A Convict's Lover by Kayla Trautman (best ebook reader for surface pro txt) 📖

I have to back to him. Jeffrey will be mad. He'll ..."

"He's dead. I killed him." Came the voice from the man who brought her here. She stopped and frowned, "Why did you do that? He's my husband ... you shouldn't have done that." Jacob let her go and sighed, "Julie, snap out of it. You're not in his control anymore. That son of a bitch is in hell where he belongs. He hurt you and I know the real you is rejoycing and relieved to hear that he's dead."

She tried to stand but her legs wouldn't support her and she almost fell to the floor but instead she fell onto a hard chest and arms were wrapped around her to hold her up. She grabbed onto the arms that held her and kept her eyes down.

"Julie, please look at me. It really is me. I'm alive." He said. She slowly and very hesitantly looked up at him. His features were the same but different at the same time. He had a scar on his right cheek; it was clearly noticable but it wasn't big. Her lip trembled as she realized that it was Daniel. All that time she was with Jeffrey ... all that time that she had given in and given up on life ... all of that time ... he was alive.

She covered her mouth as she cried, "But he shot you ..." "No, he didn't. He just wanted you to think that he shot me." He interrupted. Daniel reached up to touch her cheek but she pushed away from him to sit on the bed. She layed down on her stomach and hid her face in the pillow, "Get out! Both of you just get out and leave me alone!"

"Julie?" Jacob touched her back and ignored her when she tried to shake him off of her, "What's wrong? Why won't you just talk to us?" "I said get out! I don't want to see either of you!" She yelled. He groaned and stormed out of the room. Daniel went over and kissed her hair right behind her ear, "I love you, Julie. I wanted to tell you before but we couldn't be together then but now we can. The moment I kidnapped you I loved you and I always will." And then he was gone.

***

Julie just stayed in her room for the entire week. She never allowed any of her brothers or Daniel into the room, no matter how much they tried. She was feeling considerably better but she was still drained of all of her energy and she was still sore in that place between her legs. She just sat on her bed and held her knees to her chest.

The door suddenly opened that made her head pop up and Percy came in. He said, "Don't tell me to go away because I won't. We need to talk." She turned her head away and sighed, "Please just leave me alone. I can't do this again today."

Percy came around the bed to face her and sat on the side, "Then don't push me away." She turned her head to the other side. "Why can't you just look at me? What did we do to you for you to hate us? Do you blame us for this marriage?"

"No. I don't blame you and I certainly don't hate you. It's not what you did ... it's what I did." She whispered. Percy touched her hand that was on her knee and was relieved when she let him hold her hand, "Talk to me, Julie. Tell me."

She brought her hand back so that she could rest her elbows on her knees and lay her forehead in her hands, her fingers tangling in with her hair, "I can't. Please don't ask me to." "I'm asking." He said. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her vision became blurred with tears, "I tried to fight back but ... I just couldn't. He was too strong and so were they. A group of his friends came to the mansion late at night. Jeffrey made me wear only my chemise and held me in front of him like he was selling a new suit.

"There were thirty men and they all ... they all paid to have sex with me. I was forced to sleep with all of them. He turned me into a whore." She began to cry and she bowed her head, "I was so ashamed of what I had done ... so I couldn't bear to see you, Jacob, or Henry. I couldn't bear for you to touch me or to look at me and see a whore. After that I just gave in and just ... I started being the woman he wanted just to get through the days as best I could. He'd take me on business trips with him and he'd sell me to any man who was willing to pay.

"The same thirty men would come to the mansion every two to three months for their entertainment. They were there the other day and this time they only gave me one to relax before they came back ... that night that Daniel saved me. I haven't even been well enough to take a bath and wash their filth off of me. I'm so dirty. And Daniel ... that whole time I thought he was dead so I had nothing more to fight for ... I was broken. I didn't want to live anymore but ... if I had known that he was alive then I would've ..."

She lost control of her sobs and she couldn't talk anymore. Percy moved to sit further on the bed and pulled her into his arms, "Why didn't you just tell us what he was doing? Why didn't you let us save you? Oh, Julie if you would've just told us ... Julie, you're not a whore. This isn't your fault. What he did was brutal and inhumane. He raped you himself and then let numerous men rape you as well. You didn't do anything wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Do you hear me? We're your brothers and we love you. We will never stop loving you."

Julie hugged him and cried into his shoulder, "I didn't think that you would see me as your sister if you knew the shame I've done!" He held her tighter and kissed her hair, "How could you think that? We'll always be family no matter what."

Chapter 24

Julie was finally able to take a bath the next afternoon. She scrubbed herself clean and just continued to scrub her skin. "Julie! You should've sent for me! Didn't they tell you that I was here?" Jenny exclaimed from the doorway to her bathroom.

Julie continued to scrub her arm, "I just ... I just had to get the dirt off ... it won't ever come off!" She cried as she continued to scrub. Jenny rushed over and kneeled beside the tub, "Give me that, dear. You're rubbing your skin raw."

Jenny took the sponge from her and set it aside so she could work on rinsing her off, "I took it upon myself to eavesdrop when Percy was talking to the rest of your brothers and that fellow, Daniel. I knew that they wouldn't tell me what that monster did to you because it's not my place and you're obviously too distraught to go through that again so I took the liberty to find out on my own."

Jenny washed her hair and helped Julie out of the tub so she could dry her off, "I'm so sorry, Julie. I wish I had been there for you but you never sent for me. Of course I didn't expect you to with all of what you had to deal with. I just wish that there was some way that I could help."

Julie hugged her and whispered, "Just be there for me now. I've missed you so much." Jenny wrapped her arms around her and sighed, "Oh, I've missed you too, deary. I was so worried about you. I feared that he might kill you."

***

Once Julie was dressed she left her room and knocked twice on the parlor door before opening it. She found Jacob sitting on the couch with a glass of brandy in his hand and Daniel was sitting in a chair across from him. Daniel stood and turned around.

She met his eyes and a hundred questions popped into her mind at once; questions that she didn't have the nerve to ask him right now. "Are you alright, Julie?" Jacob asked. She tore her eyes away from Daniel and looked at the wall, "I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you but I'll come back later."

"No, stay." Daniel said. "I have a couple errands to do anyways." She stepped to the side to let him through and watched as the door closed behind him. "Do you plan to avoid him forever?" Jacob asked her. Julie turned to him and sighed, "No, of course not. I don't know what to say to him. It's been two years. He's changed. I've changed."

"Do you still love him?" He asked, coming around to stand in front of her. She sighed, "Of course I do but you can love someone and still let them go if the circumstances change." "Like you tried to let your brothers go?" He asked.

Julie nodded, "Exactly. You know, I never meant what I said about us not being family. I just ..." He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, "I know. Percy told us. Julie, let me get one thing clear now, you have nothing to be ashamed of. The only possble thing that you could be ashamed of is father. I know I'm ashamed of him for the way he has treated you your entire life and for shipping you off into that damned marriage. Do you understand me?"

She hugged him and took a deep breath, "Yes. It's easier said than done. Is he ... is Jeffrey really dead?" "Yes." He chuckled, "His corpse was left to rot in that room unless his servants think he deserves the decency of a burial. You don't have anything to fear anymore."

"What about Pa? What does he have to say about all of this?" She asked as she looked up at him. He shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't been out to see him yet but it doesn't matter because there's nothing that he can do about it. And if he were to try to do anything to you then I'd be more than happy to set him back on his ass."

She smiled and pulled back, "That would be a sight to see. Well ... I'm going to go for a walk. I'll see you at supper?" He nodded, "I'll see you at supper." She turned and left the room. She closed the door and turned around only to stop in her tracks when she saw Daniel leaning against the wall next to the door with his arms fold across his chest.

Daniel stood and turned towards her, "Mind if I go on that walk with you?" She frowned, "You were eavesdropping on me?" He shook his head, "Just on that last part. I