the hell was he able to see her, to remain undetected under everyone’s noses? There were ex-military surrounding her and her friends. She felt so sick to her stomach, and she couldn’t stop shaking. He was going to succeed. Robert would kill Carl and Richie and perhaps her friends, too, if Juliet didn’t go willingly with him when he came for her.
She was filled with a mix of emotions. She couldn’t let others suffer because of her. She closed her eyes and sat on the closed lid on the toilet in the bathroom. Instantly, she saw the images pop into her head. She covered her ears. She could almost hear the sounds of pain as Robert and his goons tormented and beat Danny as she was restrained in front of him. She never forgot the look in Danny’s eyes. The way he pleaded for life and promised to never touch her again as long as he could live. He begged and cried out with such fear and pain, she had nightmares about him.
Oh God, please protect Carl and Richie. Please protect my friends.
She remembered Robert’s face as he slit Danny’s throat. She remembered the blood, the lack of respect for life, and how he kicked his dead body then grabbed her by the throat and brought her face right in front of Daddy’s beaten, battered corpse.
No man will ever touch you again. You know whom you belong to. Four more months, Juliana. Just four more months and you’ll be completely his. He’ll kill anyone that touches you.
She recalled Robert’s words as she cried out in agony and sadness. Robert killed Danny.
She remembered feeling as if she were numb and almost felt like she was having an out-of-body experience then. It was the only way to describe it. She knew what she saw and heard was real. She remembered the police questioning her about Danny’s disappearance because they knew she was friends with him. Her tears and almost hysteria were accepted as young love. They even recommended to her stepfather placing her on Valium for a few days to help calm her.
He actually tried to force her to take them, but she knew if she did that he wouldn’t wait the four months until her twentieth birthday. He also knew she had her menstrual cycle that night. The maids in the house were watching out for him. Nothing was sacred or could be kept a secret from Pierce Mellbrook.
She hugged herself as she recalled the next set of events and knew that it could have been her that lay naked, battered, raped, and slaughtered in Pierce’s bedroom. She saw him having sex with the young redhead. She saw him beating her and calling her Juliana. Juliet witnessed the fear in the woman’s eyes and the anger in Pierce’s eyes as he struck the woman with the knife repeatedly. She had turned to run, freaked out and ready to call the police when she slammed into Robert and his guards. He had gripped her tight, shook her as he warned her.
Not a fucking word or you’ll wind up the same way. You never saw a thing, Juliana. Go to bed.
She ran to her room, hysterical, knowing that she needed to escape now while she had a chance. She grabbed a bag, threw in some belongings and money she’d saved up, and took off out the window and down the latticed arch below. She ran like hell and kept running until she grabbed a bus ticket and headed north. Weeks later she met Susanna, and from there she met the other women. A future seemed possible since Pierce was not on her trail, nor was Robert. They thought she was weak and probably figured she was dead. Juliet had never expected either man to show up. Her luck had run out. Two years. Two nice years of establishing the business, making new friends that she considered family, and now their lives were in jeopardy. She had found love, let herself open up her heart, but in doing so, she’d placed two men she loved in the ultimate danger. She had to get her shit together. She couldn’t be weak anymore. She couldn’t allow Robert and Pierce to take everything away from her with their threats and conditions. She
She was filled with a mix of emotions. She couldn’t let others suffer because of her. She closed her eyes and sat on the closed lid on the toilet in the bathroom. Instantly, she saw the images pop into her head. She covered her ears. She could almost hear the sounds of pain as Robert and his goons tormented and beat Danny as she was restrained in front of him. She never forgot the look in Danny’s eyes. The way he pleaded for life and promised to never touch her again as long as he could live. He begged and cried out with such fear and pain, she had nightmares about him.
Oh God, please protect Carl and Richie. Please protect my friends.
She remembered Robert’s face as he slit Danny’s throat. She remembered the blood, the lack of respect for life, and how he kicked his dead body then grabbed her by the throat and brought her face right in front of Daddy’s beaten, battered corpse.
No man will ever touch you again. You know whom you belong to. Four more months, Juliana. Just four more months and you’ll be completely his. He’ll kill anyone that touches you.
She recalled Robert’s words as she cried out in agony and sadness. Robert killed Danny.
She remembered feeling as if she were numb and almost felt like she was having an out-of-body experience then. It was the only way to describe it. She knew what she saw and heard was real. She remembered the police questioning her about Danny’s disappearance because they knew she was friends with him. Her tears and almost hysteria were accepted as young love. They even recommended to her stepfather placing her on Valium for a few days to help calm her.
He actually tried to force her to take them, but she knew if she did that he wouldn’t wait the four months until her twentieth birthday. He also knew she had her menstrual cycle that night. The maids in the house were watching out for him. Nothing was sacred or could be kept a secret from Pierce Mellbrook.
She hugged herself as she recalled the next set of events and knew that it could have been her that lay naked, battered, raped, and slaughtered in Pierce’s bedroom. She saw him having sex with the young redhead. She saw him beating her and calling her Juliana. Juliet witnessed the fear in the woman’s eyes and the anger in Pierce’s eyes as he struck the woman with the knife repeatedly. She had turned to run, freaked out and ready to call the police when she slammed into Robert and his guards. He had gripped her tight, shook her as he warned her.
Not a fucking word or you’ll wind up the same way. You never saw a thing, Juliana. Go to bed.
She ran to her room, hysterical, knowing that she needed to escape now while she had a chance. She grabbed a bag, threw in some belongings and money she’d saved up, and took off out the window and down the latticed arch below. She ran like hell and kept running until she grabbed a bus ticket and headed north. Weeks later she met Susanna, and from there she met the other women. A future seemed possible since Pierce was not on her trail, nor was Robert. They thought she was weak and probably figured she was dead. Juliet had never expected either man to show up. Her luck had run out. Two years. Two nice years of establishing the business, making new friends that she considered family, and now their lives were in jeopardy. She had found love, let herself open up her heart, but in doing so, she’d placed two men she loved in the ultimate danger. She had to get her shit together. She couldn’t be weak anymore. She couldn’t allow Robert and Pierce to take everything away from her with their threats and conditions. She
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