Chapter 12

Karen stood quickly now. Her whole body shaking with fright as she leaned to pull up Donna faster than I could.

Now, all of us on our feet, Karen and I circled Donna with our arms. She was shaking and crying loudly, still. Almost out of it. I caressed her head softly trying to console her. Both Karen and I still in shock ourselves.

I picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her as Karen helped me. We eased over toward the car now, and I sat her in the front seat. I turned on the heater to take the chill off of us.

Karen sat on Donna's right as I got behind the wheel and started to speed towards home.

We needed the security of our house to discuss this any further I thought.

Oh, what a nightmare! After about ten minutes, I began to calm down, and slow down, luckily! A passing patrol car just as I had made it down to the normal limit once again.

Karen was holding Donna close to her. Both of them now wrapped in the blankets. We said little until I was almost in the driveway to our house ten minutes later.

Once inside, I asked Cindi to make some hot coffee.

She saw the upset looks on all of us as she began to set it up for us. I decided to take Donna back upstairs now, and remembered to call her mother.

I explained that she was all right, and that we, meaning her mother and I, needed to talk right away.

She sensed my alarm and asked directions to our house. She was leaving within five minutes. I STILL had the sense to tell Karen to get dressed, and did so myself. Karen took Donna into her room and fitted her with a nightgown and nice bathrobe also.

Minutes later, an impatient knock at the front door. Cindi already being downstairs, let Donna's mother in. Hearing her come in, and asking Cindi where Donna was? Her face seemed drawn, as if she had no sleep.

We gathered in Karen's room now, and all sitting on her bed and her dressing chairs.

What's happened she pleaded to know? I looked at Karen, and at Donna, still shaking.

"I told them mom!"

"What honey?"

"I told them about daddy."

"Oh my God." OOOHHH No..."

Donna started to cry again, and I reached to hold her. Her mother looked shocked now, and at a loss for words.

"Oh my honey Donna,... I... , I..."

Now she too, was crying. Mom, he hurt me bad the other day when he fucked me like he did. You were shopping..."

Finally, she raised her head and said, "I couldn't stop him through all this time. I just couldn't. I'm so afraid of what he would do..."

" I know what I should do, but our lives would all be ruined. He would be in jail..."

"Yes, I know how terrible its been for you sweetheart."

"He beats me too sometimes and makes me do filthy things also."

"She can't go back there anymore, I said adamantly!"

"I won't let it happen."

"I've come to love her in this short time."

"I will do whatever it takes to protect her from him."

"The rotten bastard!"

"Oh Kenny, I've wanted to leave him, but he's threatened to ruin us financially and every thing else."

"Both the kids are so very close to graduating like you also, Kenny."

"It would wreck them completely to pull out now."

"Does her brother know?" I asked.

"NO, Kenny, Donna finally answered. I NEVER WANT HIM TO KNOW ABOUT THIS."

"He would kill dad, and then end up in jail forever."

"I love him too much for that." Its just him me and mom, and if he was im jail, Mom and me would be..."

No, PAULIE NEVER FINDS OUT. NEVER."

"Do you want to tell the police? Oh God... How many times I thought of doing just that Kenny."

"Donna and I talked about it." If he was locked up now, the kids could never finish in your wonderful school, we would be without my slob husband's paychecks."

The scandal would destroy all of us, especially Donna, and Paulie at your school."

"Everything would be destroyed, and we would definitely have to move far away."

"Far enough where no one knew us, and have to start all over again."

"He's home sleeping right now. Finally." Marie said.

"He made me FUCK him tonight!" she said biterly, and then immediately apologizing. She reached over and held Donna close to her now as Karen stayed at her other side.

"Look, Karen said, "If its OK with YOU, then Donna is welcome to live here with us. We have a lot of room, and her and my sister... we all get along great."

"Her and Kenny are getting really tight too."

"I immediately liked her idea, and knew, that once mom and dad knew the situation, they would also go along.

"Yes, I said, standing up now. He doesn't know me. Never met me yet."

He doesn't have to know where she is, and you can say that she might have run away."

"If he comes to the school, then you call the cops anyway." "Say that he violated a protection order."

"We can see our uncle about getting a protection order in court." He's a lawyer."

"We can say that she just fears him, and wants to live away from him without going into details."

"My uncle can work out the shitty details for us."

"Oh Kenny, do you really think it would work?"

"Its worth a try Mrs... Marie."