The Wanted Daughter (The Devil All The Time Fanfic: Arvin Russell x Reader)

Humiliation

Later, Preston was at the front of the room, loving the fact everyone was watching him at the from, digging into the food they had brought for him. Y/n knew he'd love it, its just more people to deceive...

But when the man saw the plate of chicken livers on the table... he set his plate down and began to speak...

"Friends." He started. "There's no doubt that we're all humbled people gathered here. Y'all have been awful nice to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the welcome... but friends... the poor soul... that brung in them chicken livers on that beat-up plate... let's just say I'm inspired to preach on it for a minute before we eat." He stated. Y/n's eyes widened,

"Daddy no, please not now-"

"Quiet, child! I taught you better." Preston said to her sternly. "Sure, some of us are better off than others. And I see, plenty of white meat and red meat laid out on this table. And I suspect that that folks that carried them platters in eat mighty good sometimes."

Y/n saw the look on Emma, Arvin and Lenora's face and her face also fell. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. The girl wanted to go over to them and apologise and comfort them, but she was stuck at the front with her Dad.

"But poor people got to bring what they can afford. So them organs... is a sign to me... tellin' me, that as the new preacher of this church, sacrifice myself so that y'all can have a share of some good meat tonight. And that's what I'm gonna do friends, I'm gonna eat these organs..."

Arvin put an arm around his poor Grandma's shoulders in comfort, he was fuming at this man's behaviour. He still says this when he knows that they have been looking after his daughter that whole time he was away. He saw Y/n try and walk over to them, but her father stopped her,

"Don't test me, today. If you move one more step towards those people..." He threatened his daughter, knowing he didn't need to continue. She looked him in the eyes, not really knowing what to do... but her heart dominated her fear.

She marched over to them, pushing past the people in front, and took Arvin's hand. Arvin looked at her shocked and scared for a moment, but then realised what she did. Ignoring the threat, she stood by him and Emma.

Preston glared at her, you could see practically see the steam fuming out of his ears. Then, he started aggressively eating the chicken livers, almost taking his anger out on them. But he held eye contact with her, through every single one. It made her want to gag in discomfort, but she didn't back down.

She couldn't.

************
Arvin slammed the car door, so many different emotion were whirring through him at a fast pace,

"Now, don't you worry about that pus-gutted blowhard. I bet he ain't got two nickels to rub together."

"Careful Arvin, that's your girlfriends daddy you're talkin' about." Emma said "But... god, I've never been so embarrassed in all my life. I could have crawled right under the table."

"Right, Imma go talk to him." The boy started getting out the car.

"No, Arvin! None of that... besides bein' Y/n's father, he sure wasn't the preacher I was hopin' for."

"Grandma, that ain't no preacher... he's about as bad as they get on the damn radio." Arvin gripped the steering wheel and stared at the preacher from the church door. "Heck, I bet he just wanted them chicken livers all to his own self, that's why he did that. You see how he was gobblin' them down."

"You shouldn't talk like that, Arvin." Lenora spoke up. "Preacher Teagardin wouldn't be here if the Lord hadn't sent him."

Just then, Arvin saw Y/n running over to the car, a desperate look on her face. He got out the car to see her, but she went straight to Mrs Russell,

"Emma, I'm so sorry for what my daddy did. He had no right to say that to ya, it was insensitive and wrong of him." She rambled.

"Its alright, Y/n, it weren't your fault." She reassured the girl. She then turned to Arvin,

"Arvin, I'm so sorry, hon. I know you're gonna say I should have stayed with him, but I didn't!"

"Baby, stop. I appreciate what you did, we all do, but you just gotta be careful... the way he was lookin' at you... it weren't a nice look." He explained, a slight worry in his voice.

"I know... I'm sorry."

"Stop apologisin'!" He chuckled lightly, then lowered his voice "When are you gonna understand that you're the victim in all this." Y/n was about to respond, but a voice cut her off.

"Y/n!! Come here, sweetheart! I need to talk to ya!" Her father summoned her from the doors of the church. The girl gulped,

"You guys go home without me... I'll walk home."

"No. There's no way I'm leavin' you alone with that man."

"Arvin please!" She put her hands on his cheeks"...I'm gonna get it either way..."

"Y/n!! Now!!" Preston called again.

"I'll be okay. I love you." She kissed him on the cheek, then ran away to her father before her boyfriend could protest anymore. Arvin got back in the car and started biting his nail,

"Is she okay? She seemed anxious." Lenora asked.

"...I don't think so."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked. Arvin knew that she wouldn't like Y/n knowing about how her daddy hurts her... but he knew it would benefit them in the future...

"There's somethin' you guys should know..."

************
"I'm here, daddy-"

He slapped her right across the cheek.

Y/n fell to the ground, in shock of what happened... but then she suddenly felt like a small child again.

"What in the world was that?!" He yelled at her. "I taught you to be an obedient child that respects their family!"

Y/n couldn't form words, only tears could fall from her wide eyes.

"Nothin' to say, huh?!" He slapped her again "What do you have to say to the Lord?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Lord-" She wimpered.

"Louder!"

"I'm sorry, Lord!!" She screamed, letting her fear and anger out in words that reflected the opposite. "Please forgive my sins!! I promise to never do it again and be a good girl!!"

To Preston, it was like hearing a song he hadn't heard in years, and being such a long time since heard it, it was more pleasing than ever.

For Y/n, she had memorised the lyrics to said song, and now repeating it as if she listened to it twenty times yesterday.

But she resented it.

"That's better." The man lowered his voice "Now, run along. I'll be seeing ya next Sunday."

Y/n didn't move for a few seconds, then she realised that he was letting her go. She got up and scampered for the doors. Yes, it didn't last long, but every time it happened, it felt like hours.

Y/n ran home, not caring if she looked completely hysterical to the people she ran past. Good thing the Russell house wasn't too far away.

Knowing the door was unlocked, she opened it with shaking hands and slammed it facing the door. It made quite a bang, so Arvin came running,

"What the-... Y/n?" His voice was but a whisper...

Y/n turned to face her boyfriend very slowly, to reveal a sight that Arvin would never... ever forget.

His girlfriend with two, dark, bright purple bruises on her face, tear streaks visible. Seeing Arvin's face just made her break down in tears.

She fell, Arvin catching her before she hit the ground, the adrenalin finally wearing off. She sobbed and sobbed in his arms, unable to stop,

"Shh, shh, darlin'. I've got you, I've got you." Arvin stroked her hair as they sat on the ground in an emotional heap,

"You're safe, baby... it's just you and me, okay?"

1290 Words (Not Including This)

What is Arvin going to do to keep Y/n safe?

-F