Prologue

Angela

The blood trickled onto the ivory white carpet, and no matter how hard I tried to snatch my gaze away from it, I just couldn't.

The sound of my brother and father laughing rings in my ears as Miguel yells at me for being so incompetent.

How could I have been so wrong? I thought telling my brother and father that Miguel wasn't who they thought he was would bring an end to this madness, but it seems like it's just more of the same.

"You think I'm going to let you push back the wedding now? After I've waited so long for you to open those legs for me? You're out of your mind." Miguel spits in my direction, and I cringe away from his words.

For years, my father has drilled it into my head that Miguel was a perfect match for me. He sent me away to boarding schools and even seminary school just to make sure I wasn't tainted by anyone on the outside. Yet he's willing to just hand me over to this monster.

I'm twenty-one now, and I'm supposed to be married to Miguel within a week's time, but ever since I came home from school, he's done nothing but beat and demean me. I don't want to go through with it. I don't want anything to do with him.

"You know that might just be the problem? She's too pent-up. She hasn't learned her place yet," my brother remarks from the side of the room, and I finally shift my gaze to look at him.

"None of you can make me do anything I don't want to do. I'm not going to marry him." I lift my chin and shakily get up from the floor, pressing a hand to my lip to stop the blood from dripping down my face.

"It's too late for all that, sweetheart. I've already promised you to him. You belong to Miguel; all we're waiting on is the marriage certificate. By all intents and purposes, you're his."

My jaw drops, and I shake my head in disbelief. At one time in my life, I loved my father. He was the moon and the stars to me, but today, as I look upon his real face, I know that I've only loved the devil himself.

Quickly, I close my eyes and say a quick prayer for his soul. I'm not sure it'll do any good, but I know he needs it more than I do.

"Are you fucking praying? You think God is going to help you right now?" Miguel surges forward, and I squeal as he grabs hold of my pinned-up hair.

The pins, along with his nails, dig into my scalp, and I scream out in pain.

The pain is so intense that my eyes flash white for a second, and before I realize what I'm doing, I've lifted my hand and slapped him across the face.

The laughter ends the moment my palm makes contact with his cheek. His hands let go of my hair, and once again, I'm being flung to the ground.

I look up at the three men who are supposed to protect me and slowly back away. They're like wolves in the night, all of them looking at me like I'm their prey.

"Like your father said, you're mine. I can do with you as I wish. In fact, I don't think waiting for the wedding night is needed anymore. How about you give me a little taste of what you're fighting so hard to keep me away from?" Miguel snarls before he reaches down and grabs hold of my ankle, yanking until I'm flat on the floor.

"No! Please!" I yell and look over to my father and brother, who have the nerve to be taking a seat in the corner with tumblers of liquor in their hands.

"You going to watch?" Miguel looks over his shoulder. He seems as surprised as I am.

My family is about to watch him debase me.

"We have to make sure the deal is sealed," my father shrugs, but I can see the glint of excitement in his eyes.

"No! We're not married. I can't!" I try once again to pull myself away from Miguel, who is struggling to get on top of me. I spent my entire life protecting my purity. It's a sin to lose it before marriage. This can't happen.

"Fuck marriage. I want what's mine now," Miguel growls and tears my skirt down the center.

The sound sends a wave of tremors through my body. I don't know what to do. I try to push at him again, but when I hear the tinkle of his belt coming loose, I know I've lost the fight.

I turn my head once again to where my father and brother are sitting on the side and reach out to them.

"Please, help me. Please." I beg, my tears crowding up in my throat.

"Just be a good girl and take it, Angela. It'll be over soon." My father's words are soft, but there's no love in them.

How can he love me and allow something like this to happen?

Miguel grunts and knees my legs apart. All the fight is gone. I mutter stop over and over, but the words mean nothing to him.

When I feel his flesh pressing up against mine, I do the one thing I know to do: pray.

The plea to God rolls off my tongue as I express my sorrow for letting something like this happen and my wish for it all to be over.

Pain ricochets through my body as Miguel forces his way inside me. Tears spill down my cheeks as I keep my eyes glued to the ceiling. The steady rocking up and down and the slicing pain between my legs are the only sensations my body is feeling.

It feels like it's going on for hours. Feels like every part of my soul is being tainted by this horrible act.

I feel Miguel's breath against my cheek. He's saying something, but I can't hear the words. I don't know what he wants or what more he can take from me. I just want this to be over.

Up and down. Up and down.

Finally, he slams into me once so hard I'm transported back to where I'm laying, and the prayers falter in my mind.

"Well, that was worth the wait," Miguel laughs and lifts up from my body.

"Now, was that so bad? I bet you really liked it." He pulls out of me, and I wince at the feeling.

I don't bother answering him. What's the use? I'm already broken.

"Don't be like that, Angela. Tell me it was good." Miguel tilts his head like a dog, but I ignore him.

"You fucking bitch! When will you learn?" Miguel picks his fist up and brings it down on the side of my face. The world spins, and I feel my body turn with the strike. Miguel stands over me shouting, but I'm still spinning from the last hit. He's angry. Even after what he's done to me, he's angry.

Soon, the one blow turns to many. Strike after strike. Punching and kicking until I can do nothing but curl into a ball and pray to the Lord to take me away.

It seems like the Almighty isn't answering prayers tonight, at least not for me.

***

The side of my head is pounding the next time I open my eyes.

I do my best to look around but I’m only seeing one side.

“Oh god.” I mutter and lift my hand to my face. He’s blinded me. The bastard blinded me.

I gently press my fingers to my face and notice that my eye is swollen shut. That’s why I can’t see out of it. I pray whatever damage Miguel did isn’t permanant but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Sitting up I look around the now empty room. Under me is an abstract pool of my own blood. Where before I focused on the few drops of crimson on the ivory rug. Now I focus on the wide spread under me.

A loud crash followed by raucus laughter captures my attention and I look toward the door. I can hear my father, brother and Miguel in the next room. They are in their having a good time while I lay here in agony.

I wonder if they even thought about the fact that I could be dying. Do they even care?

My one good eye blurs with tears and I swipe my hand across my face to get them away. I don’t have time to cry. I have to get out of here. Slowly, I get up on my feet. Every muscle in my body hurts. I don’t know if I’m still bleeding or not but it seems like my insides are on fire.

Slowly, I tip toe to the door of the room just to check where my family is. Glasses clink and the three of the talk without a care in the world.

I turn to look into the room and figure out what I need to do. This may be my only chance. I can’t fight them but I can get away. That’s my only option. I have to get away from them.

My eyes settle on a window and I rush to lift it.

The first few tugs do nothing. “Please god. Please.” I frantically whisper as I pull once again on the window. This time the window slides up and I look down at the world below. I have nothing out there but I’m willing to start over again if it means getting away from this hell.

I don’t take anything with me.

I simply crawl out the window, let me legs hang over the edge and drop down.

The second my feet hit the ground I know I’m in the race of my life. If Miguel or my father catches me outside they’ll just beat me again. This time I might not wake up.

I want to scream for help but who would risk my father’s wrath to help me. No I need to get away. With a strength I didn’t know I had I push away from the house leaving Miguel and the rest of this torment behind me. Running has never been more easy.

Car horn blare in my direction as I race across the highway and under over passes. I’m not looking around for what can hurt me. It’s not safe. In fact it nearly dawn by the time I make it to the docks. Instead of the small boats I expected to see, my one good eye settles on a large cruise ship.

I can’t say what brought me here but something beyond me pulled me in this direction. I don’t have a boat and I don’t know anyone at the marina but I’m hoping there’s someone around that I can trust to help me.

My breath is coming hard and fast as I walk down the dock and up to a group of people. There is only one woman in the bunch and I pray that she’ll take some pity on me.

“What the hell is this?” She gasps as she sees me.

“Please, help me. Please.” I gasp and reach out for her.

“Call the cops!” She orders and people start to scramble.

“No! No cops!” I yell and everyone stops. “Can I talk to the captain please? I just need to get away. I need to go.” The tears fall from my one good eye and the woman’s mouth presses into a hard line.

“Someone is after you?” She asks and I nod. I don’t know for sure that Miguel has figured out that I’ve gone already but I’m sure he will soon and when that happens he’ll scorch the earth until he finds me.

“I just need to run. Please. The captain?” The words slur out of my mouth.

“I am the captain. Come on. Come with me.”

I feel people lifting me bringing me closer to the large ship. I let the weight of what I’d just gone through fall from my body.

Miguel, my father and my brother just dragged me through hell but I hope to be able to find my heaven on this cruise ship.