His Best Friends Daughter- BK1 TPBS 1st draft

-59-

Not edited. soooo have you realised that this story is winding up to an end? I'm going to miss it so much when that happens!!! Still a little more to go cause I know you want the love story but soon I'll be moving on to Maxon and Red xxx

Anna sat with Red and Ben talking quietly. For the first time in what seemed like their entire lives they felt like they could breathe.

They'd watched as Gregory had been tied with ropes behind him. They'd watched as Damon and Lucas had picked him up from under the arms and dragged him to the blackened out van that had been brought around from the front. They watched as six men entered the van to keep him secure. They watched as the van drove away until the pulsing lights of braking were gone.

They'd crumbled in a heap, sobbing as they held one another. No one interfered. They'd cried for the loss of time and the taking of childish innocence. They'd cried knowing he wasn't coming back ever... because he was being driven off to his death. They'd cried for the relief they felt. They cried knowing that finally they could say they'd fought the war... and survived.

Michael stood solemn in the background. He felt like a conplete idiot. Useless and stupid. His daughter was the real hero of this story. He humphed to himself... if only it had been a story, a bunch of words written on paper and typed into a computer program then maybe he'd be able to put it behind him. Read it, sympathise with it and let it go.

But that wasn't happening. It did happen. Things that people would read in horror were things that his daughter had actually lived through. To the outside world there was a reason to keep quiet about it all but to those who lived it daily there would be cries for help if others cared to see them.

Now that Anna was married to Damon he would move on with his own life. He had decisions to make but the biggest of all would bring peace of mind to all of them.

Damon stood with Lucas and Maxon, his eyes rarely leaving his beautiful wife as they discussed the way Gregory would be dealt with. He would suffer at the hands of many. He would feel pain he'd never experienced before and he would feel it for a long time.

As 'guests' mingled with one another in an impromtu celebration of achieving what the authorities failed at so dismally he realised that he hadn't seen Michael in quite a while. Scanning the area he found him.He looked broken as he watched his daughter. Damon excused himself to his brothers.

"Michael."

"Damon. Take care of her for me."

"Always."

Michael chuckled darkly "You've already done better than me."

"Look Michael, I know I blamed you..."

"I blame myself."

"But it's wrong Michael. He's a predator. Anna was his prey and you.."

"I should have fucking known! I'm a fuck up of a father!"

"Oh for fuck sake Michael. Stop feeling sorry for yourself! This guilt you're holding doesn't help anyone and it especially doesn't help Anna!"

Michael looked at him finally "and how the fuck would you know Damon? You've lived this have you? For fucking years I've lived this, first as a complete fucking dickhead believing him and then...then..."

"And then as a grieving father" Damon interrupted.

"I pushed her away. I couldn't look at her. I think she thought I was disgusted in her..."

"But you weren't were you?"

Michael shook his head sadly "Never in her. I hated myself for who she'd become because of my stupidity."

"It's not your fault Michael."

Michael stepped away from him shaking his head "You keep believing that Damon because I never will."

He took steps away from where they were standing before turning back to Damon.

"I'm selling this house and everything in it. You and Anna need to find a new home."

Damon nodded in complete agreement. He'd planned on getting Anna away from here as soon as possible anyway.

"What about you Michael?"

"I'll get a small unit or duplex somewhere... " he paused and looked to the darkening sky "somewhere there isn't underground fucking tunnels, trap doors and fucking false walls."