Broken: Book One of the M Series Read online

  “I got, um...erect and she... when she finished, she slapped me and said I had to sleep in her room that night. I finally called home and told Maria I didn't feel well and she came to get me. A week later, I went to Jamie's party at that paintball place and she was there. We had sex again after she cornered me in the backroom. She was on top again and smelled of marijuana. I called Matthew and told him I didn't feel well. He and Dad came to get me; I laid down in the back of that car, hating myself. I didn't want her to touch me, but I kept responding to her.”

  Joshua's finger caresses Mandy's as he continues.

  “Later that week, Dad was leaving for England. I begged him to let me go, but Mother wouldn't hear of it. I would miss weeks of school and that was not acceptable. That Saturday, I stayed by Mother's side. I followed her everywhere. Even to that stupid salon.When I gothome, I was relieved when Maria said there were no calls for me. I was at peace for the first time in weeks.

  “Then, I started getting cramps and um, burning. I hated going to the bathroom. The next week, she called. She told me she would be at Jamie's house Saturday afternoon and I better be there. If not, she would come to the house and tell my mother what I'd done. I panicked and said I would be there, but I didn't want to go. I went to Matthew's room to tell him, but he was out. I waited two hours before I called Marcus. When I did, I heard music and taking in the background and started crying, thinking he was too busy to talk to me and I started hyperventilating.”

  “Why, Joshua? Why did you hyperventilate?” Mandy asks softly.

  I nod.

  He finally looks in his wife's face. “He was the last one. I couldn't go to Mother with that. Matthew was God knows where and for how long and Dad was in England. There was no one else.”

  Mandy's head tilted as she looked at her husband. I wish I could see her face.

  “Please don't cry, Mandy,” Joshua says softly, wiping her face. “I'm sorry.”

  “For what,” Mandy sobs. “None of this is your fault!”

  I nod again and sit back in my seat.

  “I don't want to see you in this pain. I'm sorry I gave it to you.”

  Mandy shakes her head. “I need you to finish, Joshua. What happened next?”

  “You have to ask Marcus. I don't know. I remember waking up the next morning and going to school. When I got out, Marcus was outside, waiting for me at his car. It was the first time I had hugged him in five years. I didn't hug him again until our wedding day. He can be such a sap sometimes,” Joshua smiles.

  We chuckle as we look at Marcus.

  Mandy sighs. “Of course, that day he was a big sap since he finally got Cookie back. Hugging and kissing everyone. It was quite annoying, especially when he had to apologize for his blunder about the wedding singer.”

  “I wanted to kick his ass for that. I should have.”

  “Did I go invisible?” Marcus chuckles. “I apologized.”

  “You had no choice, Boo,” Mariah grins. She turns to me. “We had a fight and it lasted a week. We got back together the night before their wedding and I threatened to go back to my place if he didn't apologize. He took off like a shot,” Mariah laughs.

  “Damn right I did.”

  I chuckle. I wonder do they always find humor in any situation.

  “Marcus? Can you fill in what Joshua can't remember?”

  He nods and turns to Katherine. “Are you all right, Mother?”

  “Just go on. Please.”

  He nods again and takes his seat.

  Chapter Seven

  Calling for Help

  “I was in the middle of a pre-birthday celebration that some friends threw for me since school would be out when my birthday rolled around. I had my cell in my pocket on vibrate and I was just about to have a nice cold glass of, um … water,” Marcus looks at his parents with a cheeky grin on his face. “When my phone started vibrating. I pulled it out and saw the house's number on the ID. I answered it but no one said anything. All I heard was heavy breathing, then a soft, harsh voice struggling to get my name out.”

  Marcus lowers his head. I know this means this will be verbatim. I grab my notepad and recorder. His eyes close.

  “M-Marcus. I need – need- need...”

  “What? Twerp is that you?”

  “Rockford! Rockford!”

  “What happened? Slow down, buddy. Try to relax. Pete! Let me use your cell!”

  “What's happening, Marc,” Pete Garza asked, handing me his phone. I called the line in the kitchen, where I knew Maria would answer.

  “I don't know yet. Maria! Get a paper bag to Joshua, now!”

  “Okay, Marcus. Right away,” she said, confused.

  The music shut off at my tone and it got very quiet. I heard Maria give Joshua the bag and after a few minutes, he calmed.

  “I have a problem, Marcus. I need your help.”

  “I know, Buddy. You said the code word. I'm listening.”

  “I had sex,” he said softly. So soft I thought I heard wrong.

  “Excuse me?” I scowled.

  “I had sex,” he said again, whimpering.

  Shit, I thought. Fucking kids do not listen.

  “I thought that's what you said. What did I tell you before I left?”

  “Not to have sex until I was old enough to appreciate its value.”

  “Do you think you do? Appreciate its value?”

  “I didn't do it on purpose, Cramp!”

  I froze then looked around the room, not liking where this conversation was going at all.

  “What does that mean, Buddy?” I said as calm as I could even though I wanted to rip the walls down.

  “She made me. She smacked me. I had a bruise on my face. I told Mom I hit the door when I was half sleep.”

  “What? What do you mean she smacked you?”

  “She smacked my face, grabbed my throat and pulled my trunks down. Then her hand was on me and I got that erection thing you said it was. Remember when I told you I woke up with that and it wouldn't go away? I had that thing.”

  “Yes, I remember. Then what?” I asked, seething.

  “She, um... she sort of sat on me, I think.”

  “You think?” I yelled. “What the fuck does that mean, Joshua?”

  I heard gasps around the room and stormed out, Pete and Rob on my tail. Joshua started sobbing.

  “I can barely remember. My head was still a little tight.”

  “Tight?”

  “Yeah, she blew marijuana in my face and it made my head feel tight, real funny.”

  I punched the wall and was about to hit it again when Rob grabbed my arm.

  “Look, future doctor. You're going to break every bone in your hand if you keep that up. Calm down and talk to your brother!”

  I stood there for a moment and counted. I put the phone back to my ear, pacing the hall.

  “What happened next, Joshua?”

  “I called Maria to pick me up. She took me home and I told Mom I wasn't feeling well. She told me to lie down and she would bring me soup. I fell asleep.”

  “I bet you did,” I murmured.

  “When I woke up, it was morning and I told Mom I felt better and she said I was exhausted.”

  “Please tell me that's all.”

  “Um, no. She made me do it again at the paintball place.”

  I took a deep breath and gripped the wall. “Did she get you high again first?”

  Pete and Rob's breaths caught and they tensed as I braced myself for his answer.

  “No; just sex in the back office. I didn't want to, Marcus! I swear I didn't! Please don't be angry.”

  “I am angry, Joshua, but not at you. What's got you riled up now, Buddy? Why are you telling me now?”

  “She called me. She said if I don't come to Jamie's house Saturday afternoon, she was going to come here and tell Mom what I did to her.”

  Marcus’ eyes open and he looks right at me. “I shook my head. What he did to her? Yeah, right. This bitch rapes my twelve-year-
old brother, twice, and then she threatens him,” his nostrils flare. He closes his eyes again then drops his head.

  “Jamie's house? Preston? Jamie Preston?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who is she, Buddy? Who did this to you?”

  “Daria,” he whimpered.

  “DARIA?” I yelled. “She's twenty-five, at least!”

  That made him cry. Rob and Pete paced the floor while muttering curses.

  “I'm sorry, Buddy. Stop crying. Calm down. You still have that bag?”

  “Y-yes,” he said through his sobbing.

  “Let me speak to Matthew, Buddy.”

  “He's n-not here.”

  “Dammit. Okay. Let me think on this, hang on.”

  “'Kay.”

  I paced the hall again, Pete and Rob watching my every move. I heard Joshua sob harder.

  “What's wrong, Buddy? What happened?”

  “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “Okay. Go. I'll hold on.”

  “I can't,” he sobbed.

  “Why?”

  “It burns when I go.”

  “Burns?”

  “Like a cut, but worse. And there's stuff coming out that's not urine.”

  I sank to the floor, my head spinning.

  “This bitch got my brother high, raped him and now he's got an STD.”

  “Wait, you mean your twelve-year-old brother?” Pete shouted.

  All I could do was nod.

  “I can be ready in ten minutes, Marc,” Pete shouts.

  “So can I,” Rob angrily snarls.

  “In the morning, first thing. I want to be fresh. It's going to take at least six hours to get to Calabasas. Find flights, on me.”

  “Are you sure you want to wait till tomorrow?” Pete snarled.

  “I have no choice,” I mumbled, putting the phone to my ear. “Listen, Buddy. You can give yourself serious damage holding it. Go to the bathroom, now. I will still be here when you finish.”

  “I don't want to,” he whined.

  “I know you don't but you can't hold it in, you have to release it. Go on, Buddy.”

  He whimpered again and said okay. When he came back to the phone, about twenty minutes later, he was crying so hard he could barely breathe. It took about ten minutes for him to talk on the phone.

  “I'll be there tomorrow, Buddy. We'll talk to Mother, together.”

  “NO! No, Marcus, please don't tell Mom! Just us, Marcus! Please!”

  “All right, Buddy, just calm down, I'll take care of everything tomorrow. Go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow.”

  “Promise?” he whimpered.

  “Yes, I promise. I'm leaving as soon as I open my eyes first thing in the morning, all right?”

  “Okay. Can I call you if she calls again?”

  “You can call me anytime you need to, Buddy, I told you that before I left my first year and I meant it. I still mean it.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Marcus.”

  “You're welcome, Buddy. I'll see you tomorrow.”

  “That is all I am saying about that,” Marcus murmurs looking at the floor.

  I take a deep breath and look around the room.

  “I think now is a great time for another break, family. Fifteen minutes.”

  I watch as they file out and look at the clock. When they return, it'll only be another hour and forty-five minutes left. Shit.

  I drop in my chair and hold my head in my hands, breathing heavily.

  “Are you okay?”

  I look up to see my mentor looking back at me, sympathetically.

  “Hi, Lil. Yes, I'm fine. Just... rattled.”

  She nods. “I get that way, too. Ever feel like you chose the wrong specialty?”

  “Today is one of those days.”

  “Is the family giving you that business?”

  “No. Yes. Well...”

  She chuckles. “You'll be all right. I just popped in to say you're doing great.”

  “You don't have to watch on the monitor, Lil. Why don't you join us?”

  “You think my boys would have opened up about their sex lives and penis sizes if I were in the room? They have a hard enough time believing Thomas and I had sex,” she laughs.

  “Come on. I don't think they would have a problem continuing to open up. We'll unleash Madison on them.”

  “Ah, Madison. Yeah, quite the mouth on her. She likes to rile the men up when they 'misbehave', to delight of their wives.”

  “Rile them up?”

  “She grabs a wife and talks dirty to her. Sometimes even kisses them on the mouth. Usually, the men become erect and run from the room. It's very effective.”

  “And genius,” I laugh. “Nothing like lesbian action to turn a straight man on.”

  “I agree.”

  “I wonder how that started with her.”

  “Something with Mariah in high school.”

  “They've known each other that long?”

  She nods. “They were rivals in high school at first then became best friends. They lost contact for a while but they've been very tight since reconnecting in 2012.”

  I nod. “Very protective family… and the use of humor, right in the middle of something others would deem tragic; too tragic to even consider humor. But they do and they pull it off.”

  “Always. When Mariah was kidnapped, it kept them sane; all of us. Though, it was touch and go for Marcus, at first.”

  “Mariah was kidnapped?”

  “Yes. Mariah Cannon. It was in the news.”

  I think a moment, and then it comes to me. “Didn't you assign Tim to treat her?”

  She nods. “He didn't think he was right for them this time. He thinks they need a woman. I think he was right,” she says patting my hand. “You're doing well with them. I can't believe you got Joshua to open up.”

  “It's not me. He wants his wife and she wants him. That's what keeping them talking.”

  “You're good, Vicky. You're rare, like me,” she winks, walking to the door. “Maybe the last half-hour I'll pop my head in.”

  I laugh. “Good, but make it the last hour,” I smile at her.

  “We'll see,” she says opening the door as the family returns. They kiss her and lead her to an empty chair.

  “I was wondering where you were, Mother,” Ethan smiles.

  “I've been here the whole time, Ethan; observing.”

  “Why?”

  “This is Vicky's session. She didn't need me in here.”

  “No, you're part of this family, Lil. You should be in here with us. Where's Caspar?” Marcus asks.

  “In my office.”

  “Well, get him over here!” Mariah grins.

  Lil chuckles, “All right. Vicky, would you call and have Caspar come in?”

  “Sure,” I say picking up the phone.

  “Hi, Daddy. Can you join us in my office?”

  “Yes Pumpkin, I'll be right there,”

  “Daddy,” Lisa squeals.

  I smile. “Yes. We've only recently reconnected.”

  Lil smiles, “That's right; bitter divorce, angry exes, blah, blah. She was going to tell you after the session ended. We didn't want the knowledge to cloud the session.”

  “I'll be damned, another sister!” Ethan laughs, “Pleasure to meet you finally, sis.” “Welcome, it’s great to meet you. Are you older than me?” Tom gives me a silly smirk.

  “I'm thirty-six.”

  “Yes! Still the oldest,” Tom laughs then kisses my cheek.

  “I thought Caspar’s daughter’s name was Amy! Walmsley-Fields? Is that your mother's name?” Lisa asks, hugging me.

  “No, my birth name is Amy Victoria Reed. But Amy was my mother's name, too, so I go by Victoria or Vicky. I've been married twice. My first husband was Gregory Walmsley. I lost him to cancer six months after we married. My second husband is Timothy Fields.”

  “Greg Walmsley?” Marcus mumbles. “Right, I thought you looked familiar. I met you at his funeral. I was one of his at
tendings at Memorial. Gave him hell the first day I met him and he wasn't even on my service yet.” He looks at his brothers. “The day after my birthday when you guys kissed my ass for a season ticket, my then-girlfriend got me. ‘Uh, Walmsley.’”

  “Oh, yeah,” Matthew laughs. “You said he was arrogant after you correctly guessed his specialty.”

  “Yeah,” Marcus nods. “Walmsley was actually pretty good.”

  I nod. “He was,” I smile. “He talked about you and Dr. Brand often. ‘Best teachers’ he said. He always told us of that line you gave him, 'Get your arrogance in check now. You don't need an eidetic memory to remember the only invincible being is God.' Words to live by, he said... to a point,” I laugh. “He kept that arrogance.”

  “I knew he would,” Marcus smiles. “But he got it in check, right?”

  I nod. “He did.”

  Chapter Eight

  Nice to Meet You

  The door opens and my father strolls in, smiling at me. I kiss his cheek then watch as he walks around and greets everyone in the room. I smirk when he glares at Matthew.

  “Daddy, Lil... can you take a seat across from each other, please, and we can get started.”

  Daddy grabs a chair for Lil first then one for himself.

  “Daddy, what was that glare? At Matthew, I mean.”

  “He used to be an agent. He left to get married.”

  “He was good?” I ask smiling at my father's ill-attempt to act angry.

  Matthew snorts.

  “He was one of the best,” Daddy says, nodding.

  Matthew snorts harder. “I was better than this guy.”

  “In your dreams, Cannon,” Russell chuckles.

  “You were an agent, too?” I ask Russell.

  “Still am. I do mostly recruiting and paperwork now. I knew how to balance my family and work. Unlike that guy,” he says pointing at Matthew.

  “Give me an assignment and I'd kick your ass with it.”

  Madison clears her throat.

  “Hypothetically, that is,” Matthew grins at his wife.

  “That's right, kowtow to the little woman.”

  “Excuse me?” Evelyn shrieks at her husband.

  “I said we should get some Kung-Pow after this, honey.”

  The room chuckles; Mariah pulls out her watermelon.

  “Sorry, Vicky. I'm having cravings.”