I looked at myself in mirror and sat back at my appearance. Despite my bruised face, I looked stronger than before. For once and all I am gonna shut this case and end it for good. My dark cardigan sat nicely on my white shirt's shoulder giving me an edge of confidence and fight for what's right. Stephany combed my hair straight and put on a pair of belles on my feet.
"Now go out there and kick those bad asses and give them good. I'm proud of you girl." She kissed the top of my head as she stood behind me looking at me through the mirror.
"Thanks Stephany. I really wish you could come." My sad smile showed the need for her to be there.
"I'd love to dear, you know my job is pretty tight. And I would love to hear it all from you." She rolled me out and Adam stood there holding his phone. Brandon went to school. Lucas and Mike insisted to accompany me today so Adam allowed them to skip school.
On our car ride I simply stared out the window trying to free my mind from all the negative past. I don't want any pressure right now. Yesterday before leaving the hospital I met Dr. Clair. She calmed me and talked through everything that might happen today. She prepared me well to be able to speak up for myself and work out what's best for me.
We entered the courtroom and the guys sat in the middle row while Adam and I sat in the front. There was still some time so I drank some water and calmed myself.
There weren't much people for now but I feel like it's gonna attract a huge crowd. I don't want that. I just want them punished, that's all. I heard some chattering behind me. I turned around and there were 3-4 men talking. One of them looked like a lawyer. When the man who was shouting turned around, my eyes stayed glued on him.
Grabbing my scrabble board I danced my way to uncle's office room. It was Saturday evening and he promised to play with me. I softly walked into the room hoping to surprise him from behind but I stopped because he was on the call facing the wide window.
"Look I don't care what the cops are saying. Just make sure my name doesn't come up in Stevenson's murder. Why do you think I killed them? To get caught? Shut the case and come back to me, I have tons of work for you." He hung up and shouted 'bastard' kicking the wall infront. He turned around and saw me. His eyes widened with fear by looking at my now crying face.
The box of scrabble fell from my hands scattering around and I ran to him hitting on his chest and stomach. That's how far my height reached.
"How dare you? How could you? She was your sister? Why would you do that?" I cried and shouted louder.
He instantly held my hands and pushed me back slapping hard on my face.
"Don't you dare tell anyone about this?" I turned furious at his comment.
"I will, I will tell the cops and you will go to jail." I tried freeing myself from his hold and when I did, I ran straight out the room to the home cell phone in the kitchen. On my way there I heard him yell at his guards who started chasing me. No wonder he had so many guards, it always made me curious why does he need so much security. Because he's s bad guy.
As I reached the kitchen, someone grabbed my leg and I fell face forward. I was being dragged straight to the hallway where he stood with a gun in his hand. Cleaning it with a clean white cloth.
"So let me tell you how this works." He began calmly. "Either I send you to your mommy and daddy or you obey my every command." He said and my breathing stopped. "The choice is yours." He leaned down to look at me and I sat there on the floor.
"K-Ki-kill m-m-me." I said trying to find confidence.
"Why?" He looked confused.
"I'd rather see my dead parents that be with you." I said with confidence developing up.
"Is that so? Okay, lemme rearrange the options. Either you obey my every command or obey my every command. Oh looks like you don't have a choice now. I wasn't gonna let your body go to waste." I didn't say anything, just stared at him and he stood up straight and started circling me.
"I killed your parents because we did a business together. They took some money out of it for your education and their health policies. But they never returned it. I should punish the bad guys right? I killed them. And took money from their insurance. But still wasn't enough because the rest was spent on your silly education. Now I'll get it from you. Be my slave and serve me. If you disobey, you'll be punished." He shouted the last part and I got scared.
"I'll still tell the cops and have you arrested." I said and that's when he grabbed me by my collar and dragged me to his room dropping me on his bed. He climbed on top of me and started touching me with his loaded gun. It scared me. I laid still.
"You will do as I say. Remove your clothes." He said and I denied. 'Bang' I startled at the sound as he fired one from his gun somewhere behind me.
"Remove!" He shouted. I did as he told me.
"Oh baby, these are small. But wait, I have some pills that'll make it grow. You'll be the hottest girl around." I began to shake from his bipolar voice.
He started kissing all over my body and licking me on my sensitive spots. I started crying and pushing him away from me feeling disgusted at every touch. He slapped me straight on my face and held my hands above my head. He took off all his clothes. I started dragging myself out of there when he hit me hard with his belt.
"Get back here you bitch. Let me show you how it's done." He dragged my legs and pulled me down near his dick and slapped my pussy hard. I winced in pain.
"Yes baby moan it." He pushed his dick inside me. It was tight and I tried my best to shrink the inner walls. I was trying to defend it.
"You're so tight!! It feels so good!" He said and applied a lot of force making me scream in pain. He went in and out holding my neck to keep me in place. All this time I ignored the pain but tried to remove his grip on my neck. It was hard for me to breath. He went faster and harder and after a while, he got off me lying on the floor. I gasped for air trying to make my vision less blurry.
"You got it right, you are special with your tight little pussy. And look, I got you all blue and red. You must've loved it." He said and I just kept on trying to breath normally.
He got up and hit me with his belt one last time. "That's the voice men love. From tomorrow my men will give it to you everyday. Get ready to become a woman!"
"Hey you okay?" I felt Adam pulling me out of my nightmare. I look at my uncle walk to the front. Our eyes met, for a second before he looked at the front where the judge just arrived the courtroom.
Everyone stood up to pay him respects and soon he ordered everyone to take their seats. I looked around and the room was now full. I saw Kevin and his gang members in orange prison clothes with handcuffs.
"Let's begin the hearing." Judge commenced. At first it was a briefing about the case and who all will be presented. My uncle was asked several questions about his business, and he denied all the dirty work he did. I was then rolled to stand, metaphorically, opposite from him.
"Miss Emily, tell us about your story, how you know this man and how you got involved with the gang." The prosecutor asked me. I took a deep breath. I scanned through the crowd and saw Asher. He gave me a slight nod giving me confidence to start my story.
"When I was 12, my parents, William and Olivia Stevenson, were murdered. The police didn't find the killer so the case was closed. My uncle, Charlie Brown, legally adopted me and shifted from Pasadena to San Jose. At first I thought he was fine but later I knew he did this drug business. Once I heard him on call saying he killed my parents. I got so angry I ran to him and tried hitting him. That's when things got worse. He abused me, molested me, raped me multiple times for 4 years. Sometimes it was just him and occasionally he called his entire gang on me. I went to the public school there. I completed till junior year until one day he sold me to his gang leader. They made me drop out of school, I was like their maid. Barely wearing any clothes in winters and ... and they used to hit me for everything." I stopped to take a deep breath. Those harsh memories started coming back to me. I saw the prosecutor hand me a glass of water and I thanked him before taking a sip from it. I continued.
"My reward was them raping me, my punishment was them beating me. They used to hit me so hard I could barely breath. They used to record me for their porn business, they fed me drugs so I could enjoy it and look happy on camera. Their viewers liked me because it looked real and extreme and more shoots came. They used to hang me from the ceiling or insert a rod or a baseball bat in me. They gave me supplements to look more sexy like things which increase my breasts and butt cheeks. I wonder how I'm still alive. One day I was being transported to somewhere and the guys stopped for dinner, they opened me from the ties and gave me food, that's when I ran. I ran so fast that I barely felt my legs. It started to rain but I still ran. I barely remember passing out but the next thing I know I was in the hospital." I looked at Adam and he had sad eyes yet smiled at me knowing what happened after that.
The whole court was silent. It sure was a speechless moment. I decided to continue telling them about recent events and the judge nod to it. I was brought back down to sit with others.
The old case of my parents murder reopened, and suddenly a cop bursted through the doors with some files in his hands.
"Your honor, I've found some hidden Stevenson's murder case related files after scanning Mr. Brown's mansion." He addressed and forwarded the files to him.
"What the hell were you doing at my mansion? Do you even have the authority?" My uncle shouted at him.
"Quiet." Judge ordered silence. He wiped his face with his handkerchief being all nervous.
"Mr. Brown, can you explain how the files from Stevenson's murder case ended up in your mansion, especially where every evidence in this point at you?"
"I-I don't know. Maybe my lawyer... Yes my lawyer, he must've have left it." He stumbled on his own words and I smiled.
"Mr. Brown do you understand the seriousness of stealing and hiding police records while being a major victim?" He simply stammered without really forming a word to speak. He was later asked further about his drugs and murder cases. Further hidden scams were revealed that even I was unaware of.
Soon after his hearing, Kevin was brought up and talked about his business. He confessed everything, just like he did when he got caught. The court ended it's hearing in a total about 3 hours. At the end, the judge made the conclusion sentence.
"Mr. Brown, Considering your drug deals and murder charges, and this additional domestic violence on a minor and selling her to a gang, the court hereby sentence you to a lifetime of imprisonment." He banged his hammer and the files began to close. I looked up and a tear dropped my eye. "Mom, dad, you can now rest in peace." I whispered.
Kevin and his gang got a life time imprisonment as well with a heavy fine. The men were handcuffed and walked out by a team of cops. It started to get less crowded and that's when Adam hugged me.
"I'm so proud of you." He kissed the top of my head.
I hugged him back. "I couldn't do it without you."
"Miss Emily," I saw agent Sarah Jones walking towards me. "Congratulations on the win. We would like to reward you with some amount of money, and a certificate of bravery by us for all your cooperation." She handed me an envelope and a scroll with red ribbon.
I shook hands with her. "Thankyou so much for all the help."
"It's our pleasure. Good luck." She smiled and walked away.
And Lucas and Mike hugged me congratulating on the win. I looked at Asher and he just stared at me with sad eyes and happy smile.
"Hey." I said rolling a little further to hold his hand.
"It was hard to hear." He said. He wiped a tear from his left and and looking away.
"I know but now I have you, and everyone. I'm stronger." I said. He nodded in a hurry and hugged me tightly.
"My girlfriend is the bravest vixon I've ever met." He said a little too loud making me laugh and feel butterflies on the word 'girlfriend'. I know it's been few days but it's still new. At this point suddenly I felt a hard wave of affection towards him. Like 'he's mine' feeling. I don't know how to comprehend, I'm just glad I'm with him now. Making our way out.