A Convict's Lover by Kayla Trautman (the false prince series .txt) 📕

"That was just something polite to say so you could have your privacy with your brother." He held his arm out for her, insisting that she take his elbow. She hesitantly took his arm and walked with him outside. They were both silent as they walked. Her fingers spread across his arm, feeling the muscles that were there and she felt a familiarity settle in. A small smile tugged at her lips but it was wiped right off when they reached the garden and Daniel stopped her.

She backed up and leaned against the wall, hoping that he wouldn't try to kiss her. Daniel placed a hand on the wall by her head and bowed his head to look down at her, "We need to talk. Tell me what he did to you. I know only what you had just told Percy."

She didn't want to talk about that either. She turned her head to the side and sighed, "I don't want to tell you." "Why not?" Daniel asked. "It's been two years that I wasn't there when I wish I was. I couldn't save you then but I want to be there for you now."

"I just ... don't want to. It doesn't matter anymore. Jeffrey's dead and I'm ... here; although I have no clue where I'm to go from here." She shook her head, "I don't want to be a burden to my brothers. They're constantly fussing over me."

Daniel reached up with his other hand and caressed her cheek in his hand, her lips lightly brushed his wrist, "First off, you're not a burden to them. You're their sister and they love you very much. They would do anything for you just like I know you would do the same for them. And you could go with me. I love you and I want us to be together and now we can."

Julie's eyes were closed and she felt herself leaning her cheek into his hand, "It's been two years, Daniel. Things have changed. I've changed and so have you." "But I still love you. That hasn't changed." He said, yearning dripped into his voice.

She opened her eyes and glanced up at him but immediately looked down at the ground, taking in the view of his long, thick muscled legs, "Where were you? What did he do to you?" Daniel moved his thumb back and forth on her cheek, stroking it gently, "In order to tell you I have to explain how I came to be convict.

"My parents died when I was just a child in a carriage accident. They were run off of a hill by a drunkard. My uncle became my guardian and the temporary Earl of our estate. He became attatched to the title so when I became of age he tried to kill me. I ran away at that point and with the skills I picked up off of the streets I avoided the men he hired to kill me. He finally got tired of those failed attempts and paid a few officers and Jeffrey to have me arrested for theivery.

"After Jeffrey took you away he had his men escort me to my uncles. For first few months he had me locked in the basement and he gave me this hideious scar on my cheek. Then he decided that he was going to try to work me to death. It took me a good long while but I finally made a few friends and they set me free in the middle of the night. I found the evidence that I needed and had him turned in but instead of going to jail he attacked me and was shot and killed. I got freed of all charges and I immediately came back here. I searched you out because I knew that you wouldn't be living with your father and ... well you know what happened then."

Julie looked up at him and stared into bright blue eyes that looked back down at her, "I fought back at first. I was so furious when I thought he killed you. But ... things happened and I changed. I started to act like the woman he wanted me to be. I just gave up. I never kissed him though. That was the only thing that I stuck to. He would try but I wouldn't kiss him back.

"I had lost the will to live. I didn't have anything to live for." She closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks, "I think deep down I prayed that he'd one day just kill me. I wanted him to so bad." She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and shook her head, "If I had known that you were alive then I would've fought back everyday. I swear I would've ..."

"I know. It's okay. You don't have to feel guilty about anything, Julie. None of this was your fault and I think if you had fought back everyday that he would've killed you and I would've never been able to save you." He said. She bowed her head, "I know but I can't help it. I slept with Jeffrey and ... all of those other men. I've done things with them that I never even knew was possible and it was just vile and disgusting. I'm nothing more than a ..."

Daniel grabbed her chin and lifted her head. She saw his head descending and she gasped, making a high pitch sound, as his lips touched hers. At first she just stood there, frozen and stiff, but when that butterfly feeling in her stomach came back she was suddenly alive in his arms. She groped at his hair and used her arms to lead his body towards her. His arms went around her and pressed her body to his.

After two years of torture she didn't think that she would react this way. The thought passed through her mind and she remembered everything, making her sick to her stomach. She jumped away from him and brought her hand up to her mouth to try to hold her sobs back.

"Julie? Are you alright?" He reached out for her but she turned and ran inside. She ran blindly so she didn't see her brother and ran right into his chest. He put a foot back to balance himself and grabbed her shoulders, gently, "Julie? What's wrong? What happened?"

"What did you do to her?" Jacob asked. She then heard Daniel's voice behind her, "We were talking and then ..." "It's not his fault. I just ..." Julie backed up and ran upstairs to her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, looking up at the ceiling, crying.

***

There was laughter echoing through the room. The men surrounded her from every angle. They were grabbing at her, pulling her in every direction, gropping at her, ripping her clothes. She kicked and screamed but her struggles and protests were useless. She was suffocating. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't break free from them. She was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall with a force that wasn't humanly possible. But as soon as she hit the floor she got to her feet and ran out of the room; only to be caught in the arms of Jeffrey. She threw punches at his face and chest and kicked at his legs but he just threw back his head with laughter.

"Julie! Julie, wake up!" She felt hands on her shoulders and heard her own screaming. She opened her eyes and went still as she looked around; breathing very heavy and fast that she barely got any air at all. She was in her room, sitting up in bed. Jacob was standing next to the bed and Daniel was sitting on the side of the bed, holding her wrists up in front of her; her hands were in tight fists.

"Julie?" Daniel let go of her wrists and reached out to frame her face in his hands, "It's alright. You're safe. It was just a dream." She looked around the room again, she could barely comprehend what they were saying. When a hand touched her shoulder Julie jumped and looked over but it was only Jacob. "Hey, take a deep breath. You're perfectly safe. No one's going to hurt you anymore."

She closed her eyes and immediately opened them with a cry when she saw the men reaching for her. "Every time I close my eyes I can see them!" She cried. "They'll never go away! They're always there!" She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, crying.

Daniel pulled her into his arms and held her in a loose hug, "It's going to take a while for you to get past this and it won't ever heal completey but it will get better. You'll be able to live your life and be happy for once. With everything that you've been through I know that sounds impossible but you will know how it feels to be happy and carefree, I promise."

Julie felt a warm blanket lay over her body while she was in his arms but she was very hesitant to respond to it. She took a few deep breaths until her sobbing settled to sniffles and she layed her head against Daniel's arm, "I'm okay."

Jacob placed a comforting hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair, "Are you sure?" She nodded but when Daniel started to move she grabbed his arm to still him. He rubbed her back and asked, "Do you want me to stay in here with you?"

She nodded and kept her eyes down on her lap. Jacob leaned down and kissed her head, "Try to get some sleep. Everything's going to be alright. You're safe." Then he left and she was alone in her bedroom with Daniel.

Daniel layed her down in bed and climbed in next to her before covering them both with the blanket. Julie hesitantly moved closer to him but didn't go into his arms. Instead, she took his arm and hugged it to her body, using his shoulder as a pillow but that was the closest that she was getting to him.

Julie whispered, "I'm sorry about earlier ... when I ran off like that. I didn't mean to ... I just ... it's hard to have physical contact like that. They're always in my mind and I can't get them out no matter how hard I try." "Don't be sorry. It's understandable and I'm not angry but just know that I would never hurt you. Ever."He relied.

 ***

Julie had woken up that morning to find Daniel still fast asleep. His arm was still in her arms and his hand was resting on her knee. She had managed to climb out of bed without waking him up and dressed.After she had her hair done and slid her slippers on she headed downstairs for breakfast.

Jacob was done at the table already when she entered the dinning room. He stood and went over to greet her, "Good morning. Are you feeling better?" She let him kiss her cheek