Page 3 of Break

Seen? No… They can’t know what happens in this house behind closed doors, how my father touches me every time he gets the chance. How the fight in me has gone away as all it has done was entice him further.

“Then you know how wrong it is, what he does to me!”

Knox smiles. “We’ve heard the moans, how you come when he fucks you.” He takes a sharp breath, closing the gap between us until his hard cock presses on my back. “We’ve heard and seen enough to know what’s going on here. You might pretend you don’t want this, but you’re just a dirty little slut.”

My heart stammers in my chest, and I whimper as Dimitri takes a strand of my hair between his fingertips, his voice hitting me hard and heavy. “He told us how you liked it, bragged how you crave his cock so much as if it wasn’t enough. But we know how to fix that for you. You just need more, don’t you?”

“He lies!” I spit out as Dimitri’s finger brushes over my cheek. “Don’t touch me.”

They laugh as if my words don’t mean anything. “I only see one liar here,” Jaxon murmurs, and I realize how much my dadhas twisted their minds, made them believe everything he says to them, even if it is something so foul as raping his own daughter. Again and again…

They idolize him in a way that made them blind for what is wrong and what is right. And now I know why they never said anything when my dad pulled me onto his lap, his hand brushing over my legs as if he were showing off for his precious players.

“We want to have a taste, sweetheart,” Dimitri whispers. “Coach doesn’t mind sharing with his top players.”

Tears well in my eyes as I try to shake my head. “Don’t do this, please.”

Knox chuckles darkly as his hand glides down my body and lingers on my hips. “We’re going to show you what happens to whores just like you.”

One

7 years later

The therapy room hums with the familiar sounds of equipment being adjusted and players preparing for their sessions. It’s just another day in the fast-paced world of professional football, and as the physical therapist for the local NFL team, I’m no stranger to the hustle and bustle.

But today feels different.

There’s this knot in the pit of my stomach warning me of something. The whispers of new recruits didn’t help, either. Rumor has it that three players are joining the team, and there is always a little bit of shake-up when new people join. But this doesn’t feel like that.

“Just keep doing those reps, Aaron. Don’t push too hard. Listen to your body,” I tell one of the offensive linemen, who nods and continues exercising his right leg that’s healing well from an injury a few months ago.

It’s my job to look after this team and make sure they’re ready and healthy enough to go on the field every week. I should be focusing on that, but that nagging won’t leave me alone. I’ll have three new guys to look out for, but I have no idea who they are yet.

I walk to the front of the room and grab my schedule, my eyes skimming over the page to see the new additions since I haven’t heard anyone speak their names. As soon as my eyes reach the bottom, my stomach drops and my next exhale comes out shakily.

This can’t be real.

Knox Hunter.

Jaxon Steele.

Dimitri Kessler.

Three names that send a chill down my spine and bring back memories I had spent years trying to forget. I squeeze my eyes shut as those memories flash through my mind. The harsh words. The sharp eyes. The touches they left on my skin, branding me with scars I could never get rid of.

None of those things have left my mind. They probably never will.

“You okay, Hope?”

I snap out of my thoughts as I rub over my chest, feeling the scars under my touch. My gaze falls upon Jared Carter, one of the team’s wide receivers. His friendly grin and warm brown eyes help me relax a little as I smile back.

“I’m okay. I just saw the new players on my schedule,” I say, not getting into my past with him. I have to keep that hidden fromeveryone, even if it was years ago.

I thought I could move forward from all of that, but the three of them are apparently determined to haunt me forever.

Jared nods as he drapes his workout towel over his shoulder. “They’re pretty good players. We’ll have a better shot at the playoffs with them on our roster.”

I’m sure they’re great football-wise because they were always revered for their athletic talent. It was why my dad adored them. Why he cared about them more than his own daughter. Or at least, he cared differently for me.

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