The Day She Cried Page 20
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I’m crying.
Where are you?
Mommy!
Slap!
“Raven, please,” my twin sobs. “Please stay with me.”
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I’m crying.
Mommy!
I don’t smile. I don’t smile at all. Not for me. Not for him. Not for anyone.
Mommy!
Black. Black. Black.
I can’t breathe.
Oh, God.
Where’s my canoe?
“Shhhhhhh.”
Black. So much black.
Mommy!
“I’m here, baby.”
Mommy…
Sigh.
Where’s my canoe?
“This way.”
Sigh.
Black. Black. So white.
Sigh.
I smile.
Rome
Eighteen months later…
Guilty.
The fucker was finally found guilty.
Only took a goddamned year and a half.
It’s been a couple of weeks since they sentenced Jackson McConnell to prison for forty-one years. The counts stacked on him were embarrassingly high. No attorney could get him out of the mess he’d gotten himself into.
It was fucking torture listening to the audio clips of my sister as that motherfucker took advantage of her. He had the sense to look shameful. Maybe it was all an act to make the jury feel sorry for him. Thank fuck it didn’t work.
In addition to the evidence against him where Raven was concerned, we also had the testimonies of nine women he sexually assaulted or threatened, including my wife. Courtney, with her eyes narrowed and her teeth bared, recounted the terrible things he’d done to her.
She’s a wolf.
Her bravery is what had the other eight women shakily recounting their own tales. He was a bastard who liked to fuck anything that was pretty with a pair of tits, and then tried to bully them when he got bored. The asshole scared them all. Each one, alone, a quivering sheep. Together, though, they made a pack.
And the pack tore his proverbial throat out.
I’ll never forget the sound of Whitney’s wail when they sentenced her dad. Ugly and surprisingly sad. But she had her own problems. Getting knocked up by the dean at Northwestern, when he’s been “happily” married for twenty-seven years, had her name gloriously splashed across every tabloid. Courtney says what goes around comes around. I call it fucking karma.
Our attorney says we probably won’t see a settlement in her wrongful conviction lawsuit against the state for a while yet. Good thing all we have is time.
“You’re awake,” Courtney murmurs.
It’s early and the twins haven’t woken up yet. “Just thinking.”
She sits up on one elbow and frowns at me. Her golden waves are messy and hang in her pretty face. I could stare at her for hours. Sometimes I do. I don’t know how I deserve her, but she was given to me anyhow. I certainly don’t tempt fate and remind the crazy bitch that she fucked up when she wrote our destiny. Courtney was meant for someone much better than myself, but since I’m a greedy fuck, I keep her for myself anyway.
“Thinking or plotting? That’s your evil ‘I’m going to take over the world’ face,” she says with a grin.
“No.” I pounce on her. “I’m just going to take over you.”
She lets out a squeal, but I cover her mouth with my hand. I love the way her eyes widen, lust swimming in them. My sweet, adorable wife is a kinky girl. A little bondage and choking are on her list of favorites. I’d be an asshole if I didn’t give her exactly what she wants.
“You’ll wake up the monsters,” I tease as I push down my boxers and free my hard cock.
Her eyes are smiling as she pulls her panties to the side to grant me access into her hot body. When I thrust into her slick heat with a groan, her nostrils flare and her lashes flutter.
“You like it when I fuck you rough in the morning, don’t you, baby?” I coo as I release her mouth.
“Yesss,” she murmurs, her fingernails finding my shoulders and digging in.
I drive into her quickly because if I were a betting man, I’d say those kids will be waking up any minute.
“I’m going to fuck you fast and hard, Mrs. Murray,” I inform her as I nip at her bottom lip. “And then, later, when the squirts go to their grandma’s, I’m going to take you nice and slow.”
She digs her heels into my ass and smiles up at me. For the past several days she’s been hornier than usual, which means she’s probably ovulating. Maybe this time we’ll make a baby. Or two. My tongue thrusts into her mouth and I kiss her, morning breath and all. She’s mine…even when she’s a dirty girl.
Harvey Benjamin sighs from his recliner. Some things never change.
It doesn’t take long before she’s whimpering as an orgasm rattles through her. The moment her cunt clenches around me, I come with a loud groan. My cock throbs out its release as I kiss her softer and slower.
“I love you,” I remind her. Not that she ever forgets.
“I love you too,” she confirms. Not that I ever believe she doesn’t.
“Dadda!” a voice chirps from down the hall.
I chuckle against Courtney’s mouth. “Luke is awake.”
“Dadda!” a higher voice screeches.
Courtney laughs. “Lily is awake too. How come they never call for me?”
I shrug as I pull out and set to cleaning us up. Courtney rolls over onto her stomach, tucking her knees beneath her, her round ass up in the air. She’s so cute as she tries to trap my super sperm inside her. The woman is dead set on adding on to the family. And I’m eager to help make her dreams come true. My dick twitches. Really eager.
“They like daddy’s pancakes,” I tell her as I rub my palm up her spine, pushing her sleep shirt up along the way.
“I love daddy’s pancakes,” she says with a laugh. It amazes me how much trust she has in me. After reading what I did to my father—that I was capable of such a horrendous thing—I was sure she’d run for the hills or turn me in. Instead, the moment we had the information Raven wanted us to have regarding the audio clips, it was Courtney who made me drive to Lake Borden. It was Courtney who threw the journal into a campsite fire pit and lit the match. It was Courtney who watched the only shred of evidence against me turn into ash and dust.
My fingertips trace the tattoo on her spine. All black script.
I am not a sheep. I am a wolf.
When I start to walk away, she sits up and grabs my hand. Her blue eyes find mine as she kisses my knuckle above where my wedding ring sits. “If I’m the wolf, Rome, what does that make you?”
I bend and kiss her nose. “I’m a motherfucking wolf too.”
The End
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed this intense and heartbreaking story. Thank you for reading. Courtney and Raven are very dear to my heart. These characters and this story were inspired after I personally dealt with some crushing blows, not only to my career, but also to my character—all of which happened via social media, email, and other electronic forms. It drove me to educate myself on what exactly cyberbullying was, as well as, the psychology of it. I hope you take the time to educate yourself on the subject as it’s something that both adults and children are dealing with more and more as our worlds are being taken over by electronics. Educate yourself, be aware, and do your part to prevent what you can. Spread love, not hate. Children, family members, friends, co-workers—people you know are affected daily by this growing problem. If we want to see change, we have to take part and make that change happen.
If you are a victim of cyberbullying, talk to someone. Knowing you have someone who supports and cares about you as you go through a difficult time is half the battle. Anxiety, depression, helplessness, despair, weight loss, insomnia, lowered self-esteem, loss of hope, fear, embarrassment—all of these feelings a
re what I personally dealt with and I’m no longer ashamed to admit it. With the support of others, though, I was able to mostly overcome it and so can you.
I’m always available to listen and talk to if you need someone.
Please feel free to email me at authorkwebster@gmail.com .
Thank you,
K Webster
Here is some information taken directly from www.stopbullying.gov so you can be informed as well:
Definition of Cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.
The Relationship between Bullying and Suicide:
Media reports often link bullying with suicide. However, most youth who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors.
Although kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause. Many issues contribute to suicide risk, including depression, problems at home, and trauma history. Additionally, specific groups have an increased risk of suicide, including American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This risk can be increased further when these kids are not supported by parents, peers, and schools. Bullying can make an unsupportive situation worse.
Bullying is not just a problem with children and teens, but with adults as well. Here’s an interesting article for you to read.
October is National Bully Prevention Month. To donate, here is a campaign at StompOutBullying.org
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at:
1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the GLBT National Youth Talkline at 1-800-246-PRIDE (1-800-246-7743)
Listen on Spotify here.
“Dig Down” by Muse
“Bad Blood” by Bastille
“Hurt” by Johnny Cash
“I Hung My Head” by Johnny Cash
“Dark Side” by Bishop Briggs
“Hold Me Down” by Halsey
“Vermilion Pt. 2” by Slipknot
“What It’s Like” by Everlast
“What Kind of Man” by Florence + The Machine
“All I Need” by Radiohead
“Wild Horses” by Bishop Briggs
“Take Me To Church” by Hozier
“R U Mine?” by Arctic Monkeys
“Hate Me” by Blue October
“Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley
“Lydia” by Highly Suspect
“No Good” by Kaleo
“Criminal” by Fiona Apple
“Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots
“Heavydirtysoul” by Twenty One Pilots
“Once Upon a Dream” by Lana Del Rey
“Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana
“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor
“To Be Alone” by Hozier
“Blown Wide Open” by Big Wreck
“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star
“How’s It Going To Be” by Third Eye Blind
“Say Hello To Heaven” by Temple of the Dog
“Sail” by AWOLNATION
“Desire” by Meg Myers
“Sorry” by Meg Myers
“Sucker For Pain” by Lil Wayne
“Thunder” by Imagine Dragons
“Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies
“Afraid” by The Neighbourhood
“Not an Addict” by K’s Choice
“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
“Stay With Me” by Sam Smith
“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins
“Crawl” by Kings of Leon
“Right Turn” by Alice in Chains
“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
“Alive” by Pearl Jam
“I Found” by Amber Run
“Let You Down” by Seether
The Breaking the Rules Series:
Broken (Book 1)
Wrong (Book 2)
Scarred (Book 3)
Mistake (Book 4)
Crushed (Book 5 – a novella)
The Vegas Aces Series:
Rock Country (Book 1)
Rock Heart (Book 2)
Rock Bottom (Book 3)
The Becoming Her Series:
Becoming Lady Thomas (Book 1)
Becoming Countess Dumont (Book 2)
Becoming Mrs. Benedict (Book 3)
War & Peace Series:
This is War, Baby (Book 1)—BANNED (only sold on K Webster’s website)
This is Love, Baby (Book 2)
This Isn’t Over, Baby (Book 3)
This Isn’t You, Baby (Book 4)
This is Me, Baby (Book 5)
This Isn’t Fair, Baby (Book 6)
This is the End, Baby (Book 7—a novella)
2 Lovers Series:
Text 2 Lovers (Book 1)
Hate 2 Lovers (Book 2)
Thieves 2 Lovers (Book 3)
Alpha & Omega Duet:
Alpha & Omega (Book 1)
Omega & Love (Book 2)
Pretty Stolen Dolls Series:
Pretty Stolen Dolls (Book 1)
Pretty Lost Dolls (Book 2)
Pretty New Doll (Book 3)
Pretty Broken Dolls (Book 4)
Taboo Treats:
Bad Bad Bad
Easton
Crybaby
Standalone Novels:
Apartment 2B
Love and Law
Moth to a Flame
Erased
The Road Back to Us
Surviving Harley
Give Me Yesterday
Running Free
Dirty Ugly Toy
Zeke’s Eden
Sweet Jayne
Untimely You
Mad Sea
Whispers and the Roars
Schooled by a Senior
B-Sides and Rarities
Blue Hill Blood by Elizabeth Gray
Notice
The Wild—BANNED (only sold on K Webster’s website)
The Day She Cried
Thank you to my husband. You’re my rock. Always. I love you.
A huge thank you to my Krazy for K Webster’s Books reader group. You all are insanely supportive and I can’t thank you enough.
A gigantic thank you to my betas who read this story. Elizabeth Clinton, Ella Stewart, Misty Walker, Shannon Miller, Amy Bosica, Brooklyn Miller, Robin Martin, Amy Simms, Jessica Viteri, Amanda Söderlund, and Tammy McGowan, you all helped make this story even better. Your feedback and early reading is important to this entire process and I can’t thank you enough.
Also, a big thank you to Ella Stewart for being such a good friend and reading this story as it went along. You’re too good to me!
A giant thank you to Misty Walker for helping me shape this story into one I was aiming for and encouraging me each day. You’re a star!
Thank you so much to Jillian Ruize for not only reading this book early and helping me proofread it for any last-minute errors, but also for suggesting I put your dog in this book. Harvey Benjamin is such a sweet, lovable big baby doggie. He was a perfect “based on a real character” dog for Rome. Tell HB I said he gets extra treats this week for his part in my book. Love ya, girl and your little (giant) dog too!
Thank you so much, Nikki Ash, for reading this at the last minute to look for any lingering errors. You’re amazing!
A big thank you to my author friends who have given me your friendship and your support. You have no idea how much that means to me.
Thank you to all of my blogger friends both big and small that go above and beyond to always share my stuff
. You all rock! #AllBlogsMatter
Emily A. Lawrence with Lawrence Editing, thank you so much for editing my book. You did such a great job of tearing it apart and helping me put it back together again. You’re amazing!
Thank you Stacey Blake with Champagne Formats for being super fab as always when formatting my books and in general. I love you! I love you! I love you!
A big thanks to my PR gal, Nicole Blanchard. You are fabulous at what you do and keep me on track! I love ya, girl.
Lastly but certainly not least of all, thank you to all of the wonderful readers out there that are willing to hear my story and enjoy my characters like I do. It means the world to me!
K Webster is a USA Today bestselling author of dozens of romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, dark romance, romantic suspense, taboo romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her hilarious and handsome husband and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.
Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.
Join K Webster’s newsletter to receive a couple of updates a month on new releases and exclusive content. To join, all you need to do is go here.
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