The Hawke Family
Prologue
Sheer terror filled her as he raised his fist again. The darkness of the alley hid them from view. She didn’t know why he was beating her, just that he wouldn’t stop.
“Please stop.” Came whimpers from between cracked lips and broken teeth. Her face burned and swelled. Her insides screamed at her, on fire from the pain. “Enough.”
“Enough? I told you iffn ya ever left I would find ya and kill ya. You made me do this! This is your fault!” His whiskey laden breath filled her nose. He’d probably been drinking all day. It was clear he thought she was someone else.
Jenna Hawke feared for her life and that of the unborn life growing inside her. She leaned against the building wall, barely able to stand. How long had he been hitting her? Yelling obscenities and threats at her? Five minutes? Ten? It felt like a lifetime.
She saw her sister-in-law in a new light. Maybe all those times she claimed to have fallen weren’t really accidents. Maybe when she took to her bed, days at a time, refusing company, she was simply beaten to bad to cover up. Maybe Jack Cullen was the worst person she knew, not the best brother like she’d thought.
“Jack,” she begged “it’s Jenna, stop.”
“I told you, no cheatin’. Iffn I find out fer sure you been steppin’ out on me, I’ll kill you, bitch.”
“Jack,” she managed to get her voice above a whisper, “it’s Jenna”
“You’re in love with Jenna?”Shock and disbelief filled his voice. His misunderstanding was going to be her undoing. “You tramp! My own sister?!” Her shook her, the thought enraged him so much. He raised his fist and struck her on the side of the head again and again.
‘Lord, protect my babies’ She prayed as she slipped into the blackness
“Please stop.” Came whimpers from between cracked lips and broken teeth. Her face burned and swelled. Her insides screamed at her, on fire from the pain. “Enough.”
“Enough? I told you iffn ya ever left I would find ya and kill ya. You made me do this! This is your fault!” His whiskey laden breath filled her nose. He’d probably been drinking all day. It was clear he thought she was someone else.
Jenna Hawke feared for her life and that of the unborn life growing inside her. She leaned against the building wall, barely able to stand. How long had he been hitting her? Yelling obscenities and threats at her? Five minutes? Ten? It felt like a lifetime.
She saw her sister-in-law in a new light. Maybe all those times she claimed to have fallen weren’t really accidents. Maybe when she took to her bed, days at a time, refusing company, she was simply beaten to bad to cover up. Maybe Jack Cullen was the worst person she knew, not the best brother like she’d thought.
“Jack,” she begged “it’s Jenna, stop.”
“I told you, no cheatin’. Iffn I find out fer sure you been steppin’ out on me, I’ll kill you, bitch.”
“Jack,” she managed to get her voice above a whisper, “it’s Jenna”
“You’re in love with Jenna?”Shock and disbelief filled his voice. His misunderstanding was going to be her undoing. “You tramp! My own sister?!” Her shook her, the thought enraged him so much. He raised his fist and struck her on the side of the head again and again.
‘Lord, protect my babies’ She prayed as she slipped into the blackness