Free Micah by Kathi S. Barton Page B

head, she got off the bed on the other
side. When she swayed slightly, he was right there.
    “ I’m just fine. Don’t you
have…where is your shirt anyway? Go and find it and put it on.” His
chuckle made her pissy. “Don’t you have a wife or someone to go and
bother? Or your mom? Go and bother your mom.”
    The door opened just as she was
reaching for the little bedside table to make her way to the
bathroom, and in walked several people. She knew a couple of them,
Joey and Mrs. Bentley. Nolan was there too. And Reggie would bet
her last dollar that the rest of the men were related as
well.
    “ Hello, my dear.” The
elder woman smiled at her as she handed her a robe. “You no longer
have much, so we chipped in and got you a few things to wear.
Gracie and I had a wonderful time shopping for a young
person.”
    “ Shit.” She looked at the
younger woman and flushed. Reggie had no idea why this woman made
her feel like she needed to behave, but she did. “Crap. I forgot
about that. My place is gone. I’m homeless as of right
now.”
    She sat down on the side of the bed.
Nothing. She had less than nothing right now. Everything she’d
owned, which was very little, was all gone. Her money. She looked
up when someone said her name. This man looked familiar in an aged
sort of way.
    “ You have a place to stay.
We’re going to have you live with us until you get on your feet.
Micah is going to be there as well. Gracie has a room all set up
for you two.” Reggie looked at Micah and then back at the man. “He
didn’t tell you, did he?”
    “ I’m thinking not.” She
turned on the bed and stared at the group. “I’m assuming this is
not an intervention of some sort. I don’t do drugs, not that I
could afford them. I don’t drink for the same reason, though there
have been times when it’s been tempting. Like in dealing with
Micah. I’m not in a cult. I don’t hang out at airports giving out
pamphlets. And I’m reasonably sure that even if I did all those
things, you’d not be the people that would help me get over it. So
what gives?”
    “ You’re my mate.” She
nodded, then shook her head at Micah. “Do you have any idea what
that is, or are you still working through who we are?”
    “ Oh, I might not know
names, but I’m pretty sure these men are your brothers. The younger
woman is your mom. I met her. This has to be your grandparents, and
since neither of them look like Mrs. Bentley, I can only assume
that they’re your paternal grandparents. How am I doing so
far?”
    One of the brothers laughed and told
her she was dead on. “I’m Tony, by the way. This is my brother
Garth. And yes, these are my grandparents on my dad’s side. Howie
and Katie Bentley. The other two men you might know, Joey and
Nolan. You know Micah, and that other guy is Burke. And this lovely
woman is our mom, Gracie Bentley.” Mrs. Bentley slapped at him and
moved forward.
    “ I’m assuming you have no
idea what is going on.” Reggie shook her head. “That’s fine. We’re
a bit much for anyone to take on first meeting. I did try to teach
them manners, but I’m afraid that they’ve got it into their heads
that they know more than me.”
    When a bag was shoved at her, Reggie
found herself in the bathroom. She stood staring at her reflection,
trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened. Not getting
in the bathroom…she knew that Mrs. Bentley had helped her with
that. But what the fuck were these people doing here? It was…it was
kind of like a family reunion of sorts, only she was odd man
out.
    Undressing as quickly as she could,
Reggie looked at her body in the mirror. She didn’t do that often,
but she did pause this time. The scars were still there…faded but
there. She’d been brutally raped when those men had come into their
home. Beaten, burned, and tortured endlessly.
    She’d been hidden for the first three
days of their invasion, so she supposed that was what had saved her
life. But the last