No Longer

Chapter 10

*7 hours later*

"Breakfast is served my queen."

"Mmm, I smell bacon, toast, butter, eggs and...is that peppers?"

"Yes, yes it is. I knew you said this was your favorite breakfast your mom makes you and I know it’s not as good as momma makes but..."

"It’s perfect."

He brought it over to the bed and sat the tray down. He crawled up under the covers with me and we ate in complete silence. It was perfect, I thought.

I dreaded Michael having to leave. I wanted to go with him but I was scared to ask about it. When we had only an hour left I built up my courage and said, "I want to leave with you."

"What!?” he said it as though my asking offended him.

"I don't want to-I can't stay here any longer. I need to get out."

"That's not how it works. You don't leave, ever. That's how they do it."

"But, I thought. I mean...you obviously pay a lot here, I thought maybe you had a little pull. A little more money and I'm sure you could buy me."

"Not gonna happen. It doesn't go like that. You know that."

"How could you let me stay here!?? Knowing the hell I go through!"

"I don't have a choice! You are their property!"

"I am NO ONE'S property!"

"Well, you're ours. Deal with it."

"Ours?"

"What?"

"You said ours. I'm your property?"

"I meant theirs. Stop reading deep into things."

"No, you said ours. What the hell are you keeping from me!?"

"Fine! Yes, I said ours. You are mine. They, are my family!"

"What?" I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. He was-he was who's family?

"Brenda is my mom. Jaxon, Jason and Brady are my brothers. Marshal is my uncle. It's a family business."

My head started to spin. I couldn't think straight. Words and emotions were running through my head.

"You. And, them. You're all. Family?" He put his head down. I'm not sure if it was in shame or because he was trying to think of something to say to get himself out of that mess. "ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"

"Yeah, yes. They are my family. We're one big, happy bunch!"

"No. No, you can't be one of them. You and me, we...we made love. We talked, and laughed. You comforted me. Kept me safe. It was all an act? You never paid a dime to screw me did you! DID YOU!??"

"Yes, I paid. I paid 325 thousand dollars for today!"

"Why? It's all your family's money. Brenda's not making anything from you using her money."

"It's not hers. I use my and my dad's money."

"Same thing."

"No. No, it's not. My mom inherited this place from her parents who got it from her grandparents. It's always been in my mom's family. When I was two, my dad found out about this place and he left us. My mom tried to train us to be like her and her brothers. But, I wouldn't do it. Turns out I'm the black sheep of the family anyway. My dad named me, I'm the youngest. His name is Mitchel. He liked having a kid whose name was close to his. Just like all the others were close to someone else's. My mom hated it, him. Thought he was weak. Turns out the only reason she married him was to have kids."

"So, what? You just left your family? Left all those innocent men and women to suffer?"

"No. I couldn't leave. I had nowhere to go until I found my dad. Seven years ago I found my original birth certificate. It had my dad's name on it so I Googled him. I found him and we set up a meet. I was 15. I needed to get out of that life and he knew it. He took me in. My mom couldn't go to the police because they'd find out about this place. He raised me ever since. I got the scholarships and then the full ride to college. He was so proud. Last year, he was in a car accident. A drunk driver hit the driver's side door and dad was killed instantly. His will left everything to me. All the unimportant things. Money, house, cars, boats. But I had no one to share it with. No one to be happy with. I tried to stay away but when news of my dad's death got out,           Brenda called. And kept calling. Telling me that she was here for me, stilled loved me, I would always have a place to go. I started coming back around. Then she set me up with one of the girls. Said if I had a good time there was more where that came from. I come here now to relieve stress. I don't do any recruiting."

"But you still condone what's done here. You still let it go on. You could easily call the cops once you leave. Have us found and rescued. Why won't you help?"

"I can't."

"Bullshit! You won't help! You're a coward!"

"No, you don't understand. I can't help. If my family goes to jail who do I have!? I'll be alone and miserable. More so than I am mow. They love me. I may not agree with what they do but they know they can trust me. And I trust them. They would never forgive me for doing that. I'D BE ALONE!"

"And that's worse than raping women?! Than pimping them out to perves?" I walked across the room to him. He was shaking with terror. I could tell he was genuinely scared about what would become of him if he told. He was on the verge of a complete breakdown. I put my arms around him and pulled him in tight to me; just like he did to make me feel safe and secure. "I'm here for you Michael", I said with genuine concern. "Laken, you don't understand. I can't. I love them, they're my family." Michael was crying by then. Tears streaming down his face and onto my shoulder. It made me want to cry.

"I know. It's okay Michael, I'll be here for you. You tell the cops and they get me out of here. I'll be there for you every step of the way. I won't leave you."

He nodded, "Okay Laken. I-"

The door burst open. "Time's up lover boy. Let's go." It was Brady. They must have been watching that entire conversation. Maybe even the entire time he was here. Before either one of us could object, Brady had Michael by the arm and out the door. 

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So, what do you think of this little twist?? I thought it was a good idea. =)