Prologue
“Noah, just stop. I’m okay.” My little sister says as I try to lift her from the ground and carry her to my car. Our demon from hell father had raped her vicious body for the last 14 years in some form, and tonight was no exception. Tonight was possibly the worst he has ever been.
“Can you walk?” I ask her and take the stairs to my room two at a time. I have been waiting prepared for this night and everything we own, which isn’t much is packed in duffle bags upstairs. I reach the bags and race back down the steps hopping from the fifth up and landing on the ground feet first.
“Yes I can walk, but Noah can you drive? He hit you so many times.” She reaches to the gash along my forehead but I swat her hand away.
“I can't feel anything right now and that’s why we gotta head now.”
I had adrenaline rushing through me at mock speed right now but it was just a matter of time before I completely caved in to the pain. We weren’t going far, we were headed to our Aunt and Uncles in Gig Harbor Washington, about an hour or so out of Seattle.
He wasn’t gonna dare come find us though. I made damn sure when I stepped over his crumpled body and left my note with a video of his recent offences against my sister and I. Besides he wouldn’t go looking in Gig. He and our mom both were born and raised in Gig Harbor the restaurant that Carrie and I inherit in adulthood is there, amongst a few chains throughout the greater Northwest. Dad knew how much we hated The Joint, but also Aunt Lilly and Uncle Seth were the ones running the business since mom died.
I almost hoped he would come looking, I’d fucking kill him. As I got behind the wheel of my crappy car I looked at our beautiful home, seeing the structure so magnificent, the landscaping so beautiful, nobody would ever guess the secrets behind that door. I looked at that house and knew, knew he wouldn’t dare to try and find us. I had copies with Sam Sullivan, my only friend and the copies with me as well would be placed strategically should anything happen to me and my sister.
“Where will we live Noah?” Carrie asks me and from the corner of my eye I see her shift uncomfortably in the seat beside me. She is in pain and I can only imagine what her memories feel like. He’d force me to watch him rape her, he would force her to watch him beat me. It was a game to him to gain her submission by using me against her. ‘Be a good girl Caroline and daddy will go easy on Noah…’
She would beat herself up because he never went easy on me, no matter how pliant and willing she appeared.
“I rented a loft above a Tattoo shop and if Uncle Seth and Aunt Lilly sign a waiver I can apprentice there.”
“Why can’t we stay with them Bubba? They would protect us?”
“I’ll protect you Carrie. Trust me yeah?”
She placed her hand over mine and squeezed gently. “Always Bubba.”
There was no way I was ever trusting anyone with our lives. It was us against the world and I swore then and there that I would do whatever it took to make sure we were never hurt again.
