Page 22 of Love Corrupted
I winced at the soreness between my thighs, grasping the banister like my life depended on it.
Every few seconds, I paused to listen for Mason—or anyone else. I’d put on actual sleep pants and a tank top in case I ran into his father.
So far, the coast was clear. My bare feet soundlessly moved over the cool marble floor. The house was so large, the quiet coupled with the darkness gave me chills.
I darted to the living room the second I was off the last stair, but once I got there, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be looking for. Nothing seemed out of place or appeared to have an answer.
Why did I just accept Declan’s word?
My hopes of finding answers plummeted.
I hated this. No one wanted to come out and tell me the truth.
Sighing, I scanned the pictures on the mantlepiece, pausing on one close to the end. Walking up to it, I saw what appeared to be a wedding photo. Carrying the golden frame to the sofa, I turned on the table lamp and sat down, holding the picture beneath the soft glow.
It was obvious the groom was Mason’s dad, which meant the pretty woman beside him was his mother. There were things that stood out in the photo that immediately unsettled me more than anything I’d discovered thus far.
His father was older than his mom, which was clear to see. Her eyes held no happiness in them. In fact, the wedding as a whole looked off. That wasn’t the worst part, though. No, the worst part about the photo was that my parents stood off on one side with a few other guests, and a woman who looked identical to me stood on the other.
If I hadn’t been one hundred percent sure the photo was taken before I was born, I’d think I was staring at myself. She was smiling, looking carefree, like she belonged there.
“Find what you were looking for?” A smooth voice came from the doorway.
I jumped out of my skin, nearly dropping the picture frame. My stomach dipped as I locked eyes with Mason’s father.
Regardless of what anyone said, I knew the man didn’t like me. He had a hardness in his eyes every time he looked at me. When he walked into the room, it was the first time I noticed he had a slight limp. Declan said he was in the car when his wife drove it off the cliff; it wasn’t surprising he got hurt.
I went to stand up when he got too close for comfort; he gripped me by the shoulders and pushed me back down onto the sofa.
“No, no, no. I never said you could get up.” He clucked his tongue at me.
Fear bloomed in my heart; I didn’t want him anywhere near me.
“Her name was Dawson.” He pulled the picture from my hands and pointed to the woman who looked like me.
“I don’t remember much about her, other than that she had a tight pussy and was too trusting.”
I began inching down the couch, attempting to move away from him. This time, he didn’t stop me. He waited until I stood and took two quick steps towards the doorway before speaking again.
“Your father raped her in my old barn. I guess you could say he got a little carried away, because…here you are.”
I turned back around and glared at him.
“My dad was not a—”
“Rapist? This wasn’t the first time, sweetheart. It was just his first time fucking up and letting the girl get away. Your father is—sorry, was—a pathetic man.
“He’s dead?” I whispered.
“Ask Mason.” He shrugged. “It’s not my place to tell you.”
I turned around before he could see how badly his words were getting to me.
“You don’t know what kind of crazy motherfucker you’re dealing with.”
Roy’s words swirled around my head.
This family was sick; the games they played, they lives they took…I just had just scratched the surface.
