Dawn

I was in awe, and couldn’t believe I was allowed to hold the baby. She was so little. I had no idea what I was doing, and was more than glad they showed me what to do. Holding Lilly, all my panic disappeared; having something to focus on helped. I couldn’t resist giving a little smile as Kaleb joked about not knowing what to do at first, either.

Elijah’s whispered words shocked me, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. I wasn’t sure if I could have kids, let alone even want any. Could I see myself ever having any of my own? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if I wanted to have a baby to begin with.

* * *

“Who do you think you can trick?” Erick snarled as he stormed into the cell where I was huddled into the corner by the sink. I had taken to hiding there after Morgan had dragged me back after I was used by some nameless man. I was fifteen, and my stomach was beginning to swell.

“Erick,” Morgan warned.

“Don’t even start. You know she can’t be pregnant,” Erick yelled. “I don’t know how Galvin had let this go on for so long.”

“She wasn’t showing until this week, Erick,” Morgan said calmly. “You don’t need to do it this way.”

“No spawn of mine is allowed to leave this place,” Erick sneered as he lifted me up from the floor by my hair. He punched my slightly rounded stomach, knocking the breath out of me. I fell to the floor, gasping tearfully, where he then kicked me over and over until Morgan pulled him away and shoved him out the door. I couldn’t move as I sobbed in pain.

“I’m sorry, child,” Morgan said as he injected something into my arm after kneeling next to me. “I would have made sure it would have gone to a good home.”

Why was he so nice all of a sudden? He’d never given me such care, so what was he after? It wasn’t just to save me, that's for sure.

At the time, I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t understand that I was pregnant, or why I was being punished. I barely even knew what I was being forced to do. I just did what the men wanted so I wouldn’t get hit or tied up all the time. Between the lack of sleep and food, everything seemed so dulled.

My hope was completely shattered when I woke some time later. I was covered in blood and after birth, and parts of the gown stuck to my skin. I shouldn’t have taken a closer look.

There, laying surrounded by blood, was a lifeless little body. The fetus was twenty-nine weeks old. There was just skin and bones, and tiny like a baby doll would have been. It’s toes and fingers still had webs as didgets.

I screamed and moved as far away as I could, but couldn’t take my eyes off the thing. My screaming alerted Morgan, who had been out in the hall.

He was in front of me, silencing me by kissing me. He always liked to kiss me, saying he would be my Daddy, and save me from this hell when I was no longer any use to Galvin. I wanted to spit in his face, but I had learned not to.

I hated it when he wanted me to call him Daddy.

“Hey now,” he cooed after backing away and running his finger along my nose. His dark eyes glinted with something I couldn’t name. Something that promised pain upon pain as he pretended to care. “None of that. We don’t want Erick knowing you’re awake.”

* * *

“You don’t have to answer, but how old were you when you lost your baby?” Kelly asked quietly, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Fifteen,” I answered after a pause. “It never happened again. Morgan made sure.”

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, her voice soft.

“He’d give me injections of something,” I answered. I hated those shots. They made me sick for a day afterward.

“The depo shot,” she said but continued, seeing I was confused. “It’s a shot that prevents pregnancies and stops the monthly menstrual cycle.”

“Oh,” I said, wrinkling my nose. That could make sense; my periods were very light, if I even had one.

“So, how do you like it here? I know where you were before, but not all your history,” she said. I watched in fascination as she easily removed the wet diaper and put a new one on Lilly.

“It’s warmer here,” I answered, bringing my legs up to my chest. “And I can have food.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Everything . . . but cheese sandwiches. That’s the only thing I got to eat there. Dried, moldy bread, and cheese,” I replied, feeling at ease with her.

“Understandable,” she said. “Have you been outside at all?”

I shook my head. It really didn’t occur to me to even ask or to try. I missed the sun and the fresh air, but I could live with just staying in the window to get whatever I could.

“We’ll have to change that once we have better weather. It’s pretty chilly out this time of year,” Kelly said. “But you do need a swimsuit so you can use Elijah’s pool.”

“What?” I asked, shocked. “I . . . I can’t swim.”

“Oh, Sug,” Kelly said softly, laying a hand over my own. “It doesn’t matter if you can swim or not; the pool is only five feet deep, so no worries. There’s also a hot tub that fits at least ten people.”

“Oh . . .” I replied with wide eyes. I’d never been in a pool or a hot tub. The idea sounded appealing—if Elijah allowed me to.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to go grab Eli’s laptop so we can order you some clothes. I expect you need things men don’t really think about,” Kelly smiled and stood. “If Lilly cries, you can pick her up, okay?”

I simply nodded, still stuck on the idea of being able to do something I wanted to do. I didn’t expect Kaleb and Kelly to be so nice. They made me feel included, like I belonged. Morgan was the only one who had been halfway nice to me, even though he was also the one who made me do things I didn’t want to, and the one that took me from my home. He seemed like he couldn’t decide how to handle me. When we were alone, Morgan was nice, and almost sweet and tender. He would teach me how to please Master Galvin the best, and how to stay on his good side.

Then when he was there, among others, he’d ignored me or egg people on, alongside Galvin. On many accounts, Morgan was the one being egged on and he never once seemed to care what he was doing to me, even when I was crying and begging him to stop. He’d use me, hit me, and yell at me, making me dig myself more and more into the pit of darkness. He used me for sex, just like the others.

Kelly was back shortly, holding Elijah’s computer. She checked on her baby before sitting back down next me. She opened the lid and entered into some store’s website, as she explained the whole thing to me on how to get there. We spent some time looking at the different clothes and styles. Kelly let me pick what I wanted and liked, not once saying anything about what I couldn’t have. I found a cute two-piece tank top type swimsuit with shorts in a dark purple color. It was simple and covered much more than most of the styles that she pointed out to me. I also picked out some shorts, tank tops, pj’s, pants, sweaters, and shirts that would last the winter.

“Once summer rolls around, we can order more summer clothes for you,” Kelly said once she’d placed the order.

Elijah and Kaleb came back out of the office to join us, and said they were ordering pizza for a late lunch.

“So, how much am I out?” Elijah said through a laugh as he took his bank card from Kelly. He took a seat next to me again, pulling me to his side where I didn’t complain. He made me feel safe and protected.

“Three hundred,” Kelly answered. “Not as much as I would spend in one order.”

“That’s it?” Elijah asked half shocked. “I figured with you, it would have been more.”

“I could have easily, but it was tough enough to get Dawn to let me know what she liked. And most of its clothes and shoes she will need until summer. If she fills out any with the healthy diet, she may need a bigger size in a few months.”

“Oh, by the way, Dawn, my dad sent a text to me, and all the results came back clean,” Elijah said near my ear where only I could be able to hear him. “No STDs. You are borderline anemic, but that should get straightened out since you have a better diet. If not, you’ll have to start taking iron pills.”

I was glad there were no health issues I needed to worry about.

As they talked back and forth, I sat there quietly. I knew these three had a great friendship, and I envied that as I watched them joke with one another. With the envy, I felt guilt. I shouldn’t be feeling jealous. I was a nobody. I didn’t deserve to feel accepted; I was just a slave.

“Dawn?” Elijah said beside me.

I looked up at him, hoping to tamper down my feelings.

“Are you okay?” he asked, gently cupping my cheek in his palm. I leaned into it, closing my eyes at his touch. “What were you thinking about?”

The ringing of the doorbell saving me from having to come clean.

I excused myself to the bathroom.

I splashed my face with lukewarm water, hoping I could get my thoughts and emotions under control. I looked in the mirror; I couldn’t see anything special about myself. My dull green eyes were lined with tiredness. My face was thin from lack of food but was just now starting to fill out, so it wasn’t all just skin and bones. My black hair was half limp, half curly. It did have more shine than a few weeks ago. Sighing, I left the bathroom and followed the smell of pizza and the clatter the three made in the kitchen.

“Hey, Princess,” Kaleb smiled as he noticed me at the kitchen entryway. “We got a plain pepperoni pizza, or a pizza that has all the works. Which do you want?”

“Pepperoni?” I answered—more of a question. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had pizza.

“Coming right up!” Kaleb smiled as he placed a piece of pizza and handed me a plate. I took a seat next to Elijah at the table, who was busy eating his own pizza, covered in many different types of meat and veggies.

I couldn’t contain a small moan at my first bite. It was filled with cheese and flavor. Feeling eyes on me, I blushed as I looked up. Elijah was staring at me with surprise before he got his look under control.

“Um, good pizza?” He grinned while Kaleb laughed. At least Kelly would keep her thoughts on the matter to herself, although she was smiling while looking between the two of us.

“Yes, Sir,” I said, looking back down at the pizza. I could feel my cheeks heat.

I made sure to not let any more sounds come out as I finished most of the piece.

“You done?” Elijah asked as Kelly got up to tend to her crying baby.

“Yes, Sir,” I said. He instantly got up and took care of my plate before I had the chance. Once he’d put the dishes away, he led me back to the living room, where Kaleb and Kelly were sitting on the loveseat. I sat down next to Elijah, who didn’t waste any time to wrap an arm around me. I leaned into him, feeling full and content.

“I can’t believe we’ve been friends for almost seven years already,” Kaleb said.

“If it weren’t for you, Kaleb, I wouldn’t be sitting here. I probably would have been stuck at an easy cop job,” Elijah replied. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

“Me either. I still can’t get over the fact that you two knew each other from the BDSM club,” Kelly said. “And I still want to see you two together sometime,” she left off.

“Not gonna happen, sis,” Elijah laughed good naturally. “I think I’m good where I am.”

“You . . . what?” I asked, confused and shocked, looking between the two.

“He helped me learn to have control in a healthier way. He’s a Dom, like myself, and once Kaleb met Kelly, he guided me into how to be one,” Elijah asked. “Does that bother you?”

“No,” I answered quickly.

“We don’t share, with anyone, so it’s just a fantasy that won’t ever be fulfilled. I’m more than okay with that, since Kaleb is great at what he does. We do some scenes at the club sometimes, but haven’t for over a year now,” Kelly smiled up at Kaleb.

Of course, my face grew warm, and I hid it against Elijah’s arm, making him laugh.

It wasn’t long afterward the two guests left with their baby, leaving me half asleep as I laid my head in Elijah’s lap. He played with my hair as he turned the TV on to the news. The sun had set a while ago, and I didn’t want to move from this spot, enjoying the quiet of the house.

Here, I felt content, and almost safe. It wasn’t something I would ever take for granted.