Like a revered blood oath, I mentally reaffirmed the vow I had made to myself the night after Darren walked out, and that was to protect my brothers and sister with everything I had in me. I would never allow them to be beaten like I had been, or be abused like our mother, or defiled like our brother. With whatever I had inside of me, I would protect and defend them from harm. They would never have to sit behind a barricaded bedroom door with a hurley in hand. I would be here to do it for them. I knew what it felt like to have my protector abandon me, and I would never allow that to happen to
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