“Matt what’s your problem, why are you being so rude to Danielle? You don’t even know her,” Jeff asked his older brother.

“Whatever bro, we need to get back to the house. Dad is waiting for us,” Matt said as he dropped my hand and headed towards the door.

“Well, thank you guys for stopping by. Feel free to come visit anytime,” I offered.

“Thanks Danielle. I may have to take you up on that offer. In fact, I may even stop by tomorrow,” Jeff said as he kissed Paris’ hand. “It was very nice meeting you ladies.”

I watched as they started to leave. Matt continuing to stare at me harshly. Stopping in mid stride, Matt turned to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me close to him. “I know your hiding something. The six of you girls living alone, so far from home, one of you not even of legal age. Something isn’t quite right about this and I am determined to find out what it is,” he said and then let go of my arm and turned back towards the door.

The words he spoke sent a chill down my spine. Our secret was meant to stay just that, a secret. Nobody needed to know what had happened to the girls or to me. Nobody needed to know what I had done to my stepfather. I couldn’t let Matt find out the truth, but I didn’t know how to keep it from him.

While I was trying to figure out how to keep Matt Hardy’s nose out of my business my poor mother was spending her time in the hospital with the horrible man who had abused her children.

Our stepbrothers where also at the hospital with him. They all despised our mother, and us all but the youngest Nick. He hated his father for what he had done to us; in fact he had given us money to help with our escape. Paul. My stepfather yelled obscenities at my mother trying to get her to tell him where we went. When that didn’t work, he yelled at his sons, but nobody knew exactly where we were. We had talked to Nick twice since we had left, but had never told him our exact location. We wanted to wait until Paul was put away and there was no chance of danger following us out here.

Everyone knew that Nick had helped us so they started to yell at him, thinking he knew where we were, but he insisted he didn’t have a clue. He tried to get out of the room, knowing that staying there would put his pregnant girlfriend Hope in danger, but they wouldn’t let him go until he told them something.

Hope tried to calm everyone down. She had been the boys’ next-door neighbor while growing up. She had been there for them when their mother had died. She had been there friend up until she sided with Nick about us.

Nick decided to leave and grabbed my mother and Hope and left the room as an officer walked in. Paul continued to yell obscenities and threats while they left. They stood outside the room and listened to the officer.

“Mr. Douglas, I don’t think you will have a chance to follow through with those threats. You are under arrest for the physical abuse of Danielle Elizabeth Douglas, Paris Anna Douglas, Emma Rose Douglas, Sophia Lee Douglas, Brooke Logan Douglas and Linda Sue Douglas and for the rape and abuse of Deanna Colleen Douglas. You are also under suspicion for the murder of your first wife Michelle Heart Douglas. Men, cuff him and take him downtown. Don’t forget to read him his rights,” my mother heard the officer say.

The officers brought Paul out of his hospital room and as he walked by my mother he left one more threat for her to dwell on. “I will get you three and those whorish daughters of yours too. If I can’t do it, mark my words my boys will follow through.”