Free Holly's Awakening by Sam Crescent Page B

away from this.”
    Her mother stood by the door looking over at Matt
Dawson, Kade , and Steven. John pulled up seconds
later along with the rest of her family. Holly closed her eyes trying to block
it all out. They couldn’t see her like this.
    “You take my money and my kids. You’re not taking my
daughter,” William said.
    Opening her eyes she saw Steven and one of the deputies
holding Kade back. He looked ready to do murder.
    “Do you really think you’re escaping this, William?
Put the bottle down and come willingly, or you’ll be making it hard for
yourself.”
    She felt her father’s eyes on her. Holly tried to
turn away. The stench of cigarettes and alcohol was too much. Her stomach
turned at the smell.
    “Do you think they’ll want you with a scarred face?
I could cut you and make you ugly,” he said, laughing.
    “I thought you said I was ugly enough.”
    John broke through the crowd. “You leave her out of
this, Dad.”
    She closed her eyes hoping someone would put a stop
to it.
    “What are you going to do, son? You’re a pussy and
let your sister deal with me since you left. You’ve got no dick. You’re a cunt
like the rest of them.”
    “You’re not like him, John,” Holly said. She knew
her brother feared turning out like him.
    “I didn’t leave her alone. Holly is with me every
day.”
    William snarled. “You fucking your boss as well? She’s
a slut, and all sluts need to be punished.” The glass pressed to her face.
    Holly couldn’t contain the scream. She screamed for
help. In that instant she begged, pleaded, and wished to God someone would
answer. No one answered her silent prayers, but maybe someone would answer her
now.
    A shot rang out. The sound echoed, and the arm
holding the glass dropped.
    She fell to the floor hoping to get out of firing
range. Covering her ears she tried to shut it all out.
    Arms surrounded her filling her with warmth.
    ****
    Kade held
her tightly as she shook. Her hands didn’t drop from her ears. Glancing over at
Matt he saw him restraining her father, and he was pleased his arms were around
her. If not he’d have killed the bastard. There were a few cuts on her face
from the glass, but nothing would leave any permanent damage.
    Seeing the danger she was in would stay with him
forever. She’d looked so small and fragile caught in her father’s grip. John
knelt in front of her.
    “Holly, I’m here, sweetie.”
    Her eyes opened, and she pulled away from Kade and wrapped her arms around her brother. They stood,
and he saw John breathe a sigh of relief.
    “I shouldn’t have come here,” she said. “I knew it
the moment the taxi was gone.”
    “Why did you come here?” John asked.
    “I wanted to make sure there were no other problems.
He’ll never let it slide. I needed to make sure he wasn’t planning anything.
I’m so stupid, John.”
    His brother looked at him. Kade’s heart went out to her.
    She turned to look at him. “Are you angry with me?”
she asked.
    Tugging her out of her brother’s arms, Kade inhaled her strawberry scent and hoped to calm his
raging emotions. She could have died. When he’d pulled up in the truck to see
her father kicking her, anger had filled him. There was no way she would have
come away unscathed. Her soul-shattering pleas for help would stay with him
forever.
    Steven made his way over to where they stood.
“They’re arresting her mother as well. Her brothers and sisters are putting in
a complaint. My lawyer says if they agree to live with John then he could keep
guardianship. He’s working out all the problems with it. My lawyer’s been
working on this case for the last year. From the moment I first saw her I knew
I wanted Holly. She’s the woman for us. This with her father was the final
straw. We’ve got all the witnesses to prove his rash, angry, and violent
behaviour.”
    Kade nodded
and held a shaking Holly against him. Steven reached out, stroking her hair.
“You scared the shit out of