Her Mafia Brothers

Exposed

My brothers surrounded me, crowding so close around me that I held my breath in fear, uncertain as to what they would do. Was this it? Was this where they decided to send me away because I was damaged goods? After all, it was one thing signing up to take care of their little sister. It was quite another to find out she'd been beaten, abused and broken, and all the extra care that would come with that.

"Who did this to you?" Damon demanded, but I couldn't answer him. I was still frozen in fear. I could barely breathe, let alone speak. "Answer me dammit!" he growled angrily, but I just couldn't. Instead, I shook with fear.

"Damon, calm down brother." Jack spoke softly, placing a restraining hand on Damon's shoulder, pulling him away slightly. "Can't you see she's terrified?"

Damon's nostrils flared and it looked like he wanted to hit Jack, but slowly he unclenched his fists and I could see him forcing himself to relax.

Jack smiled at me, gentle and encouraging. But I couldn't smile back. Nor could I find any words.

"Have you been hurt anywhere else?" Alex asked me softly, crouching back down in front of me again.

Now that he'd seen part of it, I had no reason to hide the other burns. Maybe they would help me, if they saw. I suspected some of the worst burns had festered, but I had no way of really knowing. I never really had access to a mirror or any medical attention, but there were some that weren't healing as I knew they should be.

So I mustered my courage and nodded.

"Where?" he asked.

I looked at the ground. Closed my eyes. Squeezed my fists tight shut. "Everywhere." My voice was barely a whisper and it's a wonder he even heard it but he must have because he got to his feet, clutched my shirt again and ripped it off over my head, exposing the top part of my body fully. Even though I was 14 I was barely developed at all, with only the tiniest of buds beginning to blossom on my chest. I was skinny and malnourished, half-starved from years of not having enough to eat. I wanted to fight him, but I didn't dare.

Nor did I fight him when his fingers slipped to the front of my jeans, his large fingers fumbling with the button and zipper. I didn't want him to undress me here, in front of these men who I barely knew, but I was powerless to stop him. I kept my eyes squeezed tightly shut, wishing that this wasn't happening. Hoping against hope that when they saw the extent of my abuse, my brokenness, that they would help me before they sent me away.

Alex's hands were gentle as he slid my jeans down my legs and I heard my brothers collectively gasp at the marks that circled my upper thighs and the burns that went all the way down both legs and arms. Slowly, he spun me around with his hands on my shoulders, letting my brothers see all of me. I wanted to die of embarrassment. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole, right there.

I sucked in a breath when warm fingers went to my lower back, just above the elastic of my panties, tracing a red line left by the belt my mother's boyfriend had wielded with fury just a week ago. The welts had mostly healed, but angry red slashes still covered my lower back, bottom and thighs. My crime? I had dared to look at him. He was drunk, smashed off his face on goodness knows what drug, and when I had walked in the door from school my eyes had met his by accident; he was sitting at the table right inside the door. It was pretty impossible to avoid him. That had been all it took to make him snap.

The same warm fingers travelled up my spine, to just below my left shoulder blade where a really bad burn still hurt.

"That's infected," Alex snarled. "What son of a bitch did this to you, Carrie? Was it your mother?"

I shook my head. Mom hadn't done anything to stop him, but she wasn't the one holding the cigarette against my skin.

"Her boyfriend?"

I nodded slowly. Behind me, Nick punched the wall, his fist connecting with the plaster with a sickening thud.

"Calm down Nick," Jack commanded softly. "We're all angry, but look how frightened she is. Us exploding is only going to make things worse. We can let it out later, in the gym."

"Is he still alive?" They were the first words Rocco had spoken to me and his voice was rough, like sandpaper.

I shook my head. He'd died with Mom in the accident.

"Good. I won't have to kill him then." I looked at him, aghast. Sure, he looked dangerous with all those tattoos, but killing? Surely he wasn't serious?

After a few seconds Alex  handed me back my shirt.

"Dress yourself," he ordered softly.

I pulled up my jeans, fastened them, and put my shirt back on quickly, eager to cover myself, to hide behind my clothes.

My brothers were silent, but I could tell they were angry. Their fists were clenched, their bodies taut with tension.

"Holy fuck." Nick broke the silence.

I just stood there, uncertain as to what to do. My excitement over seeing the pool had vanished, now. Now terror overwhelmed me. They knew.

Slowly, Jack reached for me. He took my wrist, pulling me towards him, holding me in front of him for a few seconds, his fingers under my chin, tilting my face up to look at him. He smiled gently down at me then wrapped me up in his arms, dropping a tender kiss on my forehead. "I've missed you so much, darling girl. It's so good to have you home."

I snuggled into his broad chest, feeling safe again, just as he used to make me feel.

"No one is ever going to hurt you again, sweetheart. I promise."

"So does that mean you're not going to send me away?" I asked into his shirt.

"Why would we send you away?" he sounded genuinely puzzled. "We've only just got you back! You're not going anywhere," he reassured me.

"But I'm broken," I pointed out.

"And now you're safe at home with your brothers where you belong, and you can heal."

I didn't want to leave the safety of Jack's arms, but I had to know. I had to know that he spoke for all my brothers. Did they all want me? Or just him? So I put my hands on his broad chest and pushed myself upright, taking a deep breath as I turned to face the other five frowning, intimidating-looking men.

They were angry. But not at me. Nick cradled his bleeding knuckles, but my other brothers all had their hands clenched in tight fists. Their nostrils flared as they breathed heavily, furiously. They were angry for me. They were angry at what had been done to me. As I looked into each of their eyes in turn, just briefly, I knew that Jack had been telling me the truth. Now I was safe.

"Go and ice your knuckles Nick," Damon ordered, stepping forward to me. He reached out his hand to me and I took it, letting him pull me to him. When I was so close to him we were nearly touching, he raised one hand to my face and gently brushed my hair back away from my eyes.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," he told me softly. "I'm sorry that we weren't there to protect you. But I can promise you now, no one is ever going to harm you again. You have my word." He didn't smile, but his dark, flashing eyes softened just slightly. "I'm your legal guardian Carrie. You know what that means, don't you?"

I nodded my head hesitantly. "I ... I think so," I stammered.

"It means you're stuck with us little girl, no matter what."