Page 21 of Lost In The Dark

“Not those men. It w-was too dark, but another…the one who…who h-hurt me. I remember him now,” I replied.

“When we get home, and you’re feeling ready, I want us to sit down so you can tell me everything you remember. The FBI is working this case now, and I’ll make sure they get every relevant detail you recall, so they can find these men, Addy. We’re going to make sure they find every single one of them who put hands on you and we’re going to make sure they all pay. You will get justice, sweetheart, for everything.” Asher’s words sounded so filled with rage and promise. A promise he was making to me. A promise to stop those who had hurt me.

I’d never been a vengeful person. I never even really got angry before. It had never gotten me anywhere, but that had changed. Just those two returned memories had me wanting exactly what Asher had promised. It had me wanting every single person who was involved with destroying the lives of innocent young women, in the same way that mine had been destroyed, to be caught and to face justice for all they had done. I wanted that –justice, not just for me, but for every woman who had suffered or was still suffering.

“There were other girls…so many girls. We h-have to try and help them,” I said as I looked between the two of them.

“We will, sweetie. We’ll do everything we can to shut down the whole fucking operation, and to help those women,” Eli assured me.

“How am I going to survive this?” I asked shakily. “The memories. They’re all going to come back, aren’t they? Every minute of those two years. I…I d-don’t think I’m st-strong enough to relive it,” I squeaked, the last part pushed through my tight throat as more tears fought for freedom.

“Addy, you survived whatever those memories are going to show you. You survived two years of a living nightmare. You’re strong, so much stronger than you realize,” Asher told me.

“And remember you have us now. We’re going to get through it together. When you feel weak, you take strength from us, okay? We’re a team now,” Eli added.

“You guys are too kind. I could be a horrible person for all you know.”

“We know enough to know that’s not true, shortcake,” Eli said.

“I’m guessing I’m not quite the sister you were expecting though, huh?” I sniffled.

“Don’t, Addy. We’re both more thankful than you can know that we get to have you in our lives now. Telling us about you, so we could find you, was the one decent thing our father ever did for us.” Eli took my hand in his as he spoke, but only held it lightly, allowing me to pull away if I wanted to.

“Thank you, both of you. I don’t know what would have happened to me without you,” I told them, and I knew it was true. Without the attorney they had sent, and then their continued help and support, I would likely have been railroaded into those murder charges and spent the rest of my life in jail, or at least until someone in there ended it for me.

“Thank you for agreeing to come home with us. I know it must be so hard to trust anyone right now, but by coming with us, you’re trusting us. I promise we’ll never make you doubt that trust, sweetheart,” Asher returned, and once again I was crying. I was an emotional wreck, but at least some of my tears were relief and not all terror. Just the notion that I wasn’t alone in the hell that was about to bombard me over the coming weeks and months, was giving me the strength I needed to get up again and keep fighting to move forward. Maybe I could do it if Asher and Eli were beside me. I hoped so.

“Do you think you could try and get some more sleep?” Eli asked as he looked to me with concern. I had no doubt I looked like a disaster. My hair had this amazing ability to stick up all over when I slept on it, and my face was likely blotchy. My eyes were sore and also probably bright red too. I was not a pretty crier and I knew it.

“What time is it?” I asked. Asher glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist.

“Just after four A.M.”

“I can’t sleep anymore,” I told them with a shake of my head. “I…I can’t stand to go through anything else in my nightmares right now.” I fought not to cry again, desperate to keep myself together.

“How about we take some pillows and bedding down stairs and watch a movie?” Eli suggested.

“You guys should sleep.” I looked between them and realized they looked pretty exhausted themselves.

“We’re not leaving you alone right now. We can doze on the sofa,” Asher assured me.

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine,” I lied, not wanting to keep them up when they so clearly needed to sleep.

“Addy, we’re not leaving you, so I’d give up if I were you. We’re two of the most stubborn guys you’ll ever meet,” Eli chuckled.

“Can you stand?” Asher asked as he rose to his feet with such ease and elegance. It amazed me, considering his sheer size.

“Yes. I…I’m really alright,” I told him, but I still took the hand he offered and allowed him to pull me to my feet. My legs were still shaky and the tingling in my toes and fingers was lingering, but I managed to remain upright. Eli stood too, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Asher grabbed the covers and pillows from my bed, then we were headed back downstairs to the lavish looking living area.

I couldn’t help but pause to look between them as we left the room. It was hard to believe they were even real.

I had spent my entire life believing I was hexed or jinxed or something. Everything I ever did, or tried to do, went wrong. If I ever earned a little extra for something I wanted or needed, a pipe would burst, or the roof would leak. If there was a huge puddle a car could speed through and soak me, I’d be right there, every damned time. The first day of my dream job at the library, my car refused to start and I arrived two hours late after a string of public transportation disasters. Even my mom’s funeralhad been a disaster with the minister failing to turn up on the scheduled day.

Everything always went wrong for me, and no matter what, I had always been forced to handle every single issue alone. There was no choice. I had no one else. I never had, until now. Until Asher and Eli came into my life, exactly when I most needed them. I just hoped I was right to put some trust in them as I had, because if they betrayed that trust, I was pretty sure it would end me. Too much had happened and I was on the precipice of a cliff, the smallest blow liable to send me over that edge and plummeting into the abyss.

CHAPTER 7

ADDY

---