Page 13 of Broken Discipline
I sunk down, sliding against the wall. Finn followed me, crouching down, still caging me inside of his arms.
“I could take you to that drug dealer. Or I could call the police and have them take you to that clinic.” Finn cracked his neck, his eyes setting a fire inside of me. “But our children deserve a good life, with a good mother present in their lives, don’t they, Ramona?”
Our children?
My gut sank to my toes. My mother had disappeared for days at a time growing up, always coming home, pretending like nothing was wrong. Pretending like she loved me. But she was never truly present, and finally left me alone at seventeen. It was like Finn had chosen those words specifically to dig the knife deeper into my chest. How did he know about my childhood too?
“They’re not your children,” I said. “They’re mine.”
“They’reourchildrennow.”
Tension burned between my eyes, but there was nothing I could do right then. I was helpless, sitting on the ground, the drugs keeping me compliant.
I needed to keep my kids safe.
Finn stood, taking a few steps to a nearby room. A drawer slid open. He returned, carrying a stack of papers.
Petition for Sole Custodygleamed in black ink.
“It’s ready for submission. The judge knows about our situation, and with a quick conversation, he could know about your drug-dealing background. If you don’t want anything to happen to our children,” he tilted his head, “then you will surrender control to me. And that means becoming mywife,Ramona Carter, and every single thing that comes along with it.”
My mind shot back to us sharing the bed with his arms wrapped around me, his bulge biting into my back. Then visions of the Masquerade took over my thoughts: he had forced me to lick my arousal off of the wooden club, then made me come so hard that he had to help me stand.
I could still taste his tongue from our kiss. It unsettled me, like a memory I couldn’t get rid of, no matter how hard I tried.
But I had to stay strong.
“I know who I am,” I said steadily.
He stood, stepping back to give me space. He offered his hand, and I glanced at his empty palm. In a way, it was a sign of peace; there was no weapon in his hand. It was purely an offer to help me stand.
But how could I trust him?
I tried standing on my own, but my legs wobbled. I scowled, turning away from his hand, but he reached down, grabbing my wrists and pulling me up to my feet. With an arm around my back, he guided me back to the master bedroom.
“I want to see my kids,” I said.
Without a word, he took me past the master bedroom to a room farther down the hallway. Again, the handle lit up as it scanned his fingers, then he twisted the handle slowly, minimizing the noise.
A sliver of light gleamed on the floor. I stepped inside, then reached for the handle to close the door behind me. Our eyes locked for a brief instant, and fire pooled inside of me.
Bruce was evil, but only for one night a year. The rest of the time, we left each other alone.
But Finn Carter? He wanted all of me. He wouldn’t be satisfied with letting me live my life.
“We’re not finished, Ramona Carter,” he said. Those words tickled my spine, bringing me back to the Masquerade. He had said the same words back then, and at the time, they had seemed like a fantasy. I thought about him every night as I stared at the ceiling, until months had passed, and I couldn’t remember his face.
Now those words were pure menace.
The door clicked shut, leaving me alone with the twins. I tried turning the handle to see if it would work, but again, it was locked in place. A soft night light glowed along the floor, illuminating a path. But there were no windows in this room. No escape.
I used the wall as a brace as I staggered toward the beds. Art covered the walls. It was all drawings I had never seen before, but I recognized the jagged lines and thick shading. The twins had definitely done this artwork themselves.
“Mama?” a small voice called out. Larkin sat up in bed, her dark brown hair resting on her shoulders. She squinted her eyes at me. “What are you doing?”
My chest hurt, dark spots dotting my vision. Everything about this situation was wrong, but I couldn’t let Larkin know that we were in danger. I didn’t want her to be scared. I wanted her to feel safe.
I forced out the words: “Nothing, sweetie.” I wobbled across the room until finally, I found Leon’s bed.
