I walk to the kitchen and quickly have a glass of water, before heading outside. I wander in the direction I last saw Jack heading in. When I reach the river, I wonder where he could be. I stand and listen to the water rushing over the rocks, the sound calming my insides.

When I turn to leave, I spot movement by the chapel. I walk through the clearing and then see Jack’s head pop up from behind the chapel wall. On my side of the wall, he’s already made a garden. I slowly walk around the chapel and then smile. He has clay pots littering the sides of the chapel, all different sizes. A few have tiny trees in them. Jack is rubbing his one bicep while he stares at the pots.

“You’ve been busy,” I say softly, not wanting to scare him.

His head snaps up and he takes a step back.

I take a step closer and point to the empty pots. “What are you going to do with those?”

He looks back at them, a perplexed look clouding his features. “I want to fill them with bonsai trees. The shade will be good for them.”

“Bonsai?” I lift an eyebrow in surprise. “You like bonsai trees?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

I sigh heavily and then with all the patience in the world, I say, “River. Say my name, Jack.”

He frowns and then whispers, “River.”

I point to the river to the left of us. “Just like that, Jack. You call the water a river and that’s my name too. You won’t call the water mistress so please don’t call me mistress.”

His green eyes are intense and I know he’s trying to get a read on me.

“Why don’t you make a list of the bonsai you’d like and the tools you need and I’ll send one of the men to get it for you tomorrow.”

His mouth drops open and for a moment he’s stunned, but then he frowns again. “I can’t make a list.”

I take another step closer to him, hoping he’ll get used to being around me. “Why not?”

For the first time color tinges his cheeks and then he whispers, “I can’t write.”

For a moment I’m shocked at what Jack just told me, but I recover quickly, not wanting to make him feel self-conscious. “And read?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Would you like to learn?” I pray he says yes. It’s something I can help him with, something that might help us bond.

He stares at me intently and then whispers, “I would.”

“We can start tomorrow but for now you can just tell me what you want and I’ll make the list for you.”

“Thank you,” the words burst from his lips and for the first time ever he takes a step closer to me out of his own free will. “Thank you for being kind.”

“It’s only my pleasure, Jack.” Not wanting to push him too much I start to walk away. “I’ll get the list from you over dinner. Don’t stay out here too late.”

I can feel his eyes follow me for quite some distance. I’m going to win Jack’s trust. I’m going to show him that there is good in this world.

~*~

I’m itching to go see what Jack did with the new supplies Colby and Ian went to get him this morning. I hope they got everything he asked for.

Last night at dinner I asked Jack if he would meet me in the kitchen an hour before dinner. I know Miss Ella and Sophia will be busy cooking then. I’m hoping that their presence will help make him feel safe while I teach him to write and read.

I’ve just poured two glasses of lemonade when Jack comes in. He’s filthy from head to toe and I can’t help but laugh. He looks like a little boy who’s been playing in the dirt all day long. “Go shower and then meet me here, Jack.”

I’ve printed a list of flowers from the internet. I place the sheet and some paper, and a pen on the corner of the table Miss Ella said we can use.

When Jack comes back his dark hair is shining and all the traces of dirt have been washed away. “Come sit next to me, Jack.”

He takes a seat but moves it a few inches away from me.

I place the sheet with names and flower pictures closer to him, and his eyes instantly go to the pretty picture of a shooting star. “I’ve gotten a list of flowers for you to start with, seeing as you love them so much.” I point to the shooting star and say, “That is a shooting star, Jack.”

I pick up the pen and scoot closer to his right hand but then I stop and ask, “Which hand is your stronger hand?”

He holds up his left hand and I get up. I lean over his left shoulder and feel his body stiffen. I take hold of his left hand and position the pen between his fingers. Guiding the tip of the pen to a blank sheet of paper, I help Jack write wobbly words. His hand is shaking lightly beneath mine.

I take a seat to his left and pick up another pen. With my right hand I write as neatly as I can. I spell the words shooting star out as I write them down.

When I look up there’s a frown marring Jack’s face. “Why do you use your right hand, but I use my left?”

“Not everybody writes with the same hand. Some are left-handed and some are right-handed.”

I place my sheet of paper in front of Jack and point to the words. “Try to copy my letters.”

We sit for a long while and practice the two words over and over.

“Ten minutes to dinner time,” Miss Ella says from behind the pots.

“Let’s do your name quickly.” When Jack looks at me I ask, “What’s your last name?”

“Hawkins.”

My mouth goes slack with shock. “But that’s Cameron’s last name,” I say feeling confused.

Jack’s whole body tightens up. “He married my mother,” he says abruptly.

I can see he doesn’t want to talk about this, but I need to know. “Cameron is your step father?”

Jack gets up so quickly, I flinch away. He storms from the kitchen and I stare after him feeling a tendril of fear slip down my spine. If he’s Cameron’s son the man might come looking for him.

“Jack’s mom died when he was young. Cameron sold her and the Master killed her,” Sophia suddenly says. “Cameron had a son with Jack’s mom and that’s the only reason Jack never tried to leave. He did it all for David. He promised his mom that he would look after David. ”

The new information hits me in the gut. “Jack has a brother?” I get up, feeling a wave of panic hit. “Are you telling me we left Jack’s brother back there?”

Sophia cringes back and shakes her head. “No. David is Cameron’s son. David was the one who had me and Jack whipped. Jack started a fight with him when he saw me giving David a blowjob.”

Now I’m confused. “Let me get the story right. David is Jack’s younger brother, but he’s just like Cameron?”

“Yes,” there is a sad look on Sophia’s face when she whispers, “I think that broke Jack’s heart.”

That’s so sad! Jack went through years of being used for David and it turned out that David was just like Cameron. Something like that is bad enough to break anyone.

“Thank you for telling me, Sophia.” I look to Miss Ella and ask, “Will you keep two plates for us. I’m going to go check on him.”

I rush out the back door and head in the direction of the chapel. I don’t know how I’m going to fix this.

~*~

Chapter Eleven

Jack~

Anger is suffocating me! I’ve managed to switch off in some way over the past few days, but it’s all gone to shit.

David. The name burns through my heart. I’m torn between feeling like I failed David, and feeling betrayed by him.

I just walk blindly, until I reach the chapel. I take a seat on one of the benches. Night is falling and the trees cast dark shadows around me.

David was my life for so long, the only reason I let those filthy fuckers touch me. I’ll never forget his last words to me. ‘Thanks for all the money you made us you dumb fuck. Sadly, every hole has an expiration date and you’ve reached yours. No use in pretending anymore.’

He was working with Cameron all along, cashing in on my stupidity. They let me believe that David was being sheltered from that life, that he was at college making something great of himself, but instead he was being formed into a spitting image of Cameron.