Chapter 2 #2
Allister scrubbed a hand over the side of his face before looking at Trent.
“I feel terrible asking you to take her on. She should be my responsibility, but every other attempt I’ve made has failed.
” He swallowed a mouthful of his whisky.
“There’s another thing you need to know before making your decision.
” Guilt flowed from the man in an almost palpable wave.
“She tried to take her own life… with my razor.”
A picture of his mother’s lifeless body flashed in Trent’s mind. “I’ll take her.” He hadn’t been able to save her, but perhaps he could help Samantha.
All three men looked at him.
“I’ll take her,” he said again.
Ash’s lips turned up slowly. “Good man.”
* * *
After spending an hour on her knees beside her bed, Samantha got up and stretched. She never actually prayed, but she’d learned very quickly at Auburn Ridge that pretending to do so kept her safe from punishment. Now, she found emotional comfort in the position, but it still made her knees hurt.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stared across the room. A constant feeling of dread had settled over her last night, and she’d taken to hiding in her room. Gwen had come in to make sure she was alright but hadn’t said a word about her fleeing from the gaming floor, or the incident with Michael.
A knock startled her, but the door didn’t open, which meant it wasn’t one of the ladies. What if it was Ash? What would happen if he threw her out on the streets? Would Simon take her in again? Even after everything she’d done? Heart pounding, she walked across the room and opened the door.
“Simon.” Her fear dissipated, but shame immediately took its place. Her brother must know about what she’d done, or at least tried to do, with Michael.
“Don’t I get hugs anymore?”
She threw herself into his warm embrace. “Thank you for being such a good brother, Simon.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m the only brother you’ve got, so you’re stuck with me.” He squeezed her a little tighter before letting her go. “I need you to come over to the Den with me.”
Samantha swallowed, her dread flooding back.
Simon took her hand. “You’re safe, Samantha.”
Why did everyone keep telling her that?
And why was it so hard for her to believe them?
The truth was, she wasn’t even sure what that meant. She nodded and walked with him down the hall. Why did it feel as if she were headed for the gallows?
As they slipped through the curtain onto the gaming floor, Ash was in conversation with another man. A man who looked very like him.
Samantha stepped behind Simon as if he could shield her from whatever was coming. But he wasn’t one of the owners. He only worked for them. How could he possibly protect her? He turned around and placed steady hands on her shoulders. “Everything is going to be alright.”
She didn’t feel like it was. “Is he— are you, sending me away?”
“I need you to trust me. I know that’s hard to do after Auburn Ridge, but I promise nothing like that will ever happen again. Nothing like Norman will ever happen again either. What I want is for you to be happy.”
“But I—” What was she going to say? She couldn’t even remember what happiness felt like anymore. “What if I can’t be?”
Sadness filled his eyes and he wrapped his arms around her. “You will be,” he whispered into her ear.
She turned at the sound of running footsteps behind her. A young girl bounded past her, curls bouncing, and her eyes wide with excitement. “Uncle Ash!”
Ash laughed with the girl as he lifted her into the air. “Did you have fun with your aunt Gwen?“
She nodded animatedly. “She gave me a net for catching butterflies!”
Suddenly, Ash didn’t look nearly as terrifying as he always had. His eyes sparkled with joy, and his smile was filled with adoration. He set the young girl back on the floor and bent down to talk to her. “There’s someone special I want you to meet.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she nodded, taking his hand. He led the little girl straight to her. “Maggie, this is Samantha.”
“Nice to meet you, Mantha!” She beamed up at her, a smile stretching across her face.
Samantha crouched. For some reason, tears filled her eyes. Perhaps because she didn’t feel deserving of this beautiful girl’s light. What if the darkness that filled her was contagious? “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maggie.”
“It’s my birthday!”
“Happy birthday!” As Maggie’s happiness washed over her, it seemed to summon a whisper of her own. Was that possible? Samantha brushed the tears away as they streamed down her cheeks.
Maggie’s smile fell just a bit. “Sometimes I need a hug when I’m sad. Do you need a hug?”
A sob burst from her as she nodded. Maggie reached for her.
She wrapped her arms around the little girl, holding onto her like a lifeline.
Emotions she’d been holding back for years surged through her.
After a moment, she forced them back down and got her crying under control.
Everyone undoubtedly thought she was being hysterical.
“Thank you, Maggie. That was the best hug I’ve ever had.”
Her smile was back. “Maybe tonight my brother will read you a story. That always helps me feel better.”
Samantha nodded. Simon had read her stories when she was little, too. It was sometimes hard to believe that life was the same as this.
As she stood, Ash gave her an encouraging smile. The other man walked up beside him and picked Maggie up.
“Samantha, this is my brother Trent,” Ash said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Trent.” He was younger than Ash, and neither as dark nor as intimidating. But he was still a man.
Gwen put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Are you alright?” she whispered.
Samantha nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”
“You didn’t cause a scene.”
She looked at Ash. “Are you sending me away?”
He tipped his head and thought for a moment before answering. “Yes. But not in the way you think. Not because you didn’t do a good enough job or because you have been somehow inadequate. I believe Woodburn Hall will be a better place for you to heal.”
Maggie’s eyes lit. “She’s coming to stay with us?”
Trent smiled at her. “If she wants to.”
“You can help me catch butterflies!”
She smiled at Maggie but looked back to Ash. “You’re giving me a choice?”
Ash inclined his head. “Of course. And you’ll always be welcome back.”
“What is Woodburn Hall?”
“It’s my estate.”
At least it wasn’t an asylum. “What would I do there?”
“The only thing you’ll have to do,” Simon said beside her, “is try to find your happiness again.”
She looked into each of their eyes. Simon, Trent, Ash, Gwen, who still held her hand, and even Maggie. She was surrounded by so much kindness, but could she really trust it?
It didn’t matter. She knew where this was headed if she stayed, and she couldn’t do that to Simon again.
“I’ll go.”