AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’s like a human vacuum,” Harris added.
“Nothing wrong with a good appetite,” my mom declared as she came in carrying a wooden and fabric highchair.
“I didn’t know we still had that,” dad laughed as he jumped up to take it from her and carried it over to me. It was the highchair they had used for the grandkids, but I had no clue why they still had it several years after they last used it.
“I kept it in the garage. Knew we’d need it one day,” Mom replied. Dad set the seat down in the gap beside Nick as Mom came to me and reached for Zack,
“I knew it wouldn’t be long before you got your hands on him,” I laughed as I handed him over. “Just remember you have to give him back too.”
“No way,” Mom grinned evilly. “You’re all mine now, right little cutie?”
Zack jumped up and down excitedly in her arms, then reached for her hair to pull, but mom just let him. She loved kids. It was why she and dad had started fostering when they failed to have their own. They had fostered countless children over the years and that was how they met and came to adopt all of my brothers. Then I came along – a complete surprise pregnancy and they slowed down on the fostering to give their time to all of us.
I knew I was so incredibly lucky to have been born into such an amazing family. Not only had I always been surrounded by love and happiness. I had grown up with the strongest people I had ever known and I had learned so much from each of them. They had all made me who I was and were the reason I was still alive in that moment. Their strength was what had gotten me through my darkest days.
“Ev? You listening to me?” Harris asked with a chuckle. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to him with confusion.
“Sorry. What did you say?” I asked.
“He said you need to try and eat, but judging by how much you just zoned out, I’d say sleep is a top priority right now too,” Kailan laughed.
“Are you okay, malenka?” Aleks asked.
“Just tired,” I assured him. “It’s been a tough couple of days.”
“Try to eat something first, then we’ll get you up to bed, okay sweetheart?” Harris asked.
“Okay,” I agreed with a nod. I looked between the four of them and smiled. How could I not when they were all mine and I got to be theirs?
CHAPTER 16
EVIE
“Say it, damn it! Just say it and all of this can stop!” Soloman is roaring into my face, his so close to mine I can feel the spit flying from his mouth and landing on my cheek. He hits me again, another blow to my already throbbing ribs and all my breath leaves me. I try to breathe, but I can’t and the pain is unbearable. My face is already swollen and I can feel the warm trickle of blood on my cheeks, chest and abdomen. He thinks he can beat out the words he wants to hear from me, but he can’t because I refuse to break. I can be strong. I know I can and I will be.
“BEG!” he bellows so loud it makes me jump violently, only causing worse pain to my ribs. “Beg me to end you and all of this will stop. Don’t you want the pain to stop?” he taunts.
My entire body is shaking hard - a mixture of adrenaline coursing through me, and the pain I’m in, so talking is hard, but I force out the words anyway, channeling my brothers,
“F-f-fu-fuck y-you!” I utter. The words are weak and shaky, but he hears them, and I see the moment he realizes that he has, once again, failed to break me.
His cold eyes fill with rage and he hits my abdomen so hard the pain almost makes me pass out. Almost. Instead I gasp and my mouth fills with blood. As I spit it out and fight to breathe, he knocks the chair I’m tied to on its side and starts kicking me again and again. I scream in pain over and over again, but still I refuse to give him what he wants.
“Evie!” Soloman’s voice echoes through my mind and suddenly I’m free of the chair, the bindings, and the pain. I leap up, stumbling, but managing to stay on my feet, then I just start running, thinking of nothing but getting away from there while I have the chance. A hand grabs my arm as I start to run, and I instinctively thrust my elbow back, hitting something hard. As soon as my arm is released I try to run again, only this time two strong arms band around me and lift me clean off of the ground. I try to fight, the whole time screaming, praying that someone - anyone can hear me and will help.
“What the fuck?” A loud voice roared. Lights illuminate the room and suddenly I’m not in that hell anymore. I blinked furiously as I tried to clear my fuzzy brain.
“Put her down, right the fuck now!” Kade growled as he started towards me menacingly. I look around, still panicked and so confused. I’m in my room at mom and dad’s. I remember going to bed that night, Kailan laying on the bed beside me and the others setting up camp beds in my room, so they could all be with me, just as I had asked them to be.
Now Kailan was standing beside me, rubbing his bare chest like it hurts. I realize my feet are off of the ground and when I turn a little, it’s Nick who is holding me, his arms banded around me tightly.
“Easy guys. She’s okay. She was having a nightmare,” Harris said and when I look to the door, not only is Kyle stood there like before, but now my mom and dad, Cole, Matt, and Livy are there too.
“You with me, baby?” Nick asked quietly, ignoring Kade who is stood very close and glaring hard at him.
“Yeah. I think so. D-did I hurt you?” I asked shakily.
“Nah. Gave Kailan a good elbow to the chest though,” he chuckled. I turned to look at Kailan and realized that was why he was rubbing his chest.
