Hidden Flames [The Ludovicas: Second Generation Book Three]

Prologue

IRENE
(Age Ten)

Someone was shouting downstairs. Again. And it was never a good sign.

My body still aches from the last beating my foster father gave me. I grabbed my torn teddy bear and hugged it to my chest to comfort myself.

I whimpered when a loud bang echoed through the house. What is even happening?

I was curious to peek down but my ankle was already throbbing at the prospect of walking and eventually getting myself hurt again.

I hope it's not one of Mr Lance's friends. They are very very bad. They keep staring at me, making me feel uncomfortable and sometimes they even touch me which I don't like at all.

I tried telling Mr Lance that but he slapped me so hard that my lips started to bleed.

Taking my teddy bear, I dragged myself across my small room, climbed into the closet and shut the door, praying that by some miracle, a superhero would save me.

I tried running yesterday but he caught me and twisted my ankle so that I wouldn't dare to do that again.

Tears gathered in my eyes. Please, God. Let a superhero save me.

There were more bangs downstairs followed by screaming.

A minute passed by and I could clearly hear someone running up the stairs.

No. Please, no. Not again.

My room door always creaks on being open and closed so when it did, I shut my eyes firmly, tears falling on my cheeks. Please, let it be a superhero.

But even then I knew my prayers were pointless, no one had ever saved me from the moment I got to know that my parents died in an accident and having no relatives, I was shoved into the foster system.

It must be Mr Lance himself or his friends. Both were scary and bad.

I could hear someone shuffling outside in my room, probably searching for me and a sob escaped my mouth making me slam my palm over my mouth. He's going to hurt me again.

The footsteps stopped outside the closet, and I sighed in defeat, accepting my fate.

The closet door was pulled open harshly and I brought my knees closer, waiting for the shouting and hitting.

But there was absolute silence except for someone's steady breathing.

I cautiously opened my eyes, biting back a gasp when I found an unfamiliar man standing in front of me.

He didn't look old like Mr Lance's friends, instead he was a boy, older than me.

His head cocked subtly and he regarded me with a blank look, his dark hair messy and his eyes had the prettiest colour of green with a hint of brown in it.

Blood was sprinkled over his face and his white shirt, small cuts around his cheeks. Did someone hurt him too?

He looked scary but then he didn't stare at me creepily, nevertheless, I pressed myself further against the wall.

"P-please..." I shuttered. "D-don't...don't...hurt me..."

He dropped down to a crouch, eyes scanning me from head to toe, his jaw clenching when he focused on my neck where a black-blue imprint of Mr Lance's fingers was. My whole body was littered with bruises and scars.

He slid his eyes to mine and he looked even more angry than earlier making me whimper.

Very slowly, he extended his hand towards me making me flinch but he didn't hit or touch me, his hand remained suspended in the air. He wanted me to take his hand.