Staring down at the woman that’s captured my heart and soul, I see her warring with herself. Her eyes are closed, but the emotions playing across her face are clear. Her forehead shows worry lines and her mouth, even though it has a small smile, isn’t a full turn of her lips.
“Open your eyes for me.”
She obeys me. No hesitation, no arguing, she just does it. There’s a monumental surge of pride in me for her obedience. “Are you alright?”
Othella takes a shuddering breath in and nods. “Yes. I…” her voice falters and she gulps. “I’ve never been treated like that before.” There’s a look of shame in her eyes. It’s as if she’s ashamed because the dicks that came before me didn’t know how to treat her. Well, to hell with that.
“You deserve to be put first, Othella. I’m a lucky man to have you.” She laughs.
“Don’t you mean you are lucky to have kidnapped and blackmailed me?”
“There’s my cheeky ladybug.” I kiss her and roll her over once I get off her. Taking the handcuffs off, I pull her arms around to her front. One by one, I rub them to help ease the tingling sensation she is bound to feel. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Before I can get out of bed, Othella pulls on my hand. “I… I should tell you the answers to your questions.”
Ah, finally. “Yes, but in the shower, alright?”
She shakes her head. “Please, I’d rather you hold me.” Well, damn, how can I deny that? Without a single thought, I climb back into the bed and curl around her, pulling her into me.
Othella trembles as I look at her. “Clyde.” Her whisper barely reaches my ears, but it does. In the back of my mind, I figured it was him. Hearing it is another beast altogether. The urge to kill him is overpowering my rational thoughts as my arms tighten around her.
I’m about to tell her he will never touch her again when she bursts into tears. “My mother…” She takes in a breath and starts again. “After my father died when I was younger, I was kind of wild. ‘Untamable,’ as the judge liked to call me.”
She looks down, and I hate it. I want her eyes back on me. “Othella, keep your eyes on me,” I growl out and her head snaps back up. “There’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s in the past, and I will continue to be with you no matter what you say.”
Othella looks like she doesn’t believe me. I’m pretty sure I understand why. It seems no one that should want her wants her. Her eyes hold a sadness that gut me. But she lifts her chin and I see the resolve in her face. “My mother punished me by letting Clyde and two others teach me a lesson.”
“Lesson, meaning?” I have a hunch she needs to get this all out. God, how long has she been carrying this alone?And what kind of fucking mother lets someone hurt their baby?One morereason to hate the mayor. If I ever get my hands on her, she will rue the day she hurt Othella.
“They…” She’s sobbing now. Gut wrenching sobs flow out of her so hard, she’s shaking. Shit, I can’t get close enough to her. It feels like my skin is about to be ripped off with how much I want to soothe her.
“Shh. It’s alright, ladybug. It’s alright. I got you.” Rubbing her back and keeping her face on my chest, I let her have her moment. She clearly needs this.
“It was seven years ago, Noah, but I live it every night. They were… were allowed to torture me and do disgusting things to me. My mother made my brother watch the tapes to keep him in line.”
Othella snuggles into me like she can’t get close enough, either. “Did…” She doesn’t let me finish.
“No, my brother wanted to press charges, but my mother was running for mayor that year. As you can imagine, it was swept under the rug, and they shipped my brother off to the military. When he came back, I had already left home.”
She was all alone with them. “Was it just the one time, Othella?”
“Yes. I graduated from high school that year. Four years early because even if I was a wild child, I was highly intelligent. I got away as fast as I could from Clyde. He made it ten times worse.” She takes a deep breath and then sighs. “He…” The words don’t come, and I kiss her to stop from hearing what Clyde might have done or said. I’m already going to make him pay. No need to add fuel to the flame.
“I need to tell you,” she says breathlessly when I pull my lips away from hers.
My anger is making me bristle. I’m so livid my entire body is shaking. “Alright, go ahead, sweet ladybug. I’m listening.”
When she looks at me like I’m the only person who will listen, it guts me. Goddamn her family and how they’ve treated her.
“He took my virginity. Then his two men took me. Multiple times over a few days.” She has hidden her face from me again. I can understand why she doesn’t want to see me in case I’m disgusted. That’s the one thing I think my Othella is afraid of. Not being loved and accepted by someone she deems worthy of her time.
“It was so brutal; I could not walk for multiple hours after. When Clyde came back, he carved me. Telling me I was his whore forever and that one day he would claim me again.”
“Why did you come back, Othella?”
She blanches like I’m asking why she is here. That’s not what I meant by the question. I genuinely want to know why she would step into the lion’s den. “My brother is out of town. Believe me, if he was home, I’d be there with him.” Her tone is defensive, and she’s clearly hurt.
“I’m glad you came here. It means I got to meet you. But you shouldn’t have come alone.” I pull her so deep into me she laughs. God, the sound of her laughter is beautiful. I don’t think I could handle her tears anymore. Besides, I don’t like to think of her not being near me. It doesn’t sit well in my stomach at all.
