GianCarlo Ch. 06

***

"When my father came for me, I was scared shitless. From what I saw from Delia it couldn't be good. She never spoke about it so I had no idea what to expect. After it was done I felt nothing but rage." Denise said. She could feel Stefan moving closer to her but didn't want to see what his eyes held. She didn't want to see the disgust or pity she knew had to be there.

"I hated Daddy for making me do that, I hated Will for what he did, and I hated myself for not being strong enough to do anything about it. The more it happened the more anger I felt. It went on for a whole year, I wanted so badly to tell my aunties to tell anyone but I feared losing my sister even more. After a year my mom was finally allowed to see us, a supervised visit. Never had I been happier to see her.

"That changed as soon as she told us she couldn't take us home with her. Dee started hyperventilating when she left. She fell to the ground breathing hard and crying for Mama to not leave. That was when my anger peaked. I was going to do something about it. I came to the realization that shit doesn't change unless you change them yourself."

"That night when my Daddy came to get Delia I sat up in my bed, instead of pretending to sleep, and I called him out.

I said "How do you sleep at night knowing what he's doing to your little girls?" He gave me a look meant to shut me up. I didn't bow down, I could give a fuck how he felt, so strong was my hatred.

"Denise, don't!" Delia said fear clear in her eyes. She feared our separation too. I realized then that it was what they threatened us with to keep us silent, but I'd rather be separated from my sister and have she and I live a happy life than endure hell together."

"'You're a pussy!" I told my father. "You let people take everything from you! I'm glad mommy left you! You don't deserve her or us! You deserve to die alone! No! You deserve to let Uncle Will do to you what he does to us every other night. I hate you!" I was shouting, and in the next thing I knew my father had slapped me.

My head was spinning and I could taste blood. Before I could even cry from the first blow he hit me again. Then from the other side of the room I heard a hard thud. Through eyes blurred with tears I saw Dee picking up things and chucking them at our father."

***

Delia chuckled softly at the memory, "I remember just picking up whatever was around me and just tossing it. I can't say what came over me but the sharp cracking sound of him hitting Denise released something in me. I threw dolls, books, literally anything my hands touched. He turned on me wrapping his hand around my throat and squeezing.

"Just before I was about to black out I heard a loud crash and then saw a burst of glass. Denise had grabbed a lamp and tossed it hard enough that it broke on my father's back. He fell cracking his head on the bed post. Denise ran up to me hugging me hard. I started to have another anxiety attack as I heard the footsteps of somebody coming down the hall. Denise didn't let go but I knew she was scared too, her heart was pounding. The door swung open and we braced ourselves for Will's wrath.

"It was Derek. He was my father's other housemate. He didn't know what was going on but Denise had managed to convince him to take us to my Auntie Lisa house. The next day my father came for us at Auntie Lisa house but she absolutely refused to hand us over. She threatened to call the cops on him. My auntie was under the impression that he beat us because of Nise's swollen face. We didn't tell her or anyone the truth. A week later and my mother had gained custody of us after she proved to be stable on her medication."

"Your mom still doesn't know?" Gian asked. He couldn't imagine what it took to keep something like that a secret for so long.

"No, she believes my father used to beat us, she feels like the worst mother in the world and she isn't. If she knew what he allowed to happen it could send her into another episode."

They were silent for a while. Gian had no clue what to do or say but he did know one thing. He never felt such intense anger and hatred for someone he's never met. It trolled inside him.

"If given half a chance I'd kill them and feel no way about it. If I ever..." Gian said trailing off. Telling her all the ways he'd want them to hurt like she was didn't seem like it was helpful. He gently wrapped an arm around Delia and pulled her into his embrace.

He couldn't do anything about the past but the future he could influence. If Delia's father or anyone from that part of her life so much as try to enter it again, a vengeance like they've never seen will be their fate.

***

After Stefan had heard of Denise's past and convinced her he didn't think any less of her, he served them dinner and they both curled up on the couch for a movie. He thought to himself, how could he have been so lucky as to get a mate like her? She was beautiful, playful and seductive but she was also strong, pragmatic, and brave. She was everything he could ever want. He realized just how deeply he was in love with her.

The sound of his cell phone ringing broke him of his revelry. Denise had fallen asleep against him and he tried to maneuver the phone from his pocket without waking her. When he finally succeeded he saw that it was Gian. He sighed heavily. It was almost three in the morning what could he possibly want.

"Hello?" He answered gruffly.

"Thank God, Stefan I need your help. I've fucked up. I've fucked up so bad!"

"Wait-Wait, calm down, how did you fuck up?" He asked

"Fuck! She won't talk to me. She's locked in the bathroom having an anxiety attack and she won't open the door."

"Whoa, what happened, explain that first." He said trying to make sense of Gian's mumbling.

"Delia caught me with a bag of blood. I thought she was sleep. I went to the kitchen and she caught me drinking from the bag and she was freaked out. I tried to explain to her what I was but she didn't believe me. So I showed her my fangs and-"

"You did what? Why would you do that?"

"She thought I was crazy, that I had some mental disorder and that I had snapped. I was trying to convince her I was sane and what I was saying was true but she flipped. She wouldn't listen wouldn't let me touch her and she ran off to the bathroom. Please I need your help."

Stefan was not surprised, it went almost exactly how he thought it would go. Living in such close quarters Delia was bound to find out soon and he knew Gian would handle it with all the tact and delicacy he possessed, which it turns out is none.

"I'm on my way," Stefan said, hanging up. Now he had to figure out how he could possibly be of help.