan said that if I didn’t cooperate, he would take Ashley and start selling her, too.” I shook my head so hard that hair flew in my face.
Mother sank to her knees, her sobs shaking her shoulders. “How could our own son do this? Not to my girls. Not to my babies.”
I wanted to rush over and soothe her, but I had to finish talking first. Plus, deep inside, I needed their forgiveness. My brain understood that it wasn’t my fault, but their acceptance of me after revealing my dark secrets would help heal my heart.
With a racing pulse, I continued. “Donovan is away on business, but he will be home Friday evening. I’ve confided in Zayne, and he’s assured me that he and his team can safely help me escape from Donovan. But I’m terrified that he’ll go after Ashley, and I can’t let that happen. If she wasn’t a minor, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you, but she’s only eleven, only a year younger than when he started on me. I’m asking for the three of you to leave with us. We can change our names and start over elsewhere. I can’t live like this anymore, but if you say no, then I’ll stay in order to protect Ashley from a life of rape and cruelty.”
I peeked over my shoulder at Zayne. We hadn’t talked about me staying, but I was trying to make sure that my parents understood if they didn’t leave, their lack of concern for my sister would chain me to this dark world. It was my job to keep her safe if they wouldn’t.
Father paced back and forth, tears welling in his eyes as his fists clenched and unclenched. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me? We could have stopped this years ago.” His features flashed with fury.
“I was a scared little girl, Father. The fear of him hurting Mother, then later Ashley, was too much for me to overcome on my own.”
Mom stood, then moved her chair next to mine. Her cries quieted as she took my hand in yours. “We’ll go with you. Ashley is just a child, and I have to protect her. I’m so sorry that I failed you. Please forgive me.”
“Oh, Mother, I forgive you both. You had no idea what was happening while you slept.” My attention bounced between the two of them. “And you’ll really leave?”
My father frowned and shoved his fingers through his dark hair. “Of course we will. You might be an adult, but you’re my daughter and so is Ashley. Under no circumstances does my protection of you stop because you’re grown.”
My tears freely flowed. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that this is happening. I want to get away from him so badly. He watches me everywhere I am, there are cameras in the house, and I’m not allowed to go anywhere without him. The only way I could escape was through suicide.” I sank my teeth into my lower lip. “It was after I recovered that he threatened me with Ashley.” A thick tension crackled between us, charging the air with the scent of anger and desperation.
My father walked over to me, then fury coasted over his face. A shadow of conflict and agony twisted his features while he took my hand, gently pulling me to a standing position. “You have done nothing to apologize for,ma fille. Je t’aime tellement.” He wrapped me in his arms.
Sighing hard and giving in to the hot wash of tears, I rested my head against his broad chest. “I love you, too, Dad.”
After my cries had slowed down, I turned to Zayne. I suspected I looked like shit after crying, but he’d seen me with a red-tipped nose and puffy eyes before.
“Zayne can talk to you about the plan and what we need to do.” Exhaustion suddenly crushed my body.
