Page 38 of Living Without

Fear with what was to come.

Fear of the world out there.

A hand touched my waist, and I jumped. “Shhh, it’s okay,” Gypsy said. He was there again, a man I didn’t know. A man who came in and… saved me. He saved me.

He was safe.

I was safe.

“Oh, Kelsey,” Nary sighed.

My eyes moved from Gypsy to the door. Nary was visibly shaking as her gaze flicked from me, to Brendan, to Gypsy, then back to me. Only my eyes widened, and I cringed back. Gypsy’s arm tightened. Even when I was pushing back, I didn’t move because of Gypsy.

So many men.

So many angry-looking men were standing behind Nary.

She stepped in, her hands up in front of her. “Kelsey, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

“No,” I whispered and frantically flung my arms out to shove Gypsy. His arm loosened, and I moved back again and again until I was standing on the mattress in the corner of the room.

“Everybody get the fuck out,” Gypsy roared. I covered my ears with my hands and squatted.

Through hooded eyes, I saw no one had moved.

“Nary—” a man started.

“Dad, please, you’re all scaring her.” That big man was her dad?

“Nary—”

“It’s fine. Let me just get her out to a car.”

“Nary!” The room quieted, and Nary turned to her father. “Tell me this isn’t the room he kept you in.”

Her head dropped forward, her eyes to the ground. “Dad,” she whispered.

“He locked you in here?” another man snarled. That one younger than the rest, but even scarier. His body was tense, his hands clenched at his sides and his mouth thinned. Before he yelled, “In here? Fuck me, fuckin’ hell.”

Another said, “There’s no power, no toilet. Jesus, is that a piss bucket?”

My hands couldn’t block out their voices. I wanted them blocked out. I wanted the room quiet and dark, but the light shone through the open door. I hunched in on myself; my head hit my knees, and I closed my eyes.

“Knife, shut the fuck up,” Nary’s dad clipped. He turned his eyes to his daughter. “Who is she?”

Nary sucked in a breath and said, “Her name is Kelsey… Dad, she’s been here for eight months. Baxter—”

My eyes sprang open wide as I looked up and screamed, “No!” I reached a hand out to her, only to drop it along with my eyes when everyone turned to me. “P-please, Nary.”

She strode towards me. Gypsy moved in front of us, blocking my view from the other men. Kneeling on the bed, Nary’s hands came to my arms.

“I’m sorry. I won’t say anything. I promise.” Tears spilled onto her cheeks, and I watched them run down her neck. “We need to get out of here,” she whispered.

“I-I don’t think I can.”

“Oh, Kelsey.” She looked over her shoulder and asked, “Can you please leave?”

“No,” I cried. “Not him.” I pointed to Gypsy. A need inside of me to have him at my side was strong. He was safe. He’dkilleda man to keep me safe.

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