Elizabeth

16: Forever Moments

Elizabeth

Caterina has fallen asleep in my arms, so I draw while she sleeps in my arms. Romeo walks to me. He touches the small of my back. "We are going to need to talk to you," he says.

"Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Everything is fine," is all he says.

"Now, Romeo, she and I are bonding."

"Mami," he warns. He speaks to her in Italian. I don't understand any of that. Romeo takes Caterina out of my arms.

"Uncle Romy," she whispers. He holds the back of her head as she leans her head against his chest.

I walk with Romeo to a private room upstairs. There, all the men are there. Romeo hands Caterina to Casso. He sets her down to sleep on the little couch in the corner.

"Sit down, baby," he says. He pulls out a chair for me.

There's a heavy silence that follows throughout the whole room. I look at every one. Some are looking at computers. The others don't acknowledge me.

"We are going to do something that—" Elijah pauses. He sits down across from me at the table. "We are going to do something that's going to be very hard for you," he says. Nate slides a glass of water to me as he takes a seat next to Elijah. I look at Romeo. He doesn't say a word. He's tense. I can tell it.

"You need to tell us about your seventeen years in abuse," Nate finally says. Before anything else, I catch my breath. I never thought I'd ever have to tell them about this...what he did to me. There's too much to even unpack. Zane sets up his phone in the middle of the table.

"This is encrypted. No one will get this file," is all he says. "But it builds evidence against Bobby Ross so if we can't ever get him, then the police will."

"Were you abused? Yes or no question." Elijah is the one who asks me the questions. Romeo paces around. He doesn't even look at me. Instead, he scratches his arm where his scars are.

"Yes," I whisper. I shake my leg up and down.

"Was this abuse ever sexual?" Was it? I don't know. I was sheltered my entire life. I'm still learning what's sexual and not. But then again, he would always spread me naked on the floor.

"Yes."

"Did he rape you?"

"No," I say. Everyone sighs in relief.

"Then how did he abuse you?" I let out a choked sob and hang my head low. Immediately, Romeo is there to hold me. He keeps me tight in his arms. "Elizabeth, honey," he coaxes.

"He loved to cut me," I say. I touch my stomach. "He scared me," I say. "Slut is written on my stomach." I wipe my tears. There's a dead silence.

"What else?" Elijah coaxes. Though his voice is stern, I can hear his fatherly affection laced in his voice.

"He used the butts of his cigarette and gun to burn me. All against my thighs."

"How was your food intake?"

"He would starve me," is all I say.