Cannon holds my gaze, saying nothing, letting me reveal what I want on my timeframe. His kindness and caring nature bring tears to my eyes. He probably thinks the tears have something to do with my nightmare, but they don’t. I’m not shedding tears for that asshole ever again. He doesn’t deserve them.
My tears are from finally being in a safe place with a person I can trust with my emotions. Tears of relief.
“He was sixteen. A foster kid with the same family as me. I was twelve when I was placed with them. Even though I knew to keep my head down and hide from the world, my looks didn’t escape Marcus. He tormented me every day.” I pause, taking deep breaths.
Cannon rubs my back.
“He was so crude. I learned most of my foul language from him. I started using cuss words, especially in my head. But I learned things twelve-year-old girls should not know yet. Cunt, cock, masturbate, jerk off, titties.” I shudder and lean my forehead against Cannon’s chest for a while.
When I feel ready to continue, I lift my head and take a deep breath. “I was just starting to develop, and he liked to corner me in the hallway and pinch my nipples.”
Cannon stiffens.
I sigh. “Larkin wasn’t the first man to blackmail me. Marcus was. He threatened to steal money from our foster parents and plant it on me and then tell them he saw me taking it. I was powerless.”
Cannon is still stroking the small of my back, but his fingers are not as gentle.
“Eventually, he went too far, pushed my last button. He held me down and lifted my shirt to show his buddy my chest.”
Cannon gasps. I’m impressed he was able to hold his shit together this long.
I grin at him. “Don’t worry. I slammed my head into his face and broke his nose. When he came home from the hospital hours later, he had two black eyes. That was the last time I saw him. I was in the living room waiting for the social worker to pick me up and move me to another home.”
“Why did they move you and not him?”
“He told them all some pile of shit about me having a temper and lashing out at him every time no one else was home. I was done. If they hadn’t moved me before the sun set, I would have run away.”
“So, this Marcus scumbag… He have a last name?”
I smile again. “No need to add him to your list. He was shot and killed in a drug bust a year later. I saw it on the news.”
Cannon grins. “Good.” He pulls me in and holds me close, kissing the top of my head. “It’s three in the morning. Think you can go back to sleep? Want me to read to you?”
“No, but will you stay with me until I’m asleep?”
“Absolutely, Little one.” Cannon scoots back on the mattress and lowers us onto our sides so he’s spooning me. He pulls the covers over us and kisses my neck. “Rest, Little one. You’re safe.”
It takes me a long time to settle, but eventually I manage to relax, safe and protected in the arms of my savior.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two weeks later…
* * *
Cannon
* * *
It feels like I’m living in two worlds. One of them is dark and frustrating as my team waits for Eloise’s fucking trafficker to discover her location. It consumes me and leaves me pacing late at night.
My other world is a dream. Eloise is all that is light and good on Earth. She’s a breath of fresh air. She makes me smile every minute of the day.
Currently, she’s dancing around in front of me in the living room while I check her math homework. She’s so proud of herself. She doesn’t need me to check her work, but she likes to bring it to me, so I will because it brings her so much joy when I declare that every answer is perfect.
I’ve learned that Eloise could have passed the GED and gotten her diploma by the time she was in eighth grade. She’s just that bright. She doesn’t need to do all this work. Even after four years, she hasn’t forgotten much. But she’s determined to ace the test.
She can’t actually take the test while we’re waiting for Larkin to come after her. That part is unfortunate. We had to create a fake, drawn-out schedule at the study center. As if she would need a year of classwork.
