Chapter 1

Anna POV

What a stressful day. I'm sitting on the end of my bed reminiscing on old times. I can't believe I will be graduating tomorrow with my D.V.M (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.) from WSU. Dad is so very proud of me. This was a 4-year course and I worked my ass off doing extra classes and night studies to complete it in 2. I really miss my dad. I don't see him often enough. But he will be here for me and so will my other two favorite men Sam and Danny. They are my dad's best friends. In actual fact it feels like I have 3 dads that's how close we are.

Ray is not my biological father but he is my Daddy. He is the only father who has always been there for me because he loved me. I can count on him for anything. He owns a huge Horse ranch outside of Seattle were I am going to start working. The ranch he owns is very private and is not known to many people. Dad prefers it that way for safety reasons. Dad is ex military and I started living with him at the age of 12. Let me tell you about my sorry excuse of a so-called mother.

Carla always saw me as the mistake she should have got rid of. She didn't ever care about me. From the rime I was 6 I had to sell cookies in the streets for money for food because my mom was to busy with the new man in her life to care for me. There were days when I would be so hungry my tummy burnt. Some of these men she had around were ok but I knew it wouldn't last. Ray married my mother when I was 8. He took really good care of me. There was always food for me when he was there. On my 9th birthday mom said Ray is leaving. I was heart-broken. I begged her for days to let me go with him but she refused because he agreed to give her an allowance for me. All she saw was money for her pocket. I didn't see a cent of that money. I went back to being hungry. So I went back to baking my cookies. I loved to read but mom hatted it she would tell me I am going to become a useless piece of shit living on the streets reading scrapbooks. I had to hide my books or she would burn them. To this day I hate the smell and sight of burning paper.

At 11 my mom met Matt. They were married within a week. He seemed like a decent guy in the beginning. Then it all started to change. He would drink too much and come into my room and get violent. It started off slow with a slap here and there and then it got worse. He then started kicking and punching me leaving bruises. I would have to use moms make up to cover my bruises up. Mom and Matt both told me if I ever told Rey they would disappear with me and I would never see him ever again. So I kept quiet and suffered in silence. Mom never cared about me, she used to say, " Anastasia you needed it because you are too ungrateful. You do not give Matt the respect he deserves". Mom did not help me out she said it would do me some good. This one afternoon I had just got back from school and I realized he was home early drunk. As I waked into the house he grabbed me by the hair and threw me across the lounge. Said it was my fault he got fired from work.

"Anastasia if you were not so stubborn I would not be so stressed out. You caused me to lose my job."

"Please Matt. I did not do anything. I promise."

"You promise. You caused me stress every fucking day of my life. I don't know why your fucking mother insists on keeping you around. If it were up to me I would give you to the fucking state. Because of your sorry excuse for a person, I take my stress out on work. Well those days are over."

"No Matt you can't take it out on me. It is not my fault. Pleas Matt I beg you. I will be better I will be good and respectful for you. I will do whatever you ask." By this time I was in full-blown tears begging him not to hurt me.

"Begging is not going to help you my darling. Come to daddy so he can teach you a lesson."

I was so terrified. I knew Ray was supposed to collect me in 2 days time because it was my 12th birthday and he promised to take me sailing. So I knew the fool won't leave marks on me. But boy was I wrong. That day was the worst day of my life. He beat me up so bad I passed out. When I came to I was tired up and locked in my closet. The pain was so bad I can still remember it now. I don't know how long I was in that closet or if mum knew but all I remember is waking up to bright lights and I thought I was dead. To my surprise I was in the hospital and Ray was with me. He told me when he came to fetch me Matt said I had run away. But Ray knew me to well, he knew Mat was lying so he checked my closest to see if I took my clothes and that is when he found me unconscious. By the time he helped me to the hospital Matt was gone. I had 3 broken ribs a fractured foot and a huge slash across my upper back from the beer bottle he broke on my back. They also treated me for cigarette burns on my both palms. The bastard had made a circle pattern with 6 cigarette burns on each palm. I still get angry when I touch my hands. My dad taught me to convert that pain and anger into a positive thing. Now when I touch my hands it reminds me of my strength and that I am a survivor. It also reminds me that my father Ray loves me unconditionally. They still don't know were the bastard Matt is and it's been 12 years. Ray had all his military men form a search party for the bastard but there was no luck. He knew what would have happened to him if he were ever caught. Carla lied and said she didn't know anything about what was going on so Rey threatened her and got full custody of me. She was too happy to get rid of me this time because she had already found a new husband Jack Hyde. I just pray she stays out of my life.

Dad would joke and tell me I am very tinny and clumsy and I need to be able to defend myself in the big world. So he and his friends started training me to defend myself. He taught me weapons training and sent me to the best martial arts school in Seattle. His military friends still all call me little marine. I could probably drop all there asses now with my skill. My trainer begged me to join the Olympic team in Kickboxing but I was too afraid to be in the lime light of fear of Matt and my mother coming back for me because I became famous. So I kept under the radar at all costs. I have not seen Carla in 12 years either.

When I started school by dad. It was not easy for me. I did not fit in at school. I didn't were what was in fashion. I used to get teased and pranked on everyday by Leila Williams and her crew. I would take my lunch everyday and hide under the stands crying to myself. I would sit behind the school so those mean kids could not find me. After two years of torture I was ready to give up and move schools.

One after noon I was chilling under their eating and minding my own business. There was another guy I dint know sitting on the top steps eating as well. He was not interested in me so I was happy till when Leila and crew found me. They started throwing there lunch at me, calling and me bad names. The guy sat a bit watching and then I guess he just had enough. He stood up and walked over to Leila and stood up for me. I didn't know why he was helping me or who he was but since that day we have been best of friends. He is now my best friend Jose Rodriguez son of the biggest Yacht Company in Seattle. I still have not forgotten what she put me through and I never will. I promised myself I would never allow myself to be treated like that ever again. After high school I moved into a flat on campus with Jose. He is studying engendering. Jose is a very well built guy with pitch back locks and green eyes. He looks like a runway model. I know he wants to be more than friends but I don't feel like that about him and I am too terrified to mess it up and lose his friendship. I see the way he looks at me at times but we agreed to stay best friends. For his 18 birthday his dad gifted him his first yacht. "The Anastácia" Its the Portuguese spelling for Anastasia.

I was just getting up to shower when there was a knock at the door. I grabbed a robe and rushed to answer it. When I prided open the door I was shocked to find nobody there but a parcel left on my doorstep. I grabbed it and went over to the kitchen counter an opened the lid. All I could do was gasp.

Jose POV

I walked into the flat and hear this whimpering noise. It can't be Anna because Anna doesn't cry. So I search the house. When I go to her room I am shocked she is a total mess. What the fuck happened to her?

"Anna what happened. Are you hurt?"

"Jose…I am not safe anymore." And she wept even more. Oh shit this could only mean the fucker Matt is back.

"Anna why do you say that?" Shit she has been through so much already.

"It's Carla she sent me a graduation gift with a card that read.

Congratulations on graduating. Now it is your turn to start paying me back for all those years I wasted on you. Here is my bank account no. 9567-85435. I will expect a deposit of $2000 every month from now on or else.

Love always Carla (mom).

Fuck is she insane or just fucking stupid.

"Anna I am here for you and will not allow anything to happen to you. She is not getting a cent from you. Now rest up we have a hectic day ahead of us tomorrow.