Chapter 32: Rebel Revenge: Chapter 32

I was such a fool. A stupid, stupid girl, just like my father had always told me. I’d thought I’d put that all behind me when I’d left our tiny town in the middle of nowhere Texas. I’d thought I’d escaped his torments and ridicule. I’d thought I’d show him by making it out on my own.

Instead, I’d proved him right.

And found out the real truth about men.

That they were all like him. That movies and TV shows all lied about there being good guys out there. Men who loved and cherished women.

Ha.

How stupid I’d been to hope for any of that.

I’d barely been here a month when I’d met Caleb. When he’d charmed the pants off me, only for me to realize there was no such thing as an honest man.

In the darkness, I rubbed a hand over my swollen belly, the skin stretched so tight it hurt sometimes. But then the little baby inside me kicked, and my heart swelled big enough to take away the ache. Only for me to crash down a moment later when I remembered where I was.

Locked in a windowless room.

Hands and feet tied.

Gag over my mouth so I couldn’t scream loud enough to attract any attention.

Not that anyone would hear me anyway.

There was a party going on outside, and at first, I’d thought it my chance to draw attention to myself. To make someone realize I was here.

But though noise filtered through from outside, the house had remained mostly quiet. There’d been no footsteps on the stairs Caleb’s friends had dragged me down when I’d been stupid enough to come back here.

I let out a sob of despair. What had I been thinking? I should have just stayed away. Gone on living my life for the baby inside me. But no. I’d gotten greedy. Greedy and stupid. I dropped my head down on bound hands, wrists red raw from the rope around them.

“Louisa Kara Churchill! Oh my God, where are you? Are you okay? I’ve been so worried!”

I was so grateful to hear her voice I didn’t even cringe at the reminder my family still called me by my full name, even though none of my friends had in years because I hated it. “I need help, Mama.”

There was a pause down the phone line. “What sort of help? Money? I have a few dollars stashed away, but anything more than that, your father will know…”

I shook my head miserably. “I’m pregnant.”

She gasped. “Pregnant? No, that’s not possible. By who? You’ve barely been gone four months.”

I hung my head in shame. “I know. But please. I need you—”

She was interrupted by my father’s voice coming down the line. “Is it her? Answer me now, young lady.”

Despite the fact I was twenty-two, I felt all of five years old when he spoke to me like that. “Yes, Daddy. It’s me.”

“Louisa. You best tell me right now that what I heard your mother say isn’t true.”

His judgment poured through the phone, as strong as if he’d slapped me in the face with it.

I stared down at the test clutched in my fingers and the other three on the bathroom vanity. Every single one said I was pregnant. I wouldn’t lie. He hated liars. “It’s true. I’m so sorry.”

“Get rid of it.”

I blinked. “What? Daddy, no.”

“I said get rid of it and come back home immediately. There’ll be no back talk from you.”

I’d been trained my entire life to obey his commands. My mother did. My sisters. All of us.

But there was a baby growing inside me, and I couldn’t just get rid of it.

No matter how it had been conceived.

No matter who its father was.

That baby was the only thing I had that was mine.

He or she was the only thing no one could take from me.

I straightened my spine. “No. You listen to me. I’m keeping this baby. You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”

He laughed coldly. “Listen to you. So sure and confident in yourself. Have you even thought it through? What it means to be a parent?”

“Of course I have,” I fired back.

“Where are you going to live? Is that baby’s father going to support you?”

“I can support myself. I’ll find a place.”

He scoffed. “The father wants nothing to do with you, does he? That’s what you get for opening your legs. How will you work when you have a newborn baby hanging off your tit?”

I blanched in shock. He never spoke like that. But then slowly, anger took its place.

There was never any room for anything but perfection with him. Our skirts had to touch our knees or we’d be forced to change. Our beds had to be made with hospital corners and were inspected daily. We had to get straight A’s or we’d be bringing shame on him as a father and as a man. He ruled our house of females with army-like discipline, and the clear disappointment we were all women, and he’d never fathered a son.

I hated him.

Had hated him enough to escape his house in the middle of the night, get on a bus, and travel hours, looking for a better life.

I wouldn’t let him drag me down again. “The baby’s father is a rich businessman,” I declared through gritted teeth. “Very rich. He has a big house in Providence, and he’ll pay for his child. And for me.” My fingers shook. Or maybe it was my entire body.

“You’ll come home now, without that bastard baby in your belly.”

He wasn’t listening. He never did. Just expected all of us to do as he commanded.

I was done being the girl who listened.

I was someone’s mother now. And she would be stronger. Smarter. She’d get everything she needed from the men who owed it to her.

How stupid I’d been to just walk up to Caleb Black and make demands. Now I was probably going to die in this tiny hole of a room, thirsty and starving. And the worst part? I’d be taking my baby with me.

A click from just outside my door had me pausing, staring at the door in a mixture of hope and terror. I hadn’t seen anyone since they’d thrown me in here, and right now, even Caleb’s evil face would be welcome.

But no one came. The door stayed closed, and a fresh round of sobs overtook me. My brain was playing tricks on me now, making me believe help was coming when there was no one in the world who even knew I was here except for Caleb and his monster friends.

“Hello?”

I whirled around at the quiet, feminine voice. It hadn’t come from inside the room, or from outside the door, but it was clear enough that I’d heard her. I glanced around wildly, but there was no light. I screamed as loud as I could against the fabric shoved into my mouth and tied around my head, praying it would be enough to let the woman know I was here.

“Is someone in there?”

I edged close to the wall where her voice sounded loudest. There had to be a grate up near the ceiling. Perhaps an air-conditioning vent? Or a duct of some sort? My hands were bound together, but I banged them against the plasterboard wall weakly, not able to get much momentum going to make a noise but terrified she couldn’t hear my muffled screams.

“Oh my God. I…do you need help? I don’t think they’ve come down here yet…” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I was terrified she was going to go silent. I banged on the wall and made as many noises as I could again.

“Make a noise for yes. Stay silent for no. Okay?”

I made a noise.

“Are you hurt?”

I stayed silent. I wasn’t hurt right now, but I probably would be if I didn’t get out of here.

“Does Caleb know you’re down here?”

I tapped on the wall.

“That son of a bitch! Listen, I don’t want you to worry. I mean, fuck, I’m not exactly in the best situation here either, but I’ve got guys outside who can help…Shit. They had to hand in their phones when we came in, but when they realize I’m missing, they’ll get them back. I can call one of them and they’ll come down here.”

My hope died on its ass.

I had my phone too. But there was a reason they hadn’t bothered taking it off me when they’d shoved me in here. There was no reception.

The woman’s soft swear seemed to indicate she’d just realized that as well. “Okay, never mind. Plan B. We’ll just hang out here for a little bit until Caleb goes back outside to his party guests and then I’ll sneak back out and get help.”

Panic clawed up my throat at the idea of her leaving, and I banged frantically on the wall again, even though she hadn’t asked me a yes or no question.

“It’s okay. I won’t leave without you. I promise.”

A tear fell down my face. I so desperately wanted that to be true.

“I wish you could talk back so you could tell me your name. Or how long you’ve been here for. Do you have people who would be worried about you?”

I stayed quiet. My family didn’t care. My mother might love me, but she’d never been strong enough to stand up to my father. None of them even knew I’d come storming over here, thinking I was so smart, and ready to show my father what I was made of.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

I was too.

“I can’t hear anything from inside the house. I think they’ve gone back outside. I’m going to go get some help, okay? Just sit tight. I promise. I’ll be back.”

My heart hammered, and I scrambled to the door, pressing my ear against it, desperate for the woman to be real. For me to not be imagining things, due to a lack of water and food.

Her door clicked open.

Soft footsteps passed my room, and she gave a tiny knock on the door that I echoed back.

In my mind, I could see her in the large basement room on the other side. She must have been in a room like mine, one off the main space. But clearly, she hadn’t been locked in like I was. She’d be approaching the stairs, and then she’d just have to make it up them and through the house to get outside to where her friends were…

An evil laughter splintered right through me.

“Ah, look at this. Two of my little sluts, getting all acquainted down here in the dark where they belong.”

The woman’s scream was ear piercingly loud, but it was quickly cut off.

“Stupid bitch, you think you can come into my house like you fucking own it? You’re both as stupid as each other.” He slammed his fist against my door. “Hear that, slut?”

I heard. I heard every second of the fight the woman put up. Every grunt and groan and curse Caleb uttered as he fought with her.

She was stronger than I was. Fiercer. Braver.

And with every second that passed, I prayed she’d be the one who came out on top.

Until there were no sounds left.

Except Caleb’s evil laughter.

And I was alone again.