Week 371 – Tony didn’t know how to get through to Natasha. She was too far gone.

She wasn’t going to let him explain.

Tony didn’t know how to get through to Natasha. She was too far gone. He could see it in the wild look in her eyes. Natasha had been through too much in such a short space of time, and it all rested on his shoulders. Plus he had no idea of the things her brother had been saying to her while he was holding her captive.

Still he had to try.

The thought of this brave, innocent woman believing he was the kind of man who bought another human being was too much. Added to the guilt he was already carrying and it would smother him alive.

“My sister was one of Brandon’s victims,” he admitted, sitting beside her on the grass and crossing his knees, tucking his hands in his lap like he’d done in elementary school. The last thing he wanted to do right now was startle or scare her in any way.

Talking about his sister was hard but Natasha needed to hear the whole truth if he was going to convince her not to hate him.

“She was only thirteen, going through that whole independent phase. She and a couple of her friends came up with a lie one night, all pretending to be sleeping over at one another’s houses. No one knew the truth until it was too late.”

His baby sister had been a change of life baby and he and his two brothers were already in their early twenties when she came along. She’d been spoiled but a good kid, and he would always regret not paying more attention to what was going on in her life.

“They were lured in by your brother and made to work for him. One died there, my sister and her other friend were able to escape. We got her back but she wasn’t the same and she wound up taking her own life. Thats why I was so determined to get your brother. But, Natasha.” Shifting so he was on his knees before her he met her gaze and held it. “I was never a threat to you. Ive been looking for you since you were taken. The only way to get a lead on you was to pretend to be interested in buying you. I am not going to hurt you. You do not belong to me. You are safe now.”

Tony had told her the truth now he just had to see if she could believe it.