Forever We Fall: Broken #4 (The Broken Series) (34 page)

Lee

"I won't let him hurt you," Tracy whispered as she held my hand tightly. "Don't cry, baby…" her voice cracked as she tried to comfort me. "He won't hurt you ever again."

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I clung to my mother, the fear of what was about to happen was almost too much to bear, but the fear I felt for my daughter was worse.
So much worse...
"For the horrible things I said to you in the past. I'm so sorry." I needed to tell her. I probably wouldn’t get another chance. "And I love you," I added quickly. "I love you and I don't blame you..."

"Get away from her, bitch," Daddy snarled as he stalked towards us.

Grabbing Tracy by the hair, he dragged her away from me kicking and screaming.  Her dress was torn. Her face was bruised and the blood on her thighs made me clench my eyes shut, as I furiously tried to block out the image of what I
knew
he'd done to her…

Wrapping my arms around my knees, I curled into the smallest ball I could, my whole body tensed up and waiting for the blow. "Why are you doing this?" I sobbed. I'd been asking him the same question since I woke up on the kitchen floor in Thirteenth Street with my mother's blood-soaked hands wrapped around me. And all I'd found out was David Henderson was a traitorous bastard. He'd lied to me, tricked me into believing I was safe and used my father's insanity – and I was positive he was insane – and thirst for vengeance on my mother in his bid to steal Kyle's inheritance.

Everything had been a lie.
Everything.
And now, because of that man's greed, my daughter was missing, my mother was bleeding heavily, and I was afraid of losing the one thing I'd never thought I'd have again.

I needed to stay calm.

Dr. Michaels' words floated into my mine.
"Your blood tests show you're pregnant, Lee– about six weeks gone.

"You thirsty, Delia?" Daddy drawled, breaking through my reverie, as he uncorked the bottle of whiskey and poured it over my head. "You sound a little hoarse, darling," he hissed.

"No," I begged, clenching my eyes shut to protect them from the sting of the alcohol as I wiped the whiskey off my face furiously.

"Let's make this interesting," he taunted. Resting on one knee, he pulled his pocket- knife out and knotted his fingers in my hair. "Looking good, darling," he chuckled as he pierced the flesh of my check with his knife and dragged it roughly down to my jawline. I bit back a scream. He could ruin my face. All I wanted him to do was leave my stomach alone. Closing my eyes, I inhaled through my mouth, not daring to breathe through my nose in case I smelled the blood that was trickling down my face.

Daddy released my hair and I scrambled away until my back hit the refrigerator.

The sound of his cruel laugh drilled through my ears moments before the smell of singeing hair flooded my nostrils, followed quickly by white hot heat crawling all over my scalp as the burning sensation spread until I thought I would pass out from the pain.

"Stop," I screamed as I patted my head, trying to quench the fire. The smell…the smell infused my senses. Paralyzed me with the ungodly fear of death.

"What's wrong, Delia?" Daddy taunted. "Did the bottle just bite you, darling?"

This was it.

I was going to die and I wasn’t ready.

I wouldn’t ever be ready.

One moment I was on fire, writhing in agony, and the next I was soaking wet.

Opening my eyes, I saw my mother standing over me with an empty dish in her hands. "Oh god," she cried, her legs giving out beneath her, as she dropped the dish and fell to her knees beside me and threw her arms around me. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry, baby."

"I told you to get away from her, you dirty whore," Daddy roared before he raised his leg and kicked Tracy into the side of her head. She collapsed on top of me, moaning in pain, as she clutched her face.

"I'm gonna fuck you some more," he snarled and dragged my mother away from me. "And when I'm done with you, I'm gonna taste your little bastard, you fucking bitch."

"God," I screamed. "You're my father." Clenching my eyes shut, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and shook my head. "How can you say that?"

"You're not my fucking daughter," he roared, stunning me into silence, stealing the breath inside my lungs.

"You," he sneered. "Are the result of your mother being a dirty, lying whore."

"Lia, I'm so sorry," Tracy cried as she curled into a ball on the floor. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"Why don’t you just tell her who her daddy is,
Tracy
," Daddy snarled. "She's obviously too fucking dumb to figure it out for herself."

"What are you talking about?" I shook my head and gaped at my parents. "This is crazy. You're insane," I spat. "Stop saying these things."

"When I left my grandpa's house," Tracy sobbed. "I was pregnant with you."

"That boy from your hometown?" I whispered.

Tracy nodded.

"No." I blinked back my tears. "No, that can't be true." I stared up at my father. "I have your eyes," I whispered.

"You have his eyes," he roared. "That spineless piece of shit who was fucking my wife behind my back. And now I'm gonna fuck his whore and his daughter."

"Who are you talking about?" I screamed, pressing my fingers to my temples.

"Ted fucking Frey," Daddy roared. "He's your daddy."

"No." I shook my head, vehemently rejecting his words. "He's lying, isn't he?" I demanded. "Tell me this is a trick?"

"He's telling you the truth," she confirmed before swinging her gaze on my dad. "And I'm glad," she spat. "I'm glad I never brought any child of yours into the world. You are poison."

Ted was my father? Ted was the boy from her hometown?

Oh god…

Twisting sideways, I vomited on the floor, finding all of this too much to handle. I couldn’t. I needed Kyle. "Kyle," I whispered to myself as I rocked back and forth. "Kyle…"

I heard my mother cry out weakly and then there was silence.

I clenched my eyes shut and covered my ears with my hands.

I had to get out of here.

I had to break free.

"Keep calling that punk's name, girl, and I'll fuck you up," he roared.

"He's going to fuck you up when he finds me," I screamed. "Kyle will get you."

"Don't touch me," I screamed when Daddy's hand curled around the back of my neck. "Don't put those fingers near me, you bastard."

"Kyle," I cried out as his dirty hands ripped at my shirt. "Please, please stop, daddy."

"I aint your father, whore," he growled as his hands tore my shirt open. Shoving me onto my back, he straddled my legs. "It's time you paid me back for all I've done for you."

"Oh god," I screamed through my tears. "Help me…"

"Aint nobody gonna save you this time,
princess
," he snarled as he ripped at my jeans. "Your pretty boy can't hear your screams. He won't want you by the time I'm through with you."

"Get off me," I screamed as I clawed at his face. "I hate you, you bastard."

Digging my nails into his eyes, I broke free and scrambled onto my stomach. His hand fisted my hair and dragged me back so hard I could feel clumps tearing off. "Stop," I screamed as I tried to break free from his hold. "Stop touching me."

Lying on top of me, my heart dropped when I heard the sound of a zipper being pulled, and then his hands were touching me. "Oh god, please…."

My jeans were ripped down my legs and I think I died inside of my own body.

I could hear my heart beating.

I could feel his hands, his body, but the shame was smothering me.

I prayed to die.

I begged the lord to stop my heart from beating so I could die before my body could tell my brain what was happening to me.

I held my breath with the hope I would black out and this would be over.

I wanted to peel my skin off. I was sure that if there was a knife close to me in this moment I would bury it in the heart of the man I had thought was my father.

"Please," I sobbed when I felt him press against my behind. "Please stop…"

Hope. Hope. Hope.

Fight. Fight. Fight.

Get up.

I heard something clatter to the floor but I couldn't see what it was.

I heard a voice, no two voices, but I didn't care.

For the first time in my life I wanted to die.

****

Kyle

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded as I rushed up the driveway of Thirteenth Street.

"I received a text from Tracy, saying she's in trouble," Ted hissed as he slammed his shoulder against the front door. "Dammit, it won't budge."

"Break it fucking down," I roared as I shoved Ted out of the way.

I could hear her screaming
. Jesus Christ…
"I'm here, baby," I roared in desperation as I threw myself against the door.

It wouldn't budge.

Fuck.

Pulling off my sweater, I wrapped it around my hand before I drove my fist through the window.

I could feel the blood seeping down my arm but I felt no pain.

Kicking the remainder of glass out of my way I climbed through.

"Daddy, please stop…"

I staggered through the hallway and nearly vomited at the sight in front of me.

Her clothes were torn open.

Her bra…

Jesus Christ, No…

"Get off her," I roared as I grabbed the back of Jimmy's shirt and dragged him off my wife.

The image of Lee lying half-naked underneath that bastard was all I could see as I pummeled my fists repeatedly into his face.

I kept hitting him.

I couldn't stop.

He touched her.

He fucking touched my wife.

"Kyle," Ted roared.

I didn't stop.

I couldn't stop.

"Kyle, stop, you're going to kill him."

"Good," I snarled as Jimmy fell to the ground. I continued kicking him until I was dragged away.

"Take care of your wife," he whispered into my ear and every ounce of adrenalin in my body drained away. I closed my eyes and clenched them shut as I willed myself to step away from him.

Opening my eyes, I staggered over to Lee.

She was curled in a ball on the floor almost naked with her eyes clenched shut. Her clothes were torn. Her body was shaking so much I thought she might pass out. Her face was barely recognizable. Pieces of her scalp were burned away. She had a cut on her face. Fuck, it wasn't a cut…It was more like a four inch flesh wound. From a knife.

That bastard had knifed my wife's face.

It ran from her cheekbone to her jawline. Jesus Christ, I felt faint from the sight of the blood trickling down her face, but the sobs tearing from her throat were much worse…

"Princess," I whispered. I was afraid to touch her – to hold her. I didn't know what she'd do – how she'd react.  "Come here," I begged, falling to my knees. I tried to pull her to me but she scrambled away. Resting my bloodstained hands on my thighs, I took a trembling breath and bowed my head. "It's me, baby," I whispered. "It's Kyle."

"Kyle," she whispered."

"Yeah, princess," I choked out. "I'm here."

I felt her small hand touch mine and then two arms wrapped around my neck as she curled herself onto my lap. "Kyle," she cried. "Kyle…Kyle…Kyle…"

"Shh, baby. I got you," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her. "I got you, baby. I got you."

"Don't leave me," she hissed, clutching me frantically. I could feel the hot, wet blood filling the palm of my hand where I was cupping her cheek. She wasn't bleeding heavily, but she was still bleeding.

Another scar.

"Give me your shirt," I demanded as I rubbed Lee's trembling body. Ted passed me his shirt and I dressed her quickly.

"You…saved…oh god…Hope. My baby…" she mumbled.

"Shh, baby, don't talk," I crooned as I held her on my lap. "Just rest, Hope is with Derek. She's safe. You're safe."

I hated the words.

They felt toxic.

I had no fucking idea of what he'd done to her. Her body was bruising. Her face was covered in blood. "I need to get her to a hospital," I said more to myself than anyone.

"No," Lee screamed as she shook harder. "No…no…no hospitals," she sobbed. "None."

When I tried to pull back to look at her, she wailed and covered her face with her hands. "Don't look at me," she hissed. "I'm hideous."

"You're fucking beautiful," I whispered.

"I'm a monster," she screamed. "My whole body." She scratched at her face and wailed. "My face…Oh god. I'm ruined."

"No," I hissed. "You're perfect."

"Where's your mother, Lia?" I heard Ted ask and Lee sobbed harder.

"I'm here, Ted," I heard Tracy say as she staggered into the kitchen.

I watched in confusion as Ted rushed over to Tracy and wrapped his arms around her. He held her in such a way that made me want to turn away from them.

"He's my father, Kyle," Lee sobbed. "He's the boy from her hometown."

"Ted?" I asked in a shocked tone.

Lee nodded and cried harder.

I turned to glare at them. "Are you?" I demanded, glaring at Ted. "Are you her father?"

He nodded once. "I'm sorry, Lia," he choked out. "I failed you."

"Let me get this straight," I snarled. "You watched her dying after the shooting and fucking knew there was a possibility that you were a match." I shook my head in disgust. "How could you do that? How the hell could you allow her to live in that house? What kind of a man are you?"

"I was trying to protect Tracy," he said in a weary tone. "You should understand better than anyone, Kyle, just how far a man will go to save the woman he loves."

"Not when it involves letting the woman
I love
die," I barked. "Does Mora know about this?"

"No," Ted muttered. "I was with De…Tracy for most of my teenage years. When her parents died, and she moved away, I turned to Mora…" Ted shook his head and wiped his brow. "You have to understand, I searched everywhere for Tracy," he choked out. "By the time we met again, I had a wife and baby."

"She was my sister," Lee sobbed.

"Yes," Ted husked. "And she loved you fiercely, Lia."

"I didn’t know he had a family, Lia," Tracy sobbed. "I didn’t know about Cam and Mora, I swear."

"She's telling the truth," Ted added quietly. "I lied to her in order to have her. And then I followed her to Montgomery. And then I hid her…"

"Please don't hate me, Lia," Tracy sobbed. "I love you so much…"

"Just stop it, the both of you," I snapped. "Shut the fuck up for a second and let her breathe."

"I'm sorry, Kyle " Ted whispered.

"Don't apologize to me," I spat. "Every fucking sorry that comes out of your mouth for the rest of your life should be for Lee and for Cam and Mora…"

"Del…ia," Jimmy coughed as he slowly dragged himself up to lean against the wall. I went to move, but Lee clung to me like a monkey. "Help…"

"What's wrong with him?" Lee wailed as she tucked her face into my neck. "Make him stop talking to me…"

"He's having a heart attack," Ted replied, without a hint of sympathy in his voice.

I reached for my phone and Tracy grabbed it out of my hand. "Don't," she hissed. "Let him die."

"But…"

"Kyle," Tracy said in a firm tone. "You need to get out of here."

I shook my head. "We can't just let…"

"Tracy's right," Ted snapped as he turned his gaze on me. "You need to take your wife and run. Get the hell out of here and do
not
go home until I call you. Do it now, Kyle."

Climbing to my feet, I lifted Lee into my arms and, for the first time in my life, I did exactly what I was told to do.

I ran.

****