Page 21 of Untouchable
The hatred seeping from her pores takes me aback. I knew the sisters were disliked by their family because of how they escaped, but I hadn’t realized just how much.
“Sage should be burning in hell.”
“She would have been easier to get to,” I point out. I’m not sure I believe that, however. Lochlan is obsessed with his wife, and there’s not much he wouldn’t do to protect her.
“She’s not the one who told the world about our life, allowed the hate to reach my father behind bars where he’s helpless and can’t defend himself. Especially against the allegations that are always made against him. He was a good man!” She screams the last part; she’s starting to crack.
“A good man wouldn’t plan to have his underage daughter raped by a man as old as him.” I hit the mark with that comment.
“She would have deserved it. Sage is a whore who needed to learn to shut her mouth and open her legs.” Folding her arms across her chest, Kaidence looks towards the door like she’s expecting someone to come save her.
“That what happened to you?”
It nearly happened to Jossilyn by her own father. Instead, he whipped her for an hour with his belt until she was bleeding. I know without her having told me, he’d done it on multiple occasions.
“What’s it to you?”That’s a yes.
“It would explain a few things, for one. Was it your father?”Eyeroll.“Did he allow others to do it?”Scoff.“Do it to Anastasia, as well?”Silence.“Was your mother aware?” I lean forward this time, watching the little ticks around her mouth that give away far more than her words. “You know it was wrong, don’t you? That shouldn’t have happened to any of you.” I say the words, but I can tell they’re not getting through to her.
When our eyes meet, I see the soullessness, and I realize that nothing I say or do will get her to betray her father and whoever she’s working with, which I suspect more and more might be her mother or someone closely associated with her father. One of the deacons from his church, perhaps.
“You don’t have to tell me. It doesn’t really matter because you’re going to prison for a list of charges longer than my arm, but you need to consider how long you’ll be able to last behind bars because, Kaidence, this is no fucking joke. There’s no one that’ll be able to help you once I leave this room.”
“Why would you help me?” she spits out. I raise a brow in answer; the reason should be apparent. “Whatever. I don’t want your or her help, anyway. She deserves everything I did to her.”
Shaking my head, I stand to leave but pause at the door before opening it. “Last chance to tell me who you’re working with because I know you didn’t do all of this alone.” She remains stubbornly silent, so I try one last thing. “You can’t protectherforever.”
“Mother is just fine on her own.” My expression turns predatory as her eyes widen.
“Thanks.” I leave the room as she starts screaming and yelling at me about how I tricked her.
“You got more out of her than we have in the twelve hours she’s been here.” The detective stares, slightly dumbfounded.
“The hatred in that girl runs deep. You need to get your hands on that mother because the woman is every bit as crazy as their father.” He nods and rushes off to make some phone calls.
Seeing Porter in the waiting area, I go over to him. “It’s my mother helping her, isn’t it?” I nod. He sighs. Sadness lines his eyes. “I knew they would do anything to ruin Sage; she’s always been her own feisty spirit, but Joss was different. They almost coveted her. She was protected and paraded around like a prize most of her life.”
“I think that’s why. They figured she’d always come back. That she’d return to the fold.” I knew she never would. There’s been too much taken away from these kids in this family for them to live the way they used to.
You can’t go back to prison after finding freedom. There’s no fucking way. Especially after the way they were raised.
“You getting help, Porter?” I finally ask him, and he looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“That shit didn’t happen to us,” he responds, but I recognize the pain in his eyes. The soul-deep agony over what the fuck he had to witness to survive.
“You were there, though. You knew what happened, and I bet feeling pretty fucking helpless. The mind is a tricky thing, Port. Don’t let it take you down.” He swallows roughly before nodding his head.
“Our mother really part of this?” His tone indicates he doesn’t want it to be true.
“If Kaidence isn’t lying, then yes, I believe so. I’ve suspected for a while that it was at least two of them, but I thought the sisters for sure.” He nods and looks away for a minute.
“Joss has missed them; they’re family, and I know she’d love to have a relationship if it were possible, but this is going to fuck with her, man. It’s going to wreck her. Don’t let her dive back into her head and ignore the world around her because she will.”
My entire life, I’ve seen all kinds of fucked up families and situations around the world, but nothing has compared to what the Marlowe family has been through. The things the parents willingly did to their children and allowed to happen to them shouldn’t be possible. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the system is broken. Humanity is at a loss at how to help themselves, let alone each other, and there are too many innocents slipping through the cracks.
“I won’t. She’s my priority. I’ll make sure she gets all the help she needs, and Port…” I grip his shoulder so he’ll meet my stare. “I’ll help you and Trusen also.”
He chokes up and nods again. “I’d like to help you bring my mother in. I think she might listen if I’m there.”