"I know I have to come home and say goodbye to Charles, but Miss Lovato won't let me." I sighed as I sat next to my brother on the grass. We were taking a break during practice since I just ran a total of seven hundred yards and he threw just about that much since we were just working on passing and guarding today.

"Come back with me. She can't stop you then." Jackson nudged me with his shoulder.

"Our father would be pissed." I shook my head.

"He won't do anything if I stop him. I'm stronger and faster than him. I've got you." He gave me his one million dollar smile. Well, actually fifty thousand dollar smile. Very expensive braces and whitening shit once a month.

"I get to sleep on the couch in your room then, and I'm leaving in the morning." I gave him a knowing look.

"I'll take the couch, and you take my bed. That isn't up for debate." He looked around. "If we leave now, Miss Lovato won't see us."

I nodded before signaling to coach that I had to leave.

He waved Jackson and I off, so we jogged to Jackson's nice ass truck. His truck is worth more than my hut out back.

Jackson's hands trembled as he tried to hide it by gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"Are you alright Jacks?" I looked over at him to see his jaw clenched so tightly that I could see the veins popping in his temples.

"Yeah, I've just got low blood sugar. I'll be alright." Jackson gave me a quick fake smile.

The rest of the ride was quiet. The only sound to be heard was the rain hitting the truck as we plowed through it.

When we pulled into the driveway Jackson quickly got out of his truck and just grabbed his shit before walking inside without me.

"Help?" I turned to my inner wolf as I watched Jackson through the window near the front door.

Don't go inside. Something is up.

"He does have diabetes though. It could be his blood sugar." I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Why ask me for help if you're just going to question my advice anyways?

"Because I want this to be okay." I sighed before hopping out of the truck, grabbing my shit out of the bed, and then going inside the house.

When I opened the door I saw Jackson standing ten feet or so in front of me with a blank expression before nodding.

"Prove your worth to me, Jackson. Put the cuffs on her and beat her. Prove that you are a Rogue." My father's voice creeped up beside me and the blood drained from my face. "Prove it."

Jackson nodded before taking slow steps towards me.

I went to turn around and run back out the door, but my father pushed me in Jackson's direction before guarding the door with a pistol in his grip.

"Jackson, please don't." I begged him as I turned back in his direction.

He gave me a saddened expression as he slapped my cheek hard enough to send me to the floor.

I was quick to get back on my feet. Shit goes down if you stay down. "Jackson, why are you doing this? Have you seriously let him get into your head?" Tears started to stream down my face as Jackson approached me with an emotionless expression. "If you don't care about the fact that I'm your sister, maybe you'll care about the fact that I am the best receiver you will ever have, even in the NFL. A quarterback isn't shit without their receiver." I put my hands up as my eyes scanned for an exit.

"Fuck football." He growled before pulling the whip that was coiled in his pocket out and lashing it once in the air to get the crack sound to echo throughout the house.

"Jackson, please." I started to cry harder.

Jackson lifted his arm up and brought the whip down across my cheek before I could react to where he was aiming.

I started to make a run for the backdoor, but Jackson hit me in the Achilles tendon which made me collapse.

My lungs lost all of their air in them as I hit the ground. I couldn't even scream.

"Enough of the child's play, Jackson." My father chuckled as I kept trying to crawl away, but Jackson would whip me every time I'd move. The pain alone stopped me.

"Yes father." Jackson returned the chuckle before raining hell on my back.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

"Keep going. I don't see enough blood for me to be pleased yet." My father stood beside Jackson when I looked back at them. "Quite pitiful if you ask me. Every time she moves, hit her." He patted my brother's shoulder before walking away so he wouldn't get hit on a backlash.

The black leather came down on my back again, and I definitely felt the sting of my skin splitting from the thin strip. A quiet whimper escaped my throat as the pain began to surge through my figure. Not even the adrenaline is assisting with the pain.

"Just because she isn't moving doesn't mean you stop hitting her. Keep going, and make sure you get the name calling in. The guys will be here to pick her up in the morning. The military is paying us one billion dollars. It's quite outstanding, isn't it?" My father's voice was full of pride as his only daughter was crying in pain.

"Hear that? Not even your blood family wants you!" Jackson's words stung more than any I've ever heard. I trusted him.

Another lash hit my back. I pushed myself up with my hands before trying to walk away. Anywhere but here. I can't give up.

Door.

"Which one?" I whispered and squeezed my eyes shut as I anticipated the next hit.

Back door. Run with everything you've got left. You can out run them with ease even at your lowest point. Run to Demi's. She will protect us.

I took a deep breath before bolting.

"Jackson, go get her!" My father yelled as I ran through the slightly familiar house. A shot rang out, and that definitely got my blood pumping.

Footsteps were coming up behind me, so I put it into full gear.

Left then your second right.

I followed the instructions carefully and a door came into sight.

Run straight when you get out the door. Woods ahead.

My hands turned the knob and slung the door open before my legs took over again, leading me straight to the woods.

"Let the dogs loose!" I hear my father's voice call out to me.

If they get close, howl and growl. They can smell my half of you.

"They shouldn't be able to catch up with me. Possibly run the same speed, but I've got a hell of a head start." I looked over my shoulder to see a few dogs sprinting in my direction.

They've got noses, Harlow. We can run as much as we want, but eventually the human side of us will need water. Turn right up here at the road. It leads to Demi's house.

"I can't stay at Demi's. The police will lock her up for harboring me." I weaved in and out of the trees with ease.

Then go to the police.

"My family can buy and sell them. They can't do shit for me."

The city's police department can do something and will do something. They wouldn't accept money. They'd get it after busting them for attempted bribery.

"What are they gonna do? Put me in a foster home?" The thought of that alone scared the shit out of me.

Would you rather be put in a foster home, or stay in an abusive hellhole? If you think what you just went through was abuse, just wait and see what the guys who will be at the front door of your father's house tomorrow morning.

"Where is the police station?" I gave in after looking over my shoulder to see the dogs slowing down.

Turn right on the road, and instead of going straight into Demi's neighborhood, go left onto main street and the police station will be on the left.

"You're telling me that the Rogue family, your family, is doing all of this to you?" A detective asked me as I was being treated while we waited for the ambulance.

"Yes, they do this a lot. I just can't take it anymore. This time my brother got involved and they were getting ready to sell me to some guys tomorrow morning for one billion dollars. If you don't fucking believe me, why keep me here like this?" I winced as one of the female law enforcement officers cleaned one of the gashes with rubbing alcohol.

"She's not lying." A familiar voice spoke from behind me. One that made a smile grow on my face as soon as I heard it.

I stood straight up and ran over to Demi, even though my back was on fire.

"I have footage from in my office and from the whole school of him hitting her. The Rogue's also have a shit ton of security cameras in and around their house according to her father. If you get a warrant to get them before they know she's here, they won't swipe them." Demi carefully wrapped her arms around my neck instead of my back, so she wouldn't hurt the numerous amounts of cuts scattered across it.

"We will start the warrant right away. Ron, call the magistrate's office. We need it now." The detective nodded at the guy who just brought Demi in to me.

"How did you know I was here?" I turned to her.

"I tracked your phone when I realized you left with Jackson." Demi looked so defeated. "Please don't do that again." She whimpered into my shoulder.

"I won't. I promise." I whispered and rocked us slightly back and forth.

"You're her teacher?" One guy cleared his throat from behind me.

Demi carefully nudged me behind her and discreetly held my hand. "Yes."

"And you're that close?" He raised a brow.

"Yes, I know of her past, and I would've gotten you guys involved sooner if her father didn't threaten my career and Harlow begged me not to. I am very protective over my students." Demi spoke with authority, as if everyone else in the world is below her.

"You have all of your students phone trackers on your phone?" He leaned up against the wall.

"A good majority of them yes. Some of them ask me to track them because they'd lose their head if it wasn't attached to them on the track. Phones fly out of pockets while running. Harlow and I made an agreement for me to check her location if she isn't on time to somewhere. I went to pick her up from her football practice so she didn't have to walk back in the rain, and when I noticed that her brother's truck was gone and she was about twenty minutes late, then I knew something was up. People were still out there, but once I looked closer I realized none of them were Harlow, so I got worried." Demi sounded so intimidating.

He shrugged. "Alright then, I'm just saying. If I wasn't gay and in your position, I'd want to tap that."

"Marcus!" The detective snapped at him before slapping the guy as hard as seemingly possible. "He isn't even an officer yet, ladies. I apologize. He is my son who apparently needs more learning before interning." He glared at his son as he shrunk into his seat.

Demi simply glared at the guy who was getting more and more intimidated by her by the second. "Do you need to keep her for further questioning or am I allowed to take her back to my place so she can get sleep since it's literally two in the morning?" She asked the detective, but didn't look away from his son.

"I'm going to have one or two deputies there tonight just to make sure the guys she was going to be sold to don't go and hunt for her. A few days actually." The detective gave us a smile.

Demi wrote down her address and phone number before leaving with me one step ahead of her. She doesn't let me walk behind her, or beside her. Only in front so she can watch my whole surroundings. She still maintains control of who is in charge just by her always either having a hand on the small of my back, or since my back is all torn up, a hand in mine.

I'm safe with Demi.