“My dad ran organizations for wealthy men who liked to use children for their sick desires.” Connor’s eyes narrowed as his fists clenched, but he said nothing. “Sociopath was one of those kids. He got out and made it his life’s mission to punish those who ruined him.”
Melissa cleared her throat after my prolonged silence. “So all of his other victims, they were part of the organization too?”
I nodded.
“Your father was the head of it?” Connor asked gently, and his hand touched mine, but I quickly snatched it back from him. No one was allowed to touch me. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“No, yes. He was the one who ran the dungeon and the organization, along with a few cops, yes. But he never slept with those kids, and they had a higher investor who was their most expensive client.”
“What was his name?” Melissa’s voice lowered as her hands squeezed the pen in her hand tightly. From the excitement of finally getting the lead? Or from anger?
“He never told me. Sociopath referred to him as S.” They exchanged looks once again, and then Connor cleared his throat.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Sapphire. They told us you don’t want to see your mother.”
A smirk appeared on my face. “I don’t. We were never close. I don’t see the point of starting now.”
He nodded. “I can understand it. The thing is, before this so called S is caught, it’s not safe for you to be on your own.”
My brows furrowed at his words. “What do you mean?”
He exhaled a heavy breath. “They know we have a lead, and they suspect you know more than you are willing to tell. You killed your own dad, so what stops you from ratting them out? You were Sociopath’s possession, and even though they were scared of him, he is dead now. No one can protect you.” His eyes looked to my stomach. “Or your baby.”
Except us.
He didn't have to say the words for me to understand what they wanted. Once they caught S, they needed me to testify against him.
“Witness Protection Program?” I whispered, and they both nodded without saying another word. They knew what ran through my mind. How long would it take them to catch him? Weeks, months, years? Was I ready to live a lie every day? To forget who I was? Was it worth it? My hand came back to my stomach, and I imagined what it would be like. The baby was the only connection I had left to him. Would he or she have his eyes? His smile? His hair? My eyes watered, and I quickly wiped them away. My baby was the most important part of my life, and for my little bean, I’d do anything. However, before I agreed, I had to make sure I was doing the right thing.
“I have to think about this.”
“We will give you one day. You can call us anytime,” Connor said, leaving a cell phone near my bed.
A caress on my cheek was like the softest of feathers.
Damian?
I woke up again with a smile on my face, but it quickly died when my mother came into view. She was holding a bouquet of roses, and when she had leaned down to look at me closer, the petals of the flowers touched my skin.
“Honey, are you awake?” Her voice was all motherly and crying. That was when I noticed the nurse from earlier was close by as she sent daggers my mother’s way.
“She showed me her ID, but I decided to wait for you to wake up to make sure it’s okay for her to stay with you.”
Mother’s eyes narrowed as she snapped, “I’m her mother. Of course she is safe with me.” The nurse shrugged but didn't budge.
I rose up on the bed, resting my back against a pillow, and turned my head to her. “No worries. We’ll take ten minutes max.” She nodded and left the room, but not before I noticed her gesture to the button next to my bed. So she wanted for me to ring once when I was done talking to my mother. “What do you want?” Mother stepped closer, but my hand in front of me stopped her. “No need to touch or hug me. You survived without me for the last year. I’m sure you can control yourself.”
“Sapphire, there are things—”
God, why couldn't she understand I didn't have time for her bullshit?
“I forgive you.” She blinked in shock. “I understand what it’s like to love a man, no matter what he did.” She exhaled a relieved breath. “But I don’t forgive you for what you allowed Dad to do the minute you found out. Loving a man is one thing. Letting him continue destroying precious lives is another. It should have been you, Mom, who pulled that trigger.” Tears slid down my cheeks. “If Sociopath had an ounce of the monster Father was in him, it wouldn't have been him dead going over the cliff. It would have been me.”