Free Coming Home Again (A Coming Home Again Novel Book 1) by T.I. Lowe Page B

begin,” Evan said as he walked around the counter towards me,
startling me again. He was only wearing a pair of shorts. His bronze chest was
striking, and my focus was glued there on its own accord. “You enjoying the
view, little miss?” He laughed with too much self-assuredness. Punching the
cocky son of a gun in the gut is what I really wanted to do in that moment. I
was trembling in anger. I felt caught in his snare, and I knew he had won. And
boy did that tick me off something fierce. Yet, I stood there froze in fear.
    I looked
over to give Julia a questioning look, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. Something
was wrong, besides the fact she was nearly naked. I looked back to Evan as he
eased closer to me like an animal stalking his prey. He had a half-emptied liquor
bottle in one hand and was rubbing his chest with the other hand.
    “It’s time
for a toast, my beauties.” His words came out in a slur. “Pick up your glass,
my sweet Rose.” He nodded his head towards the glass that I had not noticed
sitting on the table before her. It was filled with the amber liquid. She
hesitantly picked it up, but paused. He made a tilting motion towards his mouth
with his empty hand, and she mimicked him with taking a sip. Her eyes seemed to
tear up and she shuttered a bit as she swallowed.
    “That’s my
girl,” he crooned. He eased uncomfortably close to me and draped his arm around
my waist. “Oh ladies. We are going to have such fun tonight,” he whispered
against my neck. He then moved to stand in front of me, and held my cheek as
his glassy eyes studied me. “Now it’s Miss Firecracker’s turn.” The words came
out like an order as he held the bottle to my mouth.
    I jerked away and shook my head in protest.
    “No? That’s
not the way a party works,” he said lazily with a crooked grin. He offered the
bottle again. I still didn’t take it.
    “Just drink
it, Savannah,” Julia gently urged. I looked over at her, but she still wouldn’t
look at me.
    Before I
could refuse again, Evan grasped ahold of my jaw tightly in his hand. While
holding my mouth open, he tilted the bottle up and began pouring the harsh
liquor too quickly. I started gagging and ended up spraying the vile stuff all
over his bare chest. He slid his grip to my neck to hold me in place as he
drained the remnants in the bottle before setting it down.
    “Now,
now…we don’t waste, little miss. You’ve made quite a mess on me.” He ran his
free hand over his wet chest. “Now you are going to just have to lick it off.”
    I stood in shock
at his words. Was he serious? How could this be happening? I felt like I was
stuck in some bizarre dream I couldn’t escape. My stomach turned with having to
take in anymore of the harsh mess, much less having to place my tongue on him.
He dragged me closer, urging my mouth on his chest and held my head firmly
there. He was nearly smothering me into his chest. I had no other choice but to
do as he said. A combination of liquor and sweat caused me to gag constantly,
but he held me there mercilessly until he was satisfied with my cleanup
efforts. This man is the dirtiest chore .
    He pulled
me back to my feet and looked me over through hooded eyes. After an
uncomfortable kiss, Evan released me and headed over to Julia. He held his hand
out and gestured for her to join him. “Come on, my sweet Rose. Come dance with
me.”
    She stood
stiffly, and that was when I noticed the bruises blooming along her thighs and
back. Confusion cinched my gut as I tried to comprehend why she was riddled
with bruises. Had he beaten her? Why? Evan and Rose circled the room in a slow dance. My heart raced as I watched my
sister quietly cry while dancing with that devil. Their dance eventually led
them upstairs, and I was left in the middle of the kitchen alone, in shock and
standing in a large puddle of urine.
    I gradually
unglued my feet and shuffled upstairs to my room. I could hear noises that I
didn’t want to identify coming