5. Beatrice

5

BEATRICE

After another shower, I’m wearing a pale pink dress with matching pumps. I look like my mother , I think as I stand in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My red hair is in a braid.

I hesitate before I leave my bedroom. There has been silence since I came home. I don't trust it. My father will have heard about my antics this afternoon. Whoever saw me in town will have gone to great lengths to make sure my father knows. Spies are everywhere. One day I will break free.

Gathering my wits, I take a deep breath and step out of my room. The hallway is painted white with expensive artwork on the walls. The dark mahogany floor is covered with elegant carpet runners. It's a prison I know well. The opulent decor only serves to emphasize the suffocating atmosphere of control and surveillance that permeates the house. As I make my way down the hallway, I prepare myself for the inevitable confrontation that awaits me.

I float downstairs and enter the dining room. The long dining table is set with fine China and crystal glasses, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere in the air. Mother, Father, Uncle David, and Judge—Grandfather—sit at the table, their expressions unreadable as they watch me approach.

Mother is twitching with nerves, which makes me feel more uncomfortable than usual. I take my seat with my father at the head of the table on my left and Uncle David on my right. Mother sits across from me, with Father and Judge to her left.

The men talk about nothing in particular while I struggle to swallow the food in front of me. I catch my mother's eye once and get a subtle shake of her head as a warning to keep quiet. I have a habit of talking when I'm nervous.

Evelyn brings dessert and I smile. I love Evelyn. She is the only real person in the room and in my life. Having grown up in this house with the four people at the table, I'm not sure how real I am.

Just as the door to the kitchen closes behind Evelyn, my father says, "Beatrice, can you explain how you got out of David's patrol car?"

"When was that?" Mother asks, a frown on her brows.

Father's face tightens.

"Uncle David left me in the back of the car. I couldn't breathe. It was so hot. Someone opened the door and let me out." I swallow hard, nerves in my stomach.

I see the look of horror on her face, but she quickly covers it up. I'm not the only one Dad uses his fists on.

"Who opened the door, Beatrice?" Uncle David asks.

"I don't know. Sweat was in my eyes. The door opened, and when I got out, no one was there."

Judge stares, and goose bumps appear on my skin. My grandfather is the devil. "Is that the truth?" His voice rumbles out of him.

"Yes, sir." My mouth is dry as dust. I reach for my glass of water. Father shouts and knocks it out of my hand. As the crystal glass sails through the air and shatters on the hardwood floor, a puddle of water appears.

Uncle David shoots to his feet and grabs my braid. He wraps the length of it in his powerful fist and drags me to my feet. He holds me to his chest with one arm around my stomach. I wasn't afraid when Atilio held me against him, but I am now.

"I have cameras outside the sheriff's office." He pulls on my braid. I gasp in pain. "Tell me who you were talking to," he demands.

Tears well up in my eyes as I try to think of a way out of this situation. I look at my father. "Help me."

"Do not speak to me until you tell us the truth," he shouts, his face red with anger. "You dressed like a slut as well! Were you planning to meet someone?"

"What, no!" My eyes go wide. "It was so hot, and Mom wanted milk."

"The truth, Beatrice. Now!" Father growls.

"I told you the truth. I don't know who it was." I shout, trying to get away from Uncle David… I’m going to be sick."

He drops me and I catch myself on the table.

"What are you doing?" The judge shouts. "She's lying."

Mother stares over my shoulder but doesn't meet my gaze. I keep my eyes on her as I straighten up. Father grabs me and slaps me hard across the face. I cry, clutching my cheek.

If there are cameras, they saw who released me, though probably not a face. There is no way I am going to tell him.

"I haven’t seen him before. I didn't get a good look at his face because he was wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled down over his face. I promise, I didn't recognize him. That's the truth." I cry.

"Get out of my sight, girl," Judge says.

I catch the haunted look on Uncle David’s face before I flee the room. Evelyn stands in the hallway, her purse slung over her shoulder. There are tears in her eyes. I grab her and push her toward the front door. "You have to leave before they know you're still here. Please, Evelyn. Go." I start to cry.

She reaches out to take me in her arms, but I pull away. "Please, you have to go."

She nods and leaves quickly. I run to my room and lock my bedroom door. I grab a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and lock myself in the bathroom. I fall to the floor and cry. Big, raging sobs. I knew the aftermath would be bad. I had no idea it would be all three of them. Tears fall from my eyes and leave marks like raindrops on the skirt of my dress.

Thank God Evelyn left when I asked her to. My face hurts where he hit me. He doesn't usually aim at my face. My body hurts from the tension. My stomach is churning. The thought of running away from home now that I'm eighteen crosses my mind. I could go live with Evelyn. No. That would be the first place they would look.

I remember my sweats and my t-shirt as my tears dry. These are my comfortable clothes , I think as I change into them. There is no way I am leaving the bedroom until I hear Judge and Uncle David leave. I want to be able to forgive my father, but I don't think I ever will. His father raised him and Uncle David with a heavy hand. It's his fault that his sons turned out the way they did. Both like the control they have over the family, the town, and Den Hollows. One day, I hope someone powerful will come along and challenge them. I hope that person wins.

The sudden knock on the bathroom door makes me jump. It's soft, so I know it's my mother.

My hand trembles as I reach out and unlock the door. I open it slowly and find her standing there with tears on her face. I know they're not for me. He must have hit her too.

"I should have paid more attention to what you were wearing when I sent you to the store.” Her eyes turn to granite. "I won't make that mistake again. If you don't want another beating, I suggest you pay attention to what you're wearing as well."

"Yes, Mama."

"Go to bed," she snaps. "I'll take care of that bruise in the morning."

She leaves the room. I stick my tongue out at her back. She turns around. "Good night." My door closes softly. I wish she would slam it.

I crawl under the covers, snuggle in, and let my mind drift back to the afternoon and my encounter with the Redd boys. Essex is the youngest at nineteen. He has beautiful emerald, green eyes. His face is chiseled, and he has a head of dark brown hair. He is as tall as his brothers and certainly fills out the denim jeans that cover his strong thighs. I wonder if I'll get the chance to run my hands up from his stomach to his chest.

I sigh.

Ridge and Galen are the twenty-one-year-old twins, and yes, they are identical. In appearance, that is. Medium brown hair in a military cut set them apart from the other four. They both have scruffy faces and light green eyes.

Boone is twenty-three and more of the strong and silent type. He watches, and lets his brothers do the talking. His sandy brown hair was beautiful and fell around his shoulders. He had looked hot in black jeans and a white t-shirt. He'd also worn the tattoo sleeves well. I didn't notice his eye color. I will look next time.

I hope to see them all again.

Nico had looked at me suspiciously. The twenty-five-year-old man had wavy black hair and a pair of green eyes. Just like his brother Essex.

My eyes fly open. It was Nico who let me out of the car. Not Essex. My God. They both have similar hair and eyes, not to mention a sexy physique. I should have realized it wasn’t Essex as the man doesn’t appear to like me.

I know that Atilio, the eldest, manages the house alongside his mother. I have no doubt she needs all the help she can get with six men in the house. There was strength in his arms as he held me against his chest. The man made my insides tremble. The way his brown eyes sparkled with pieces of gold was beautiful.

I smile as I slide onto my stomach and let sleep wrap me in its arms.