Read Online Her Vigilant Seal by Caitlyn O'Leary - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caitlyn O'Leary
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He’s responsible for Billy.”
“That’s what I told him. He said Billy isn’t his son. He said Mom wasn’t faithful to him,” Sophia’s voice trembled then broke. Once again Mason had to endure the sight of this woman with tears in her eyes.
“Ah honey, I’m sorry.” He stepped forward and put his arms carefully around her. He rested his cheek against her silky gold hair. “You do know since they were married at the time of Billy’s birth he’s still liable for support, right?”
“I do. But he said he’d tell Billy his mother was a whore and he wasn’t his father. Mason, he said vile and disgusting things. He called Billy names too. He said he was happy he was in foster care.” She shuddered against him. It seemed like the world conspired against this woman, and all she ever did was stand up and try again.
“I don’t want to put Billy through that. Because he would do it, Mason. He would.” He rocked her back and forth. Finally she lifted her head.
“I’m going to talk to him tonight. Enough is enough. This can’t happen again. His safety is paramount. I’ll handle it.” Mason’s first instinct was to say he could join the conversation, but he knew it was something best left between the siblings.
“What are you going to say?”
“I’m at least going to tell him our father has a new family and has moved on. Hopefully that will suffice.” She squared her shoulders and he admired her for it.
“I hope you’re right.”
“Let’s go inside, I have some chicken breasts marinating for dinner.”
“I didn’t bring you to my house so you could cook for me.”
“I’m not going to cook, Billy is. The sense of normalcy will do him good. It was one of the things we all used to do together before Mom got sick. It makes us happy. I hope you like chicken.” She smiled shyly at him. Hell, he’d like a marinated truck tire if she was serving it to him.
“I love chicken.” He opened the door to let them both back into the sweet smelling kitchen.
****
She’d tried to sleep the night before but she kept waking every few minutes with the feel of the men’s hands on her. More than her shoulder and ribs hurt—her breasts hurt. When she’d looked in the mirror she could actually see fingerprints from where she’d been mauled. Since then, she kept herself covered at all times, even putting on and taking off her bra underneath a towel so she didn’t have to see herself.
Tonight she had to get some sleep because she’d almost set fire to one of the dishtowels when she hadn’t turned off the gas burners. So she shook out two of the pain pills and huddled under the comforter in the guest bedroom. She waited and waited, checking her phone every fifteen minutes to see if time had gone by and she slept, but she hadn’t. She kept yawning. How could she be this tired and unable to sleep? Luckily, she snuck a couple of Mason’s books into her room. He had a huge library. She pulled the first two in a series taking place during World War II.
She was still reading when she fell asleep thinking she was driving a jeep for General Eisenhower.
“Sophia, honey, it’s okay wake up.” A gentle hand. A soothing voice.
“Get away from me.” She tried to hit the man but her shoulder hurt, and when she tried to scream he clamped his hand over her mouth.
“It’s me, Mason. Please Sophia, honey, it’s me. You’re safe.” It was the smell of him that finally got through to her. Her face was tucked against his chest. Now his hand wasn’t covering her mouth she took in deep shuddering gasps of air and it smelled of Mason. She was safe. She was safe.
It was like a dam broke. She started to cry for how scared she had been. She was crying for how dizzy and hurt she was and for the poor young girl who was living her life as a prostitute. She cried for Billy whose mother had died and whose dad was disowning him. And lastly she cried for herself and for the two years she spent taking care of a
“That’s what I told him. He said Billy isn’t his son. He said Mom wasn’t faithful to him,” Sophia’s voice trembled then broke. Once again Mason had to endure the sight of this woman with tears in her eyes.
“Ah honey, I’m sorry.” He stepped forward and put his arms carefully around her. He rested his cheek against her silky gold hair. “You do know since they were married at the time of Billy’s birth he’s still liable for support, right?”
“I do. But he said he’d tell Billy his mother was a whore and he wasn’t his father. Mason, he said vile and disgusting things. He called Billy names too. He said he was happy he was in foster care.” She shuddered against him. It seemed like the world conspired against this woman, and all she ever did was stand up and try again.
“I don’t want to put Billy through that. Because he would do it, Mason. He would.” He rocked her back and forth. Finally she lifted her head.
“I’m going to talk to him tonight. Enough is enough. This can’t happen again. His safety is paramount. I’ll handle it.” Mason’s first instinct was to say he could join the conversation, but he knew it was something best left between the siblings.
“What are you going to say?”
“I’m at least going to tell him our father has a new family and has moved on. Hopefully that will suffice.” She squared her shoulders and he admired her for it.
“I hope you’re right.”
“Let’s go inside, I have some chicken breasts marinating for dinner.”
“I didn’t bring you to my house so you could cook for me.”
“I’m not going to cook, Billy is. The sense of normalcy will do him good. It was one of the things we all used to do together before Mom got sick. It makes us happy. I hope you like chicken.” She smiled shyly at him. Hell, he’d like a marinated truck tire if she was serving it to him.
“I love chicken.” He opened the door to let them both back into the sweet smelling kitchen.
****
She’d tried to sleep the night before but she kept waking every few minutes with the feel of the men’s hands on her. More than her shoulder and ribs hurt—her breasts hurt. When she’d looked in the mirror she could actually see fingerprints from where she’d been mauled. Since then, she kept herself covered at all times, even putting on and taking off her bra underneath a towel so she didn’t have to see herself.
Tonight she had to get some sleep because she’d almost set fire to one of the dishtowels when she hadn’t turned off the gas burners. So she shook out two of the pain pills and huddled under the comforter in the guest bedroom. She waited and waited, checking her phone every fifteen minutes to see if time had gone by and she slept, but she hadn’t. She kept yawning. How could she be this tired and unable to sleep? Luckily, she snuck a couple of Mason’s books into her room. He had a huge library. She pulled the first two in a series taking place during World War II.
She was still reading when she fell asleep thinking she was driving a jeep for General Eisenhower.
“Sophia, honey, it’s okay wake up.” A gentle hand. A soothing voice.
“Get away from me.” She tried to hit the man but her shoulder hurt, and when she tried to scream he clamped his hand over her mouth.
“It’s me, Mason. Please Sophia, honey, it’s me. You’re safe.” It was the smell of him that finally got through to her. Her face was tucked against his chest. Now his hand wasn’t covering her mouth she took in deep shuddering gasps of air and it smelled of Mason. She was safe. She was safe.
It was like a dam broke. She started to cry for how scared she had been. She was crying for how dizzy and hurt she was and for the poor young girl who was living her life as a prostitute. She cried for Billy whose mother had died and whose dad was disowning him. And lastly she cried for herself and for the two years she spent taking care of a
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