Page 29 of Desolation

Font Size:

Page 29 of Desolation

Looking up at Drake, I see tears streaming down his face, the same with Gwen, Evan, and Gio. The only one not crying is Anthony. He looks angry.

I flinch and he immediately holds his hands out and squats down, “No El. I’m not mad at you. I’m angry because they hurt you, and they didn’t take care of you. And we are going to have to kill a lot of people before it’s over. We can’t let this slide.”

Gio comes over too and wraps Reba and I in his arms. “I’m so sorry Elodie, can you ever forgive me?”

“There isn’t anything to forgive, you couldn’t start a war because of me, but later, I have something I need to talk to you and Anthony about, alone,” I say looking at Anthony. Gio looks down at me questioningly.

You’ll get your war. But there is going to be some pain along the way. Nodding, he stands up and tells Evan to start the divorce paperwork immediately. Gwen grabs the camera bag and her and I head to my old room to take pictures, yet again.

CHAPTER 24

ELODIE

Gwen hugs me as soon as we get to my room. Like basically jumping me to do it.

“Oof!” I say laughing. “What the heck was that for?”

“You big dummy, I missed you. I know we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together before, but I just feel a connection with you that I haven’t before. I feel like we are going to be best friends till the end of time. I know I can be a little overbearing, but youare not so it should work for us. Opposites and all that,” she says with a cackle.

I can’t lie, I feel that connection with her too and hopefully now that I’m back we can explore this friendship. “I’ve never had a friend before. So I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“I haven’t had one for a long time, so we can just figure it out together,” she says. “Now, take off your clothes.”

Yay, this again. Stripping out of my clothes, she gasps as she sees how much weight I have lost and the bruises and scars that weren’t there the last time we did this.

“Oh my God, Elodie. What has he been doing to you?” she asks quietly, with tears in her eyes.

“The better question would be what hasn’t he done, though the rape wasn’t happening as often. I’m pretty sure he has a mistress now so I’ve had a break from that part. I don’t want to talk about it really though. I know I should, but I just can’t right now,” I say, wringing my hands together. It’s embarrassing and I’m not ready yet.

“Do you want me to get you some numbers of some places so that you have them when you are ready?” she asks. “If you don’t want to do that yet I’ll understand, just know I’m always here too if you need to talk or scream or eat a bucket of ice cream smothered in chocolate sauce.”

“Sure, that would be okay, though I don’t know when I will call them,” I say. “Right now, I just want to feel safe again.” What would it be like to actually go to therapy? Is that even something I can really do given where I live? Maybe there’s like a mafia therapist, who gets paid to keep things quiet.

Gwen nods and finishes taking the pictures. Moving to my closet, I see that everything is as it was when I left. Pulling out a pair of leggings and a soft sweater, I sigh in contentment. It feels so good to be able to wear something other than clothes I hate for a change. Dominic always ordered my clothes before, which was why I was so surprised that he let me out to do it myself. It must have been a big blow to his ego when Aiden’s wife said she didn’t like my style.

Everything in here is something I love. The room, the bathroom, the clothes and other things Drake got me. So different from living with Dominic. And it looks like he’s added a lot of stuff too. Sitting down on the bed with Gwen, I grab a pillow and hold it in my lap, resting my head on it. Funny, it smells like Drake.

Gwen must notice the look on my face because she says, “Drake has been sleeping in here. El, he’s been a shell of himself since you’ve been gone. He works, goes to class, stalks Dominic’s building and comes home just to come in here and do it all over again the next day. He missed you. We didn’t know if we were ever going to see you again. I understand why you did what you did, but it was stupid, El. Anything could’ve happened to you. And I have a feeling what actually happened to you is probably worse than death.”

She’s not wrong. There have been many times over the last year that I wished I was dead. Being raped and beaten on a regular basis makes you wish you didn’t exist anymore. Anything to make the pain stop. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sleep at night without waking up in a panic from a bad dream or because I hear a noise at night and think it’s Dominic.

The last year is going to stay with me forever.

“I have a hard time believing that Drake really loves me, when he doesn’t even know me that well. Stalking me for eight years does not give him total knowledge. I mean, who does that? Who falls in love with someone they don’t even know that well? I mean sure, we’ve talked in passing at school, and stuff. But he didn’t really know me. No one does,” I say, lips trembling.

“You’re right. It does sound crazy, but look around you. Look at the room and the clothes, the dark room, and tell me that man doesn’t know you,” she says pointedly. “Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t believe him?”

She’s right. Of course she’s right. And I’m tired of doubting him, and myself.

Sighing, I stand, grabbing Gwen’s hand. “Let’s go,” I say.

I have one more thing I need to do before I will feel better because right now the anger is eating at me.

I’m about to ruin all Dominic’s plans.

Stepping into Gio’s office I close the door softly behind me. Gio is sitting behind his desk looking every bit the Mafia Don that he is. Anthony is sitting in one of the chairs across from him and pulls out the chair next to him for me.

Looking at them both, I see a wealth of unanswered questions in their eyes. I don’t even know if the information I’m about to give them is actually what I think it is, but we will see. “Do either of you know someone named Aiden?” I ask, looking Gio directly in the eyes. I see no reaction. Gio is great at hiding his emotions.He’s probably perfected it during all his years as the boss. Anthony sucks in a sharp breath beside me. He isn’t that great at it yet.




Top Books !
More Top Books

Treanding Books !
More Treanding Books