Page 74 of Tethered

“They started coming into full effect the night I was assaulted.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. Austin figured out what was happening.”

“How?”

“He comes from a long line of witch hunters,” I admit.

“That motherfucker.” He tries to get up, but I press more of my weight into him. “He was trying to save me. He knew if I went home and my father realized I’d come into my power, something bad would happen. And he was right. To prevent me from leaving, he slipped something into my drink, and I passed out.”

He tenses so hard beneath me that it has to hurt.

“He thought it wore off too soon, and I went home where my father raped me and… you know the rest,” I whisper, feeling a tear slip down my face.

“If he hadn’t drugged you, you could have fought back—Shit. No wonder you were so pissed at him.”

I let my eyes slip closed. “I forgave him because he didn’t rape me, but up until then, I wasn’t sure who had. He didn’t set me up to be raped either, which was the only other conclusion I could come up with. He really was just trying to save me, even if the manner in which he went about it was fucked-up. But then maybe I did forgive him too quickly. Maybe I am just a fucking idiot.”

Riggs sighs. “Don’t say that, Opie.”

“How can I not?”

“What am I missing?” Shepard looks between Riggs and me.

“I told Austin the truth, not long ago.”

“What truth?”

“That it wasn’t my father who raped me like Austin thought. I was raped before I ever made it off Austin’s couch.” I swallow, feeling like I might puke again. “He forgot how much his brother hated me,” I whisper.

“Oh god. It was his brother? Are you fucking telling me your rapist is out there walking around like he did nothing wrong? And Austin hasn’t killed him yet? Why?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Riggs snarls.

I take a deep breath and lay the rest on him. “Riggs drove out to where Austin’s business is today to tell him what happened to me. Only he wasn’t there, so Riggs met with his second in command.”

“Don’t. Do not say it. He cannot be that fucking dumb.”

“I don’t think dumb is the right word for it. But yeah, his brother is in business with him. So what does that make me? A joke? Did he really think we wouldn’t find out? I mean, how could he bear to look at him, knowing what he did to me? I don’t care if it is his brother. There is no excuse.”

“No, there’s not?—”

His voice cuts off when I jump to my feet. “Someone’s coming.”

The urgency coming off the house tells me whoever it is, is not welcome here.

“Who is it?” Riggs asks, standing up as he senses my mood.

“Nobody good.” I head to the door with both men following behind me.

“How did you know someone was coming?”

“It’s one of her witchy gifts,” Riggs tells him.

“I need to start day drinking,” Shepard mutters before nudging me out of the way when we get to the door.

“Let the man with the gun get the door, babe,” Riggs urges.