Page 40 of A Dove To Break (The Dove Institute Collection #1)

Alania

It’s morning now. We spent the evening talking to Cian about my childhood and who I was growing up.

I learned a lot about my uncle and my parents.

I wish I had gotten a chance to meet them and actually remember, but maybe it’s for the best that I don’t have to experience their death twice.

Cian told me that a child psychologist saw me for a few weeks because I wasn’t talking after my parents died.

I completely shut down, which is why it took so long for him to get me with anyone.

I clung to him day and night. I slowly opened up again, and then I was moved to be with Edward.

I ended up falling asleep well after midnight, so we all just stayed there.

This morning, I woke to the smell of bacon and ended up finding all four men in the kitchen cooking. I love to see how they are getting along. Once breakfast was ready, we ate, chatted, and laughed.

Now, we are all packed into the SUV, driving toward the facility where Mom is.

Do I call her Vanessa? I don’t know. I’m sitting between Brent and Cian in the back seat.

I am holding back my laughter because of what we did in here.

Brent keeps looking over at me with a grin, but when Raul looks back from the passenger seat and winks, I burst out laughing.

“What is up with you?!” Cian asks.

“Don’t ask that. She’ll tell you,” Raul chuckles.

“They attacked me,” I say with a shrug. “It was violent.”

“Oh God,” Cian laughs.

“She screamed a lot,” Raul chimes in.

“Not with a…” Adrian starts to say.

“Adrian Santos!” I gasp. “My uncle’s in the car, you pervy man.”

“I’ll show you pervy man, you little brat,” Adrian says as he reaches back and squeezes my knee.

I hold back my laugh and say, “ Why are you groping my Uncle, Adrian?” I laugh hard when he yanks his hand away, prompting Cian, Brent, and Raul to laugh with me.

“I’m going to bend you over my knee, Little Dove,” Adrian warns.

“From how you were grabbing at Cian, it might be him you want to spank,” I giggle.

“You are just like your Momma,” Cian says with a smile.

“Both of them,” Brent adds.

“Bred and raised, she’s a brat to the core,” Adrian muses.

“You’ll save me, won’t you, Uncle Cian?” I say with big, innocent eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Cian laughs. “Damnit, girl. I just got you back. Your husband might kick my ass if I try to get you out of trouble.”

“Lame,” I laugh.

“Ready?” Adrian asks, shifting into park.

“Ugh,” I groan. “Yeah.”

We all get out and walk inside. Brent talks to the receptionist before we are led into a waiting area. I pace around for a while before a man comes in.

“Hi. I am Dr. Shaffer,” he says. “Brently, you told me a little bit about what’s going on. Now, Vanessa is of sound mind. She is functioning, but she has severe CPTSD. She endured significant trauma, but she’s opened up entirely and doesn’t seem to understand that what she endured is abuse.”

“We just need for her to remember a location,” I say.

“She has her memories, but it’s a matter of her willingness to go against your father.”

“He’s not my father,” I snap, but close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Any advice off the record?” Brent asks.

“Well… She will never be able to be self-sustaining. She will always need help because she’s essentially been broken down so badly,” the doctor says.

“If she were my mother and I were in your position… push her till she tells you. She’s already broken and in a permanent state of quiet cheerfulness.

You can’t do anything worse than what she’s already experienced over the last thirty-five years. ”

“Medically?” I ask.

“I’d advise that you seek alternative methods to obtain the information,” he says simply.

I look at Brent, and he is lost in thought. This is his mother. His real mother. “We will see her,” Brent says simply. The doctor nods and waves us along to walk out of the room with him.

We go through an area that looks a lot like a common area before we step into a bedroom. It is pristine. “Hey, Momma,” I say carefully. She spins around, and as soon as she sees us, her eyes light up.

“ Alania!” she says happily. “Brently! You came. Did your father come with…”

“No, Momma,” I say. “Come sit with us. We need to talk to you.”

“Is it about why I’m here? Your father won’t like me being away from home for so long,” she says as she walks over and sits with us in a small sitting area off on one side of her room.

“Momma, do you know this man?” I ask, pointing at Cian. “Last time you saw him, I was just a girl. You started taking care of me. Remember?”

“Hey, Vanessa,” Cian says softly. “Can I sit with you?”

“Uhm… my husband won’t like that,” she says, not making eye contact.

“I’ll sit across from you then,” he says. “Do you remember me, Vanessa?”

“Y-Yes,” Mom stammers. “Edward won’t like it if I'm talking to you alone. I’m not allowed…”

“Edward is in a lot of trouble, Vanessa,” Cian says gently. “Do you remember what he promised me?”

“That he’d take care of Alania,” Mom admits. “He did. She…”

“He raped me, Momma. The whole time,” I say. She looks at me with horror on her face.

“He wouldn’t…”

“I was six, Momma. He forced himself into my mouth. Do you remember when I broke my arm?” I ask.

“Yeah, but he loved…”

“I bit him, Momma. I was scared because I couldn’t breathe. He slapped me off the bed and I fell on my arm,” I say. “Every night, he would come to my room to hurt me. If I got in trouble, he’d tape my mouth shut or wait until no one was home so he could tie me to my bed and whip me.”

“Alania…”

“I know you didn’t know,” I say. “When I went to that school, he paid someone to kill me. Fredrico.” Mom flinches at his name, so I say it again. “Do you know Fredrico?”

“H-He… He’s a bad man,” she whispers. “You’ve got to stay away from him, baby.”

“He’s dead,” I tell her, sad at the way she relaxes. “He tried to kill me, but Adrian saved me. He’s the one I married.”

“Is he… How are things?” she asks.

“I love him. He’s really good to me. He’s nothing like Edward,” I admit. “He shot my friend a few days ago. He wanted me to do something, and I said no, so he shot her.”

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Mom says tearfully. “What did he want you to do?”

I look at Brent because I don’t know how to word this without sounding crass. “He was trying to get her to suck him off, Ma. The parking lot had video and audio recording.”

“He wouldn’t do that. He loves you two,” Mom says, shaking her head. “Alania. Maybe you aren’t remembering…”

“Do you want to see it?” Brent asks her. I look over at the doctor with wide eyes.

“Vanessa, the video is very graphic,” Dr. Shaffer says. “Be sure before you watch because you can’t undo that.”

“I want to see. If someone hurt my baby… I promised I’d take care of her,” Mom says to Brent. “Your father made you believe that she was your sister, but… It was easier not to argue.”

“I know, Ma,” Brent says, pressing okay on his phone and handing it to her. The sound is on and loud. There is a lot of background noise, but you can hear us talking.”

Mom gasps and covers her mouth when the sound of him slapping me echoes through the room.

“Suck my cock like the good little whore I taught you to be, or you’ll regret it,” Edward demands.

I close my eyes and wait for it. The sound of a shot and my screams coming through the speakers takes me right back to that parking lot.

The room starts spinning, and I can’t slow it down. My breaths are coming in short bursts, and I can’t focus. “Hey. You’re okay,” Adrian says as he takes my face between his hands. “You’re safe. Okay?”

“I know. I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Don’t apologize,” Adrian says.

With tear-filled eyes, I look up at the woman who raised me.

“Momma… He’s hurt us. He’s hurt you so badly…

he does the same nasty things to you, doesn’t he?

Pushes too far down your throat and mocks you when you throw up?

Whips you until your body is numb and cold?

He’s a bad man, Momma. I know you love him.

I know you want to protect him because that’s what he taught you to do, but I need help now, Momma. Can you help me?”

“I’m so sorry,” Mom cries.

“We need to find him so he can’t hurt either of you ever again,” Brent says, squeezing her hand. “You know me, Ma. I’d never lie to you. Right?”

“You’re a good boy, Brently,” she sniffs and cups his cheek.

“You’ve got to choose, Ma. Protect him or protect Alania,” Brent says gently.

“He’ll kill me,” Mom whispers.

“No, Ma, he will never ever touch you again. Ever. No matter what you decide, he will never be able to hurt you again. You can live in peace,” Brent says. “I promise.”

“I don’t know where he is, though.”

“The cabin,” I say. “Your dad owned it. He’d be there. Do you know the address?”

“1456 Cherry Hill Drive. It’s off Highway 85,” she says with a defeated sigh before looking at Adrian. “You keep my girl safe, ya hear? Don’t be like the man in that video. Be who she deserves.”

“We treat her like a queen, ma’am,” Adrian says warmly. “She will be safe.”

“Cian…”

“I’ll take care of him, Vanessa. You stay here and get better. Okay?” Cian says. She nods before jumping up and coming over to hug me.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” she sobs. All I can do is hold her fragile body and try to soothe her the way she’d soothe me when I had nightmares. She quickly starts to dissociate from reality, so Brent picks Mom up and takes her to lie on her bed.

When we step back into the hall, the doctor sighs. “Well… that either completely broke her… Or she might find her way out of the dark. I didn’t expect her to be so receptive, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by protective mother instincts.”

“She is still listed with no name?” Brent asks.

“Yes. There is no record of her in the system,” Dr. Shaffer confirms. “I will update you on how she does over the next few days.”

“Thanks,” we all say.

When we get back to the truck, everyone turns to me. “What?” I ask.

“You aren’t going,” Adrian says. “And before you argue, understand that I am doing this to protect you.”

“Seriously?” I ask with a deadpan expression.

“Yes, Little Dove,” he tells me. “If you freeze, even for a second, he will kill you. I know you want to be there, and I want you to be there, but we cannot risk you getting hurt.”

“What about y’all?” I snap. “What if y’all get hurt and I am just at home alone, wondering where you are?”

“We won’t get hurt, baby,” Adrian says softly.

“Just take me home,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Alania…” he starts to say.

“No. Just fucking drive. Clearly, you just don’t want me to fuck everything up. Take me home, and y’all can do whatever the fuck you want,” I say harshly. Adrian sighs and turns back to start the engine. I say nothing and sulk for the entire drive home.

When we stop in front of the house, Cian gets out so I can also. Before I can storm off, he pulls me into a hug. “I know you don’t know me well, Alania, but please know that I don’t think you are fragile. I don’t think they do either, but they are scared.”

“I appreciate that, but if they really thought that, they would have gotten out of the fucking truck to tell me that themselves.”

“I can’t argue with that, kid,” Cian sighs. I turn and walk toward the house, but stop when I hear Adrian.

“Alania,” Adrian says gently.

“What?” I shout at him.

“Can we at least get a hug before we go?” His voice is filled with emotion, and it hurts, but so does him forcing me to stay at home.

“Hug yourself, asshole. Fuck you,” I seethe. I can almost hear the heartbreak as I turn and stomp into the house.