Maverick Read online

  Maverick

  LeAnn Ashers

  Maverick

  Maverick

  Copyright © 2021 by LeAnn Ashers

  All rights reserved.

  Kyle, Jack, Ryan is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Except as permitted under the US Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author.

  Cover Designer: Regina Wamba

  Photographer: Wander Aguiar

  Editor: Aquila Editing

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Bell

  I clench my eyes closed as the social worker comes and takes away my baby. My stomach is hurting so bad, my heart aching to the point I think it’s going to burst.

  I just gave up my rights to my baby, my second baby.

  I am nineteen years old, I can’t have another baby and face this again. River starts crying as they take her from my arms and out the door without a backwards glance.

  My only ray of sunshine, my only type of hope I had in my life is gone in a split second.

  I turn away from the door, knowing that I will never see her or my other baby girl again.

  I was forced into this life. I got married when I was fourteen years old to a man twice my age.

  He seemed nice at the time. I was hoping that this was my way out of poverty and that I would actually be able to eat three meals a day.

  That hope lasted all of three seconds on our wedding night when my worst fear, one I never knew that I had, became very real.

  Everything changed in a heartbeat and I would have gone back to starving to death rather than live a second in his presence, but my life was not my own.

  What awaited me when I got home was going to be very bad. In my world the women are a prize because we are paid for.

  My husband Michael paid my family for me. He paid for my purity and that I would serve him the rest of my life, or that’s what the church tells us. They are behind everything.

  The older I get, the more I realize how messed up this thinking is.

  I gave up my daughters to protect them. I would die before I’d let them live the way I have lived.

  They would be pretty much sold in slavery, and that’s not even considering the fact that Michael is mean and I’m reminded of that fact every single day, either by his fists or other means of his.

  I close my eyes, letting the tear drift down my cheek. I’m alone in my room, the quietness piercing.

  Maybe he’ll be enraged enough that he will just end the suffering? One can hope.

  * * *

  Many years later

  I sit on the edge of the couch staring out of the window in case he comes early. He does that sometimes because he wants to make sure I’m not cheating on him or being lazy.

  My mind drifts to my daughter River, who found me. I’m not sure how she even did that, but I will never forget seeing her standing outside of my battered door.

  The second I saw her, I knew she was my daughter. For the first time since I gave her up, a little piece of me didn’t hurt.

  Then the absolute fear of him coming home and finding her almost crippled me. I bit it back and let her come inside. Seeing my daughter was more important than him ever finding her.

  She told me about her life and how she is a computer genius. Then she grew serious, telling me she’s going to find Jessica and get me out of this life.

  I smiled at her, knowing that a life like that is out of the question. I stopped dreaming a long time ago, but knowing that she is safe, she is healthy and beautiful, soothes me.

  Every single punishment I endured over the years because I gave them up was worth it.

  “I love you so much, River. I wish things could have been different. I would have given everything to be the mother you needed. I did it to protect you. I’m sure that’s hard to wrap your head around, but it’s true.” I reach down and pull my sweater closed around me so she doesn’t see my ribs through my shirt.

  Her soulful eyes fill with tears, looking at me deeply. “I know that. I saw a lot of things when I searched for you, Mom.”

  I close my eyes, letting the word mom wash over me—how I love hearing her call me that.

  I reach out and touch her hand. She holds mine, and I want to weep because this is the first kind touch I have had in many years. “He’ll be here soon. He can’t find you, honey.” I reach out and wipe her tears from her face.

  She sniffs and stands up, wrapping her arms around me. I don’t hesitate to return the hug. “Be safe, honey.” She slips out the door, looking back at me once more before getting into her car, tearing a hole into my heart.

  I sit on the couch and wait for my husband to get home. He does ten minutes later, thundering inside the house and checking every single room.

  I knew that my neighbors would tell him the second he got home, heck they probably called him at work. He wasn’t supposed to be home for hours and his dinner isn’t even ready.

  After he finishes his search, he walks toward me, his face red with anger. I close my eyes, knowing what he’s going to do, but I smile on the inside because I saw a slice of heaven today.

  A few weeks later

  Another day, the same life. I’m sitting in the kitchen thinking of what to cook for dinner for him, when I hear someone pull up outside the house.

  I push myself up out of the chair, feeling much older than my thirty-eight years. My husband has still been punishing me all of these weeks later and he gave away my heat privileges in the house while he’s gone.

  I walk to the front door and peer out of the window. I watch as a woman in her twenties gets out and stands next to another woman—River. The older woman turns to look towards the house and I almost fall to the ground.

  She is a spitting image of me—she is my daughter I know without a doubt she is my daughter.

  They come up to the door and knock, along with a man that is glued to Jessica’s side. I take a deep breath and open the door, not even worrying about the consequences of them being here.

  I come face to face with my first-born. I cover my mouth, overwhelmed. “Jessica?” I whisper shakily.

  Jessica swallows hard. I can tell she’s just as affected as I am. “It’s me. Can we talk to you?”

  I look behind them at the yard to make sure it’s safe. I nod and step back, allowing them inside of my prison.

  They stand around and stare at me. “Do you want to sit down?” Jessica asks me, and I slowly walk to the recliner, ignoring the pang in my stomach.

  Jessica sits down in front of me. “I don’t know where to start.” She laughs slightly and some of the anxiety leaves me. I want her to like me so bad, both of them.

  “River found me, and she told me of your situation here.”

  My eyes widen. I never really expected that River would tell someone of my life here. I’m not sure how she even knows how bad it is here.

  I gather my courage. “It killed me to give you girls up, but I didn’t want you to have a bad life. I couldn’t give you a good one, because I�
�ve been trapped in a marriage to someone I was forced to marry at fourteen years old.”

  Jessica and River both look shocked. “Fourteen years old?” That’s not even legal, is it?” Jessica asks me.

  I wish it wasn’t legal then. “I’m not from here originally; I’m from Kentucky, and it was legal there when I was a child. My parents were poor and they chose someone for me. He was almost thirty, and I had just turned fourteen.” I swallow hard, running my hands down my legs, trying to stop the shaking.

  Then I decide to be completely honest. I want them to understand that I didn’t want to give them up. I want so desperately for them to understand.

  “It’s been nothing short of hell here, and I couldn’t bring my kids into this world. I’m sorry I gave you up, but I did it to protect you in my own way. I can’t even protect myself.” I catch my breath, trying to stop the panic attack from overwhelming me. “From him,” I finish.

  I look at Jessica. “I had you when I was fifteen.” I turn to look at River. “And I had you when I was nineteen.” I turn my focus back to Jessica. “I almost died when I had you, Jessica. I was really small for my age, and underweight—it was hard.”

  I see the man next to her tighten his grip on her hand. I can tell that he loves my girl and it makes me happy that she has that.

  Jessica leans closer and takes my hands. “If you had a chance to leave, would you?”

  I nod without hesitation. ‘I want to get out of here. I tried to leave, but he found me and I was in the hospital for weeks for how bad I was beaten. I have no family, no money…” I trail off because the possibility of me leaving here diminishes every day.

  Jessica tightens her hand on mine. “You have family. We came here today to get you out of here.”

  My entire world implodes. I did not expect that. “But why would you want to do that, after everything that I did?” I whisper, my heart aching with so many emotions.

  She smiles. “You did it to protect us. You were fifteen years old; that was so brave.”

  I look at River and she has tears in her eyes.

  “Okay.” I nod and let the tears that I haven’t dared let fall trickle down my face.

  Jessica wraps her arms around me. I let the pain I’ve been feeling for so long go and just weep for myself, for my kids and the life I have suffered for so long.

  “Wait, what’s your name?” she asks. I laugh and wipe the tears from my face “Isabella, Bell for short.”

  Jessica stands. “Want to pack your things and we can get out of here?” she asks.

  I push myself out of the chair, trying to hide how horrible I’m feeling. My husband never really cared to make sure I was fed. He monitored everything I ate because he didn’t want his wife overweight.

  But it’s gotten extreme because of River visiting me and I wouldn’t tell him who she was to protect her.

  “Do you mind if we invite our friends in?” Jessica asks, looking to the door.

  “Of course not.”

  The guy with Jessica walks over and opens the door, and two girls and two guys walk inside.

  I walk into my bedroom, not looking at the bed because I can’t stomach the sight of it.

  I usually lay in my bed long enough for my husband to do what he wants to do with me, then I crawl down onto the floor, then get right back up before he wakes up for his breakfast.

  Shaking away the memories, I gather one of my old bags from the closest, trying to ignore the fact that these people are seeing me at my absolute most vulnerable.

  I place some of my clothes into the bag, and a cold draft of air drifts over me, causing me to shiver hard. “I’m sorry it’s cold in here. He doesn’t like the heat on unless he’s home,” I explain quickly.

  Then I’m hit with anger at the thought of this being my life for so long and that he begrudges me the simplest requirements in life.

  I spin around and look over at the thermostat. Stomping over, I turn the heat on. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?” I ask myself more than the girls.

  We all get busy packing the rest of my things, just as Jessica’s phone rings and she puts the phone up to her face, grinning.

  A lady’s voice comes over the phone. “He just said a word, he said momma!”

  Jessica’s eyes flash beautifully. “How is Mommy’s baby?” she coos, and I hear a lot of baby talk over the phone.

  She gets off of the phone and looks at me. “You have a baby?”

  She smiles. “You have a grandchild.”

  My whole body warms with joy. I am a grandmother. “That makes me so happy.” I close up my bag, fully packed.

  “Ready?” Jessica asks, taking my bag from me.

  She takes my hand and River takes the other, leading me out of the room.

  In the living room, the guy with Jessica walks over. “Oh, this is Chase, Chase this is Bell,” she introduces us.

  “It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my girl.” I smile at him softly. I know without a doubt that he loves my girl from the way he looks at her.

  “Ready to go?”

  I take a deep breath. “Yes, I’m more than ready to go.”

  The front door slams open. I freeze in complete terror, knowing that Michael’s home and he’s going to witness my leaving. “Bitch, what did I say about turning the heat on!” he yells at the top of his lungs, slamming the door shut and facing all of us.

  Chase and the other guys move in front of us, basically covering all of us with their bodies.

  His eyes move to Jessica, then to River and then back to me. “What the fuck did you do, bitch?” he snarls, sending shivers up my spine and slinging his arm in my direction.

  I’m sickened to even be in his presence. It takes everything in me not to scream for the girls to leave.

  Jessica and River tighten their hold on my hands. “It’s okay, we will protect you. He can’t hurt you anymore,” Jessica whispers in my ear.

  “Angel, why don’t you ladies go on out to the vehicle?” Chase asks and hands Jessica the key.

  The guys surround us and lead us to the door while my husband screams, “Bitch, where the fuck are you going? Get back here!’

  The door is slammed shut behind us and I get inside of the SUV. I look at the house, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will never be back inside of that.

  1

  Bell

  A few days later

  The adjustment to my new life has been hard, but it’s been almost the easiest thing I have ever done.

  I just slept and slept because I was so emotionally exhausted and for so many years I never fully rested.

  Today I’m going to the doctor to do a full checkup. I haven’t been to a doctor since I got married, unless I was giving birth or close to death from being beaten.

  But this is bliss. I never realized the pleasure in small things in life like simply being able to just eat in peace.

  Michael monitored every single thing I ate because he didn’t want me to get fat.

  And that’s not even counting the abuse I suffered at his hands. I can’t even think about it right now. I also know that I need to see a therapist, to work out the things that have been ingrained in my mind.

  I gave up on the idea of love a long time ago. I was wary of Michael at first because I’ve seen what men are capable of first-hand.

  But the more time I’ve been out of that life, the more I realize how weird my situation was. He threatened daily to tell the leaders in the church that I was supposedly misbehaving. I did attend the church with him, but I had to sit and be the dutiful wife. The ladies in the church were not allowed to converse with each other.

  It was weird, the way we dressed and how we were supposed to act. Honestly, I think it was a cult. I was a part of a cult and I never even realized it until I got a taste of life.

  We pull up in front of the doctor’s office and I squash the nerves, because in the end there’s nothing in this world that can be worse than what I have suffered.r />
  It’s a blur as I’m checked in and taken straight back to a room, where my blood is drawn and I’m ordered to pee into a cup. Then I change into a gown.

  “When was the last time you were examined?” the doctor asks.

  “When I gave birth to River,” I confess, I squeeze my girl’s hand, gathering my courage. “I feel like I need to tell you, I’ve been sexually assaulted regularly by my husband since I was fourteen years old. Well, up until a few days ago.”

  It’s like a huge burden has been lifted off. I feel like I needed to speak those words out loud. I don't want it to be this huge secret.

  “I’m not going to be ashamed of what happened. I will not let myself feel bad for any of it. It was not my fault. I was forced into that life. It’s time for me to be happy and feel good about myself.”

  I’m not sure where this strength has come from, but I’m thrilled. I’ve gotten a part of myself back, one I thought I lost a long time ago.

  I’m settled into the bed and I immediately go back into my safe place, the place that has managed to keep me sane over the years.

  The doctor covers me, and I sit up and wait for her to speak. “You need to take it easy after a while. You need to rest and heal. I’m going to prescribe you some antibiotics for any kind of infection.” She hands me the script then turns serious. “You are way underweight; you need some proper nutrition.” She hands me an eating plan in a small booklet.

  I get clothed again and I’m so glad this is over. It wasn’t as bad as I originally thought it was going to be.

  Hunter my grandson is at Chase’s mother’s house. Chase had some work today in his office. Jessica, River and I walk out into the truck and I smile at the warm sun beaming down at us.