that shithole you called home.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s rich coming from you. I grew up in filth and shambles.”
“You always were an ungrateful little bitch.” She raises her arm in the air, making a come-here motion, and I watch as a man, who looks just as rough as she does, climbs out from the driver’s side of the SUV. “This is Don. Don, this is—” She starts, but his words stop her.
“Oh, I know this sweet piece,” he says, grabbing at his crotch.
“Leave. Both of you. I don’t want you here.”
“Like you have a say in the matter. Don,” my mother says, and the filthy guy comes at me. I try to run, but he reaches me in time to pull my hair and drags me back into his chest. His breath smells like death, making me gag.
“I’ve got plans for you. All that teasing. It’s time to pay up, little girl.” His lips press against my cheek, and his tongue slips out, licking the side of my face. I gag, which only makes him laugh. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you,” he whispers in his smoker’s voice as he drags me into the house. I hear the garage door start to close, and I pray Owen gets home soon before it’s too late.
Don drags me into the house and tosses me on the couch. I scramble to get away from him. Not willing to go down without a fight. I’m so focused on crossing the room I don’t see his hand coming until it smacks me across the face.
“Bitch,” he seethes. “You want it rough, I can make that happen.” This time it’s his fist that connects with my jaw, and the hit has me seeing stars and crying out in pain.
“Oh, did that hurt? Just wait.” He tosses me back on the couch. I kick out my legs to keep him from advancing on me, but he’s fast, moving out of the way. He kicks back, right at my knee, and the pain is excruciating. “Fuck you!” he screams with spittle flying out his mouth.
I’m sobbing, but that doesn’t keep me from fighting him when he comes at me with a knife. “Don’t move,” he sneers, holding the knife toward me. My chest heaves, but I stop my movements, not sure what he’s going to do. My body trembles with fear as he takes the knife and slices down the middle of the blouse I wore to work today. It was one I bought on one of my many shopping trips with Sawyer. It was also one of my favorites. “There she is,” he breathes the words. “Just like I remember.”
“Don! You want a beer?” my pathetic excuse for a mother calls out. “Looks like he’s got the good stuff.”
“Yeah!” Don calls back.
A few seconds later, my mother appears with two beer bottles. She doesn’t even spare me a glance as she hands Don his beer. “I’ll go get the camera,” she tells him, turning to walk back out of the room.
“This time, you’re going to know you’re being recorded. And the world will know it’s you. I’m not going to hide your face this time. No, that would be a shame. Then they won’t be able to see what I’ve done. They won’t be able to see what happens when you fight me.” His grin is filled with malice.
“Please let me go. I don’t have much, but I’ll give you what I have,” I plead with him.
“You might not, but that man of yours does. Have you changed your mind? I gotta admit, that would change plans for tonight.”
“No.” I swallow hard. “I won’t take money from him to give to you.”
“That dick must be good,” my mother says, joining us again.
“She’s about to see what good dick is like.” Don grabs his crotch yet again. The eye that’s not swollen shut closes so I can try to block out what’s happening.
I send up a silent prayer. Please God, if things get worse, don’t let Owen be the one to find me.
“Stand up.” Don yanks on my arm. I pull, not wanting to stand. Partly because I’m afraid of what he’s going to do next, and partly because the pain in my knee is still throbbing. “Fucking stand up!” he screams. His hand once again connects with my cheek, and it feels as though he pulls my arm out of its socket when he tugs me from the couch.
I stumble as