Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

I guess that’s what I was. I was addicted to that tiny woman lying next to
me.
“It feels so good to finally say it, Maddox. I’ve wanted to for so long but
it never felt right given what I was hiding from you.” Drawing circles on her
naked hip, I hugged her tighter.
“Sofia, this doesn't change a thing for me. From the moment you showed
me that newspaper article, I knew you did what you had to do. I love you too,
baby.”
Silence stretched as we both got lost in our thoughts. I had never been
naive enough to believe that the system was totally dependable. I would have
never thought that a man, especially one in a position of power, could have
an equal opportunity of being brought to justice and getting what he deserved
like the average citizen could. This system had been created by rich men, and
so it naturally benefited them.
I knew if Sofia had spoken up, if she'd tried to go to the police or
something, it would’ve been her word against his. Raymond would probably
have sent her away and taken advantage of her absence to force himself on
Valentina.
The simple thought made me so fucking mad.
“It was horrible living there.” She confessed quietly, eyes lost in the
distance. “They were so awful, they constantly put Valentina down. She had
to be careful of how she spoke, how she dressed. She was bullied at school,
but I couldn’t do anything about it because that would have created a fuss and
possibly risked a punishment for us. They were especially strict with her
because they thought I was a lost cause, since I was older, but Valentina was
just the right age that they could shape her into the perfect little daughter.”
My nostrils flared because that was no way to raise a child. But I didn't
say anything and simply let her unload on me. I had a feeling she needed that.
“They didn’t want us to speak Spanish, I had to teach Valentina in secret,
because we had always spoken Spanish at home when I was little and I