4

                                    

                                          
I wake up to the sound of silence, something I'm not familiar to. As I sit up my head pounds as usual and i open my bedside drawer.
Oh yeah, no aspirin.
I jump up and put on my slippers that are full of grass. Grass? Where did...
The events of the previous night come flooding back to me. The kids, the crying, the panic attack, the screaming and... The stranger.
I go downstairs, straight to the squeaky clean kitchen. Squeaky clean? I didn't clean anything. I go to the living room to find granny sitting with a man. The stranger.
"Good morning Evangeline." Granny says and i go stand next to her and face the strange handsome man.
"Good morning." I say to no one in particular.
"You're the guy from last night." I say and point at him. Granny hits my hand and i put it behind my back.
"That I am Evangeline." He says and that voice, that soothing voice hypnotizes me.
"Umm... please... call me Eva... everyone does. Sorry about last night, i don't usually have panic attacks." I say awkwardly.
"Evangeline, sit, there is something we need to talk about." Granny says seriously and i sit on the couch next to her.
"This is Mr Devlin, he is going to buy our house or rather take it." Granny says with tears in her eyes.
"What?" I ask 
"Explain." I say 
"I am the owner of a casino a few miles away where a Miss Esther Stevens has been gambling for quite some time now. She lost a huge sum of my money and told me to take this house if she couldn't pay me in time." Mr Devlin explains.
"This house isn't hers to give, it belongs to me." I say not even arguing with the fact that my mother is an alcoholic, drug addicted gambler.
"I know and that is why I came to speak with you last night. I don't want the house believe me but I need my money back." He says 
"What do you want then?" I ask and granny speaks this time.
"Sir please reconsider." Granny says 
"I have noticed the past few times that i have been here that this house is no place to raise children in. You can keep the house or sell it for all i care but to pay off your mother's death it's either I take the house and kill your mother or I leave everything as it is and you come live with me." He says 
"You're kidding right? Are you out of your freaking mind!" I shout 
"I will not be anyone's sex slave or prostitute." I say angrily.
Who the hell does he think he is!?
"Believe me that is not why I want you to live with me, i have men that have been watching the house for 2 months now and they tell me how your mother treats you. Like you're a mindless servant, i want you to live with me and I'll pay for your mother's rehab. And anything else you want or you'll be on the streets with your sick grandmother planning a funeral for your mother." He says with a straight face and the face i once thought was beautiful is now actually quite repulsing.
"This has got to be illegal." I say and pick up my phone to call the cops.
"Oh and don't forget to say that it's Hades Devlin trying to put you out." He says with a smirk and I look at him confused.
"Choose Evangeline, I'll be back to pick you up tonight." He says and stands to his full height which is extreme. 
He opens the door and ducks his head a bit before going out. He speeds down the street and i turn to my granny who is balling her eyes out.
"Oh granny, we'll find a way around this." I say and hug her.
"Dear, there is no way around this. We'll be on the streets so I suggest we get packing." She says and goes to her room. I sit in the silence and think about what he said.
I hate her.
I hate my mother.
I go to my room and start packing my clothes. Mom returns home around 6 and i go straight to her room behind her. 
"Hey Eva." She says with dilated pupils and a buzz crazed smile on her face.
"Pack your clothes Mom, you're going to rehab." I say and pull out her huge suitcase. I place it on her bed and turn to her.
"What are you talking about child?" She asks angrily.
"Ooh look it's my alcoholic drug addicted gambler mother!" I shout and she gasps.
"I hope you burn in hell for what you're about to put me through. Because of my sick love for you in selling my soul to the devil in exchange for yours. I hope you think for everyday about how I'm going to be abused and possible raped over and over again because of you!" I shout and run back to my room.
I'm fuming 
I'm pissed beyond words so I go out into the backyard and scream. I scream until my lungs shout for air.
I fall to the ground and sit there until I hear heavy footsteps come up to me. Combat boots come into view and i look up to see Mr Devlin. 
"Come on." He says and holds out a hand and i take it. I wipe my face with the back of my hands and turn to face him.
"I'll go with you on three conditions: one, my mother gets the best rehabilitation in the history of rehab. Two, my granny and brothers come to live with us and three my grandmother gets the best medical care money can buy." I say and bite back my tears.
" Your mother will go to rehab but your grandmother and brothers will have to live here or I can buy them a new house, you decide. As for the medical care i will have my doctors look into her medical records and give her the best care. You have my word." He says and walks into the house through the backdoor.
I follow behind him and see my granny in the hallway with her luggage along with both my brothers. 
"We're leaving." She says to Mr Devlin.
"No you're Not, i am. I'm going with him." I say and run up the stairs past everyone. I go to my room and grab my two suitcases.
"You're not going with him." Granny says but i push past her.
"Please try to understand. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Besides you raised me to be a strong woman, just like yourself." I say and kiss her cheek with a tight hug.
"Eva... where are you going?" Ethan asks as he rubs his eyes.
"Baby, i need to leave for a while but I promise I'll see you guys again soon. Take care of Evan you know he still needs it." I say and he nods.
"You don't need to go, I'll hit this guy and then we can run away together." Evan says and i chuckle before raffling his hair.
"I love you guys, take good care of granny while I'm away. I don't know when I'll see you guys again. Remember to sing Ethan the Dilly Dilly song." I say and he nods before stuffing his face into my shirt and crying.
"Please don't go!" He wails and i bite back my tears as I push him away.
"Remember: 
If you love me, dilly, dilly,
I will love you
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly,
And the lambs play
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly,
out of harm's way." I sing through tears and he nods.
"You'll be out of harm's way and I'll make sure of that." I say before kissing both of them.
Mr Devlin already has my suitcases and is waiting patiently by the door. I rush out and into the backseat of the car in the driveway. Mr Devlin gets in beside me and the driver steps on the gas. I watch as my broken down house gets smaller and smaller before disappearing and i sit back in my seat and stare out the window. 
I don't know when I doze off but I fall into a dreamless slumber.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Hey my loves I hope you enjoyed this chapter 
Love You All 
Vote and Comment 
With love from:
~V.T.W 
😘