Chapter 1

Rose,

~Four years old~

“Where are we going?” I looked up at mommy.

“It’s a surprise honey.” 

I could tell mommy was nervous. She was laughing funny and kept looking everywhere as she drove. Every now and then she would look behind and smile at me. 

I looked down at my doll. Mommy had woken me up in the middle of the night and told me we were leaving for an adventure. She was angry when I ran for my doll because she said we were in a hurry.

“Is daddy coming to the adventure?” I asked with a smile.

“No dear. It’s just you and me.” My smile is gone. “Remember what I always tell you.” 

“But,” I pout, throwing my knitted doll on the seat.

“Rosemary,” she sighed and looked around again, “What do I always say to you honey?”

“Men always disappoint you.” I mumbled.

“Never trust any man, even daddy. Do you understand?” She briefly looked back at me. 

“Mommy,” I screamed, pointing ahead.

Two cars had stopped in front of us, making her stop the car. I screamed as tears pooled my face. She almost hit the cars.

“I wanna go home.” 

“Honey look at me,” I was wailing, “Rosemary,” she shook me shouting, “Listen honey, these men are going to take us but I want you to run when you get the chance. Don’t worry about me.”

I screamed when the door opened and I was pulled away.

“No!” I heard mommy screaming.

“Mommy,” I was kicking, “Mommy,” I cried when a man slapped her and she fell down, “No!” I screamed.

“Shut that girl up,”

“I’m trying.” 

I was screaming and kicking when his hand went to my mouth. I bit him and he hissed. 

“You little,” he groaned, trying to hold my legs.

“Get her in the car. Let’s go.”

The man ignored my screaming and took me to a car. He handed me to another man head first. The man who hit mom got in the car with us and looked back at me.

“Rose. Shut up or else I will throw away your favorite doll.” I stopped moving, “That’s it. I will let you play with your doll if you sit nicely.”

“I want my mommy.” I cry.

“You will see her soon,” he smiled, “Here.”

I took the doll and looked down. The car moved. I was afraid. I didn’t want to scream again. They were scary men. I looked at the men sitting on each side of me and looked down. Tears were spilling on my face going onto my doll.

I closed my eyes and hugged my doll. I don’t know where we were going but I didn’t like this adventure. I was going to tell mommy that I wanted to go home when I saw her. This adventure isn’t fun like she had promised.

The car stopped after a long time and I never closed my eyes to sleep. I was afraid. I wanted to see mommy. I also wished daddy would come. It would make mommy mad but I know daddy can save us. I saw his gun before and he told me he uses it to save people, especially me.

“You are a very brave girl,” the man who wanted to throw away my doll spoke in front of me.

I hugged my doll and looked down. We walked to a big house and I saw a lot of men. My lips shook. I didn’t see mommy anywhere. The man made me sit down on the sofa. I looked down at my feet. They told me mommy will come soon. 

“Boss,” a lot of men spoke and I looked up.

The strange men who walked in looked at me and I looked away. I saw his shiny shoes when he walked in front of me. I made a sound when he lifted my head and I looked at him hugging my doll tighter.

His face looked mean and scary. His one eye was white with a scar across it. I looked away and saw daddy’s friend, uncle Jason. I wanted to smile but he shook his head and my smile faded.

The man looked back and looked at me, “Do you know the man, Rose?”

I looked at daddy’s friend and he wasn’t smiling like he always does. I blinked and looked at the man in front of me blinking tears away.

“I don’t want to have this adventure. Please tell mommy I want to go home,” I cried.

The man laughed. “She is a bitch and a liar too.” The man said a bad word in front of me. It wasn’t allowed.

“You said a bad word.” I whispered looking down.

The man laughed and looked at me again, “You are really just like your father Rose.” he sighed and moved back, “Bring her in.”

I saw uncle Jason walking out and when he came back he had mommy with her. She was tied to a rope. I wanted to run to her but the man with the scary eye held my shoulder painfully. I shrieked in pain and dropped my doll. 

He looked down at me, “Stop crying.”

I did. The man was scary. I looked at uncle Jason. He took out the cloth from mommy face and she screamed and went on her knees.

“Please spare her. She’s all I have. Please.”

I looked up at the man who was hurting me as he looked down at me and let his hand go. He walked to where mommy was and pulled her by the hair and she got up.

I wanted to run to him but uncle Jason stopped me. He lifted me quickly and hid my face. I wanted to look because the scary man was hurting mommy. Pulling hair was not nice.

“I heard you were convincing my son to quit the business.”

“N-NO!” I heard her voice and looked at them.

“Don’t look,” daddy’s friend whispered.

“I was shocked that a whore like yourself had the guts to tell my son what to do. What’s more shocking was hearing that he had a child with you. Using your daughter as a pawn.”

“It’s not true Mr Vega. I swear.”

“Are you not one of Lucinda’s girls?” he asked.

“That was a long time ago,” mommy answered.

I heard a sound and mommy screaming and I looked. The scary man was hitting mommy. I shrieked and thrashed. I don’t know why uncle Jason was not helping mommy. 

“Shut her up Jason.” The scary man looked at me.

“Please.” Mommy begged. 

I saw mommy holding the man’s legs but he kicked her.

“You are hurting her,” I screamed.

“I’m fine honey,” mommy wheezed.

“Gag her. I can’t stand her sight let alone her screeching.”

“She is your granddaughter. Please.” I heard mommy say.

“Mommy,” I cried.

“A dirty whore like yourself who used her body to sleep with countless men.” he laughed, “That whore child is no Vega. My son is a fool for believing in a lowlife like yourself.”

“She is. Please. You know this to be true yourself. Your son would have never been with me if he didn’t confirm it.”

“How do I know that you did not sleep with any men when he took you. One of these men here could be the father.”

Mommy looked up at daddy’s friend. 

“Please help her,” I looked at uncle Jason.

The scary man walked in front of me and uncle Jason tensed. 

“Do you know this man?” he asked again, I looked at mommy on the floor, “Look at me, Rose. Have you seen this man before?”

I shook my head and shrieked away. I had seen mommy’s eyes. She didn’t want me to tell. The man pulled out a gun and walked to mommy. I wanted to cry but uncle Jason placed a hand on my mouth.

“Please not in front of her.” mommy begged.

“She will die soon after,” 

BANG!

I screamed. This was not an adventure. Mommy never got up. The man had shot her. My hand was hitting on uncle Jason. The scary man looked at me before we heard gunshots and the door was pushed open. 

“Father,” 

“Daddy!” I cried.

Daddy came like he said he would when I’m in danger. I watched daddy look down on the floor as his hand flew to his mouth with his gun dropping on the floor. He walked slowly, his hands reaching for me. 

“Honey, look at daddy! It’s okay. I won’t let him hurt you.” he nodded with a faint smile.

“Hold him,” the scary man shouted.

“No!” Daddy screamed.

The scary man had yanked me away from uncle Jason and he was pointing the gun at me. 

“Daddy,” I cried.

“Shut up!” I did and stood stiffly, “You have a wife at home and yet you chose a brothel whore to seduce to the extent of leaving the business?”

“She had nothing to do with this. Please father. Let her go.”

“Letting her go all depends on you. Will you do what is required of you?”

“I told you I never loved her.” Daddy screamed, making me close my ears, “You are scaring her. Give her to me. Please father. She is your granddaughter. Our blood.”

“This child has no blood of mine. She is a mistake.”

“She is my daughter. My little girl whom you are scaring. Let her go, father.” 

“You hid her well,” the man let me go and pushed me away to uncle Jason, “A whore’s child.” he scoffed, “What was your plan? Were you also taking Samuel?”

“Yes. My children are not cut out for this. I will not let you taint them.”

The man slapped daddy and I screamed. He looked back and me and I hid behind uncle Jason’s leg but I looked at daddy wiping my tears. He smiled at me even though the bad man was hurting him like he did mommy.

“You have a wife. You are going to do your duties. She is the only one who will give me grandchildren, I will not accept this.” he pointed at me and I hid away, “You have two months, Fabio or the girl dies.”

The man pulled me away harshly by the wrist and urged me to walk. I didn’t want to walk but uncle Jason pushed me forward. I wiped my tears and walked.

“Can I hug my daughter goodbye?”

“She is not your daughter. You have a son at home. Go hug him.”

“Don’t listen to what he tells you honey. Daddy loves you. I love you, honey. I love you! I love you okay.”

I could hear daddy screaming he loved me but the man who was holding my hand tightened his grip on my hand the more daddy shouted. I was looking back at the door wanting to go back but the man pushed me forward and tripped me.

“Get up,” he shouted. I refused and I shook my head. “Do you want to end up like your whore mother?” he asked.

“No,” I whispered and I wiped my tears.

“Good.” he said when I was back on my feet, “You are no grandchild of mine. That man is not your father. You are never going to see him again.”

He gripped my shoulder hard and pushed me forward as we walked. I wiped my tears. He had killed mommy and hurt daddy. I know daddy told me not to listen to him but I was scared. He let a bad man take me and mommy warned me not to trust any man. Even daddy.