Chapter 20

20

Aurora

I lock eyes with the man I love. Blood covers him, pain clear as day in his eyes, and I sob, hating I'm about to do this to him.

Sobbing, I admit, "I had to escape him … Axe."

All the brothers stand up straight, anger radiating off them, already coming to part of the conclusion. I angrily wipe away my tears, fed up with crying over him and the hell he put me through.

Through gritted teeth, I state, "When I was seventeen, my father was deployed." I look at my love. "He promised me no more until after I started college. Growing up having your father away for years at a time with the Navy was hard, and it was only three years beforehand that I lost my mother." I shake my head. "He left me alone with that club, with brothers I thought I could trust."

I wipe away my tears and notice Theo gripping the ropes of the ring, struggling to stay away. My love for him grows even if my anger at him lying to me and bringing me here is still there.

"Honey…" Bull, Theo's dad, rasps.

I sniffle, giving him a small smile, and whisper, "Acid came round to check on me, my dad had only been gone for about a week, and I was struggling with this math question." I chuckle a little. "Acid sucks at math, maybe worse than me, so he called up Piston because he's the whizz and all." I sob, putting the back of my hand to my mouth. "He said he was on his way over, and Acid had to leave to sort out club business."

"Brother…" Theo chokes and Snake steps forward, placing his arm around my shoulders, giving me the strength my husband can't because he's about to lose it. I can sense it.

I take a deep breath and tell everyone, "Piston couldn't come, so Axe did. Everything was fine; he helped me with my homework, he asked me about school, and as soon as I mentioned the quarterback had asked me out, and that I accepted…." Theo growls, and I roll my eyes as the brothers snort. Shaking my head, I continue, "He changed instantly." Everyone freezes. "He told me I was his, right before he threw me over the counter and raped me, taking my virginity in the process." More tears fall hard. "I-I tried to fight back, I-I tried…."

Theo roars in anguish as Pitbull restrains him, keeping his arms behind his back, and Snake squeezes me to him, encouraging me to continue, even though I feel like dying at seeing my husband's pain.

Sniffling, I whisper, "That night, after I washed myself so many times that I bled, he showed up and dragged me out of my father's home to his apartment a few towns over, bound and gagged. Every day, he raped me, claiming he only had so much longer before he could take back his property patch from Hannah, a patch she never wanted, and give it to me." Taking a deep breath, I hold up my wrists, the brothers sucking in a breath, anger shining from Theo because I told him I slipped on barbed wire. I admit, "I tried to kill myself. I didn't want to live anymore. It was at the hospital that I learned I was pregnant…."

"Fuck," Smokey breathes, and I nod.

"Autumn was conceived through rape, and despite finding out I was pregnant, he still raped me every day, and after I gave birth, he raped me anally." I sob. "I-I thought I wouldn't love her…."

Doc sighs, and offers, "This is why you wanted an abortion."

I nod, "I love Theo so much, but he lied to me, he ensured I'd get pregnant, and I got flashbacks…."

The brothers all nod as Theo cuts in and growls, "fuck…."

My tears fall, and I look his way. "It wasn't the same, it just felt…."

Crow, Doc's dad, steps forward. "You were thrown back into your past, finding out he fucked with the pills. Your trauma took over."

I nod and admit, "Emily has been my counselor since I arrived in town a few years ago. Autumn was nearly two. Before that, I moved around and stayed in motels, cleaning them for free board."

Cannon, Theo's and Snake's blood cousin, butts in this time, "How did you escape? I know you said Hannah helped, but how?"

I swallow hard. "I was at the hospital for a check-up, and she saw me. I always thought she hated me, but she knew Axe wanted me and hoped that by acting like a bitch to me, she'd push me away. She and her boyfriend managed to corner me, and we planned it. I haven't seen her since she dropped me and Autumn off at the bus station, with the money she took from Axe's safe. I-I don't even know if she's okay…."

Theo opens his mouth this time and asks, "And the Huntsmen?"

My tears fall again. "I haven't had any contact with them or my father since. I-I was in captivity for a year, and his voice was always in my head."

Smokey's dad, Rock, continues for me, seeing where my mind went, "You thought they could have had something to do with it or at least knew about it."

I nod. "It's not something I would have thought before I was taken, but Axe, he was a brother, blood to the men I saw as family, who looked out for me growing up, and…he-he got in my head."

I look at Theo. His whole body is vibrating. I sob, seeing his reaction—the pain, and heartbreak shining in those beautiful, sad, dark brown eyes as Smokey walks over to me. He takes me into his arms, my head going to his chest as Tech climbs into the ring.

"Fuck, right, okay, Sniper, let's just make sure you don't break any of my bones, yeah?" Tech rasps as Theo squeezes his fists, his eyes on me.

"Come on, sweetheart, I'll walk you to yours and Sniper's room. Just give him a few minutes to let his anger out," Smokey whispers, and he squeezes me to him.

I nod and admit, "I never wanted to tell him. I never wanted him to feel dirty around me, because that's what I am, dirty, and I didn't want him to hate Autumn…."

The brothers around me soften as Bull walks over to me, cupping my cheeks as I grip Smokey's cut. Grunting can be heard, skin hitting skin, making me flinch.

Bull's blue eyes soften, and he whispers, "You're not dirty, you're a survivor, and that little girl is his world, our world, do you hear me? You're family, she's family, don't ever think differently."

I nod, and he leans forward, kissing my head, before Smokey guides me out of the basement, ensuring I can't see my husband losing his shit, beating up Tech.

He walks me through the common room, the women all looking my way, but I ignore them, suddenly wanting to sleep.

I grip Smokey's cut tighter as he states, "Baby, go grab Annie and bring her to Sniper's room," and guides me into Theo's room.

Sammy, my newly adopted Labrador greets me, and I kneel, wrapping my arms around his neck, placing my face on his fur, my tears falling.

Smokey grips my shoulder. "I'm going back to the basement. Liv, Quinn, and Annie will be here in a moment, alright?" I nod, and he squeezes my shoulder again, whispering, "I'm proud of you, Rory. You opened up about something hard and traumatic for you. You're strong, sweetheart, a survivor."

I nod again, and hold Sammy tighter as he leaves.

"Good boy, Sammy," I whisper as I stroke his fur. I am grateful Brook allowed me to have him. My husband, is doing everything possible to make me happy, including pet adoption.

"You're still hanging around, huh, like a bad smell…."

I roll my eyes, hearing Juicy's voice, and snap, "Get the hell outta my room."

She chuckles. "It's not your room, it's Sniper's, and that bed there, we've fucked on several times."

I scrunch my nose up, my eyes going to the wooden frame.

I swear to God, if he didn't replace that thing when we got married, I'm going to castrate him, especially since I've slept on that thing.

Sighing, I stand and turn to face the bitch, and raise a brow. "Well, at least you had the decency to wear clothes today, considering my daughter is around here with Noah."

Juicy sneers, "That unwanted brat shouldn't even be on club property, and you shouldn't be with my man; he was mine first!"

I scoff just as a hand comes out of nowhere and Juicy screams, falling onto the floor, nose bleeding. My eyes connect with Annie's form as she glares at Juicy.

She points at the crying woman, "Nobody bad mouths my grandbaby and daughter-in-law!"

I smile a little, despite everything, as a chuckling Pitbull walks over and comments, "Pretty sure you claiming a patched brother, a council one at that, who has already given his property cut away, is asking for banishment."

Juicy's eyes widen, and she shakes her head vigorously., "Please, I-I have nowhere else to go."

For a split second, I feel bad for her, because I know some clubwhores are here because they don't have anywhere to go. Them screwing the brothers is entirely up to them, but then Pitbull chuckles and adds, "Really, so your boyfriend in town, or your lover in Parkerville, won't put you up?" Her eyes widen, and I chuckle when he continues, "Or how about your cousin in town, or your mother?" He smirks. "Go pack your shit, because you're done here."

Pitbull glares at her as he walks over to me, kissing my head, before walking away. Juicy scrambles to follow him, begging and pleading.

Shaking her head, Annie walks into the room, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and guiding me to the bed. I hesitate, and she chuckles. "Don't worry, he changed the whole bed around the time you two got together. I didn't understand at the time, but I did once I found out about you."

I sigh in relief, and climb on, Annie following, before I lay my head on her shoulder, happy to have her in my life.

She whispers, "Talk to me, sweetheart…."

I sniffle. "I'm scared…." She plays with my hair, keeping quiet. "I don't want him to think I'm dirty, like how I used to feel…."

She murmurs, "Used to?"

I smile a little as Sammy lays his head on my outstretched legs, and I whisper, "Every time I'm with him, I feel clean and…different. I feel like the old me, like I was before…."

Annie squeezes me tightly as Quinn leans against my door frame, her eyes sad for me.

She states firmly, "You're a survivor, Aurora. I heard what you told Annie after Sniper stormed into the common room. You're not dirty, you're a survivor and fucking amazing, that little girl is proof of that."

I nod, sniffling, the pain I've tried to bottle up coming out.

"I miss my dad," I cry, my tears falling hard, and Quinn rushes into the room. Annie holds me tight, and Quinn grips my feet tight.

"Call him, Rory," she whispers, and I shake my head, but she squeezes my feet and rasps, "He won't hate you for protecting yourself. Call him…."

Annie hands me her phone and gently holds me close. I take it while keeping one hand on my rounded belly. I look at the numbers on the screen for a few seconds before slowly putting in his last known number.

I hover over the call button before pressing it, and placing it on speaker.

It rings, and I hold my breath.

What if he hates me….

What if he knew….

What if I can't forgive him?

I squeeze my eyes shut, hating I'm thinking this badly, knowing the anger is coming from him leaving me.

"Hello?" he croaks as he answers the phone, and I sob.

"A-Aurora…Pumpkin, is that you?" he pleads, sorrow echoing through the receiver.

"Daddy," I sob, and he cries. I hear Annie's and Quinn sob along with him.

"Rory, my baby girl…." my dad cries, and my whole body shakes with my sobs, hearing his voice again, his anguish….

God, I should have called him sooner.