“Shi, it’s been too long.” Brody rises up from his chair and walks up to me, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“Brody,” I choke out my brother’s name, hoping he’ll give me a bit of air, and he does.
“Hammer, this is my brother, Brody,” I tell Hammer, not missing the way Brody cocks both of his brows.
“Hammer, huh?” Brody teases.
Hammer extends a hand. “Yeah, it’s a nickname.”
Brody wiggles his eyebrows at me, obviously finding amusement already.
My mother and stepfather rise, and just like every other time I see him, I can’t look him in the eyes. It’s too much. It reminds me of every time I’d see him staring into mine. About what would happen, the empty promises, the hushed whispers. Even now, my stomach knots up and I think I could vomit.
“Shiloh Ann, I never . . . I never thought you’d bring someone like this home,” my mother’s tone is full of disrespect. If I had the energy to rear into her right now, I would, but merely being in the presence of my stepfather is enough to put me back into the silent little girl I was all those years ago.
I’m not sure if Hammer knows what she’s insinuating, but I sure as fuck do.
“What, an ex-NFL player? You got somethin’ against football?” Hammer takes her disrespect with class and takes my hand, taking me closer to the table.
My mother doesn’t know how to react to his response and Brody speaks up as we take the two seats across from him and my half-sister, Chelsea. “I like him already. He doesn’t put up with her shit.” Brody laughs loudly and smiles brightly as he speaks.
“Brody, watch your tongue,” my mother snaps from the other end of the table.
Brody, though, doesn’t stop. He turns to look at her and smiles wide as day, “Why the hell would I do that? You told me if I came here tonight, I wouldn’t have to see you for the next four years, so get all the photos your guy wants, mom. I’ll smile, laugh, and do whatever I need to in order to not see you again.”
“Unlike you, we don’t speak in such a manner in front of guests.” My mother looks right at Hammer and I’m unable to keep my eyes from locking with hers.
“He isn’t a guest, so calm down,” I snap at her with malice.
“He isn’t family,” Bailey mutters, looking him up and down. “How long have you guys been dating anyway?”
“A long time,” Hammer responds, and even though he’s lying, I don’t mind it.
I should be distracted by the fact my half-sister and Hammer are talking, and while Bailey’s trying to learn more about my relationship with Hammer, I feel his eyes on me. It’s almost like my skin is being burned. Each second it gets hotter, uneasiness fills my body, and for some reason, I look over in his direction.
Deep green eyes stare back at me and he smiles. “You’ve grown into quite a beautiful young woman, Shiloh Ann.”
My stepfather’s words cause me to get up from the table and rush toward the closest bathroom. I thought I could do this, but I can’t. I can’t fucking do this.
I push open the door to the closest bathroom and kneel down on the ground just as my stomach contents come shooting up my throat and out of my mouth. I hold onto the seat of the toilet and let it all keep coming, knowing this is only natural.
I’m terrified of the man in the other room. As a little girl, I was afraid, but now I know the reality of what was being done to me. The way he fucked with my mind and my body.
This was a huge mistake. I never should’ve come here.
Chapter Twelve
I am there waiting, watching, keeping to the shadows. But when you need me I’ll step out of the shadows and protect what’s mine.
~ J Baby Writes
Hammer
“What the hell . . .” Brody says the exact thing I’m thinking.
“Excuse me,” I tell the table and walk in the direction Shiloh ran off in. She was gone so quickly that I didn’t get a good look at where she was headed, but I’m sure she ran into a bathroom or something. I walk through the doorway and go out of the private room and see the restrooms are to the left.
Instead of just barging into the women’s restroom, I knock, wait a moment, and then finally go in. I look under the stalls and see only one of the three is occupied. I give her a few moments to herself before I go up to the door and rap my knuckles against it. “Shi, it’s me. Are you alright?”
“N-no,” her voice comes out soft, but it sounds to me like she’s crying.
I push open the stall door and find her hands shaking, tears sliding down her cheeks, and she doesn’t look normal to me. It’s like she’s been in some sort of traumatic experience, not maintaining eye contact, looking down at the floor, wheezing as she breathes. I don’t understand what happened in there, but I’m about to find out.
Without giving it a second thought, I slide down onto the floor and grab her hands, lookin’ straight into those beautiful eyes of hers. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on, but I’m here. You’re not alone. You hear me?”
Shiloh nods her head once and her lips quiver.
“Baby, what’s goin’ on? I can see you’re scared, but what am I missin’ here?” I’m desperate for her to give me some sort of answer, anythin’ that might be able to help me help her.
Shiloh’s shoulders shake and she sucks in her bottom lip, tears flowing heavier than they have been. Whatever’s goin’ on . . . it’s bad. “I only c-came here because Stiletto b-beat my m-mother’s ass. S-she threatened to come after the club, g-gave
