“Maddox,” I said, stopping him at the door.
“Yeah?” he turned, looking at me.
I swallowed, the words wanting to stay buried, but I urged myself to say them, knowing I had nothing else to lose. “I always thought it would be you, the one my father gave his blessing to. Thank you for watching over me all these years. You’ve been a real friend to me. I’ll miss you the most.”
His body tensed, and I watched as he wrestled with something. Eventually, he nodded, clearing his throat. “I’ll miss you, too.” With those words, he turned and walked out the door, taking a piece of my heart I hadn’t realized belonged to him.
Laying down on the bed, I curled my legs up, and the tears fell, knowing that whatever lay ahead of me wouldn’t be easy.
* * *
My door opened with a bang, and I jumped. My legs were stiff, my muscles sore from the position I’d fallen asleep in. I blinked, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I tried to figure out what had caused the sound. A moment later, a body fell on top of me, their weight heavy, and I tensed, trying to push them off. Whiskey breath met my face, and I turned, screwing up my nose as I tried to find fresh air and get away.
“Your father thinks he can go back on a deal? Well, I’ll show him. Once I’m done with you, he won’t be able to do anything with you. Then you’ll be mine at half the cost.”
Agonizer ranted, and I tried to piece together what he said. Hope surged up when I realized my father wasn’t sending me away. He’d changed his mind!
The massive frame of Agonizer was impossible to move, and as he fumbled with his belt buckle and zipper, I knew what was coming. I pushed and clawed at him, trying to wriggle free, but his whole weight lay on top of me.
“Stop moving, you little bitch.”
He sat up, and I took the opportunity to buck up, attempting to throw him off me. His meaty hand came down, pinning my hands above my head, locking them into place. Not giving up, I wriggled and shifted, attempting to use some motion to knock him over. I hadn’t waited all this time for some drunk asshole to take my virginity from me because he felt owed. No way in hell.
It was no use, though; the man weighed close to 250 lbs and was mostly muscle, despite his age. He freed his dick from his pants, and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see it. I heard him chuckle before reaching down to yank off the shorts I’d been wearing.
“You think you’re so fine. Walking around in those booty shorts and you don’t expect men to fuck you? I’ll make you a good sweet butt, show you how to please a real Pres.”
His words were jumbled together, and I tuned them out, giving in to what was happening at this point. I was tired of fighting and wondered if I just grinned and beared it, if it would be over quicker. Surely, that was the better option at this point? I couldn’t think, my brain going to a safe place.
Squeezing my eyes shut tighter, I willed away what was happening. If I pretended it was a dream, maybe it would be.
He pushed in, and pain like none other ripped through me, and I screamed, no longer able to hold it back. His hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the sound as he pumped into me. The fight returned, and I thrashed against him. Now that he was holding my mouth, my arms were free, and he attempted to grab one. I smacked and hit, clawed and bucked, not willing to let him have it easy now.
Thankfully, the scream had been enough, and the door slammed against the wall, something splintering. I heard a smacking sound in the next second, and the body was removed from me. A blanket was tossed over me, and I curled it around me, my body shaking now that the fight was over. Tears rolled down my face, and I felt someone smoothing my hair, whispering to me.
“I’m so sorry, peanut, I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me. I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry.” Over and over, he repeated himself, holding me to him as he rocked me. After a while, my body stopped shaking, and I let my father comfort me.
“Tank, we need to go. If we have any chance of leaving, it’s now. Tank!”
I opened my eyes, finding Maddox staring at my father as he sobbed into my hair. “Okay, you’re right,” my dad said, pulling back.
He looked into my eyes, struggling to find the words. “Go with Maddox. He’ll keep you safe. I’m so sorry, peanut. I never meant for this to happen.” He pulled a sweatshirt over my head and handed me a thick envelope, closing my hand around it. “This will get you guys on your feet. I wrote everything down that you need. You can never return to Mississippi, Darcie. Do you understand?”
“Never?” I asked, the words not making sense.
“No. This is the last time I can see you or contact you. From this point forward, you’ll be a ghost. I’m sorry this had to happen. I didn’t mean for it to end this way. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me someday.”
“Tank, we need to go.”
My dad sucked in a breath and leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead. “Listen to Mad Dog; he’ll take care of you. Go.”
I nodded, somehow managing to get off the bed. I avoided looking at the man knocked out on the floor. I avoided looking anywhere but right in front of me. A backpack was placed over my arms, and the hood was pulled up on the hoodie. Maddox peered down, pushing my hair into the hood.
“You with me, Runt? Just a few steps, and we’re home free, okay?”
I nodded, trusting him to get me somewhere safe. It used to be this club, but that was no longer accurate.
He took my hand, the callouses a comfort I needed, grounding me enough to make my legs move. I didn’t look back, I didn’t say goodbye to my father, and I didn’t look at the man who’d just raped me. I couldn’t. Keeping the hood up, I focused only on the two steps in front of me.