Page 81 of The Wild Man
“He raped you, Ever.” It takes a lot for Dad to say that out loud. I can hear the struggle in his voice.
“In the beginning, yes,” I admit. As much as it paints a very nasty picture of Wild Man, I won’t deny what he did.
“How can you stand there and openly admit that and still think I would be okay with you going back to the man who forced himself on you? Who held you captive and kept you naked for six fucking weeks? Who left marks on you that you’re still healing from.” At that remark, the spot on my neck that Wild Man always likes to bite and suck tingles. The mark is almost gone and that makes me incredibly sad. “Our lives were hell. Utter fucking hell, Everlee. I’ve never felt so goddamn helpless in my life when I couldn’t find you. Can you not understand why I’d sooner saw off my limbs before I let you anywhere near him?”
“I do understand. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you.” I look at each of my brothers, all with their dour expressions and tense stances. They look like they want to shake some sense into me. My gaze lands on Rika, who’s sitting on the couch to my left. She hasn’t left my house since the first time I woke up to her sitting beside my bed. She had a better understanding of my feelings, but I know she still doesn’t fully grasp them. There’s no way she could. I look back at Dad. “But you’re not understanding me. I was the one who was taken. It was me who endured something horrific and fought to get back to you all. I suffered. I screamed and cried, begged and fought so damn hard. Some days I felt like I’d never get free. Some moments, I even thought death would have been a better alternative. For a time, all I felt for Wild Man was hatred.”
I pull in a shaky breath. Tears have long since gathered in my eyes and have found their way down my cheeks.
“I lived through all that, and I still love him. Even though our beginning was a nightmare, I still fell in love. And what’s more, I know he loves me too. I know he does because he made me feel it. He made me feel cherished and protected and adored. Like I was the most important and precious thing in his life.” I plead with my eyes for him to understand. “I get that it’s hard for you to believe and goes against every protective bone in your body. If it weren’t for our beginning, wouldn’t you want someone like that for me? Someone who would treat me like the most treasured gift? Who would give anything just to see me smile and laugh. Someone who made all those terrible feelings worth it because, in the end, the joy and happiness I felt far outweighed those bad times.”
Dad’s voice is rough when he says, “I’d give anything for you to have that, Ever. But I can’t forget that beginning.”
My legs feel like Jell-O as I walk to him. I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head on the center of his chest. He’s well over six feet, so my ear lays perfectly over his steadily-beating heart. He wraps me up and hugs me tight, like he’ll never let me go again. I’ve always felt so safe and loved in Dad’s arms.
I pull back moments later and tip my head up to look at him. My dad, despite being in his late fifties, is still very handsome, and because of his daily workout regimen that he rarely misses, he’s stacked with muscles and has the body of a man in his early forties.
“I don’t expect you to forget it,” I tell him quietly. “I never will because, even painful, it’s a part of our story. But what you must do is accept my decision. You don’t have to like it, but you have to learn to live with it.”
“Ever—”
I lean up to kiss his cheek, cutting him off. “I’ll always be your little girl and will always be okay with your need to protect me, but your little girl can make big girl decisions. And this is one thing I don’t need your protection for. I’m safe with Wild Man. He would protect me just as fiercely as you or the others would. You have to let me do this.”
“But he’s hurt you.”
“He’s also protected me.”
His jaw clenches and I can tell he wants to say more, but he keeps his mouth closed. For once, sensing that no matter what he says, my mind will not be changed. I feel the restless energy coming from my brothers and know they want to continue the argument, but they won’t go against Dad. Well, Maddox might, just because he’s a big asshole and doesn’t know when to stop.
The tense moment is interrupted when there’s a knock at the door. I step back from Dad and go to the entryway. I don’t doubt for a moment this conversation isn’t over, but for the moment, Dad seems to be on the verge of relenting. I just need to keep working at him. He’ll never fully be on board with me finding Wild Man, but I don’t need him to be. I just need one toe.
I feel eyes following me to the front door, but ignore the stares. I’m honestly surprised they’re letting me answer the door. A couple of reporters have shown up over the last few days, wanting the gossip from the girl who was held captive by a savage wild man. My only guess is that their thoughts are too consumed by the possibility of Dad letting me seek out Wild Man and trying to come up with other reasons why he shouldn’t.
I look through the peephole and see a woman on the other side. I can’t see much of her through the warped hole, but just by the shirt she’s wearing, she doesn’t appear to be a reporter. I flip the deadbolt and pull open the door.
The woman startles, like she didn’t expect me to actually open the door. She looks to be several years older than me, closer to Maddox’s age. She has long, wavy dark hair and midnight-blue eyes. She’s taller than the average woman, standing several inches above me. Her clothes, which still makes me believe she’s not a reporter now that I can see her full outfit, is a t-shirt with a rock band logo and a pair of worn jeans with holes in the knees.
“Hi. Can I help you?” I ask.
A line forms between her eyes as she looks me over. Not in a weird judgmental way, just with curiosity. Her teeth latch onto her bottom lip like she’s contemplating what to say.
“Are you Everlee Adair?” she inquires, her voice hesitant.
I feel someone walk up behind me, probably Dad or one of my brothers. Her gaze moves behind me before they come back.
“I am. And you are?”
I can visibly see the flash of relief enter her eyes. “My name is Camille Salone. I’m looking for my brother.”
“Your brother?” My brows furrow, not comprehending why she would be here looking for him.
“Yes. His name is Phenix. He’s been missing since he was five years old.”
“Why would—” My words trail off, and I swear my world tips upside down. I grab the door jam when I feel like I might list over sideways. A hand grabs my waist, helping to support me.
“Oh Jesus,” I mumble.
The woman steps forward and my eyes dart back to her.