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A/N: Yes yes I know I haven't updated in ages but I've been busy especially since school started. But I finally updated runs in circle singing yippee plus I still have writer's block ;P
Chapter 3: Danger Rising3 days later
"That girl needs to be found!" Mr. Conoga shouted angrily, and then cursed Anne's dead parents under his breath.
"Why do you need her back? You never liked her." Mr. Kilbeck retorted, as he settled himself in an armchair in the study.
"Because she could ruin my reputation by telling people about what we did to her." He replied through gritted teeth.
"I don't think she'd be brave enough to do that."
"I don't care! I want her dead, and I want you and your thugs to take care of her."
"That's going to cost you money. Lots of money." Kilbeck stated with a greedy gleam in his eye.
Mr. Conoga grabbed Mr. Kilbeck by the collar, "Money is no object! I don't care how you kill her, I just want her dead." He growled, a desperate gleam in his eyes.
"Fine. But my buddies have to agree with it." Kilbeck stated as he left the room.
At the Brooklyn Lodging House after dinner
"Anne, dinnah was supah!" Soccer exclaimed, completely satisfied. "Wheah did youse learn how ta cook like dat?"
"My aunt made me cook for her and my uncle." Anne replied curtly, an emotionless expression on her tanned face.
"Oh." Soccer said, noting how cold her voice sounded. "Uh, Anne, would youse mind tellin' me why youse ran away from your home? If ya don' want ta den I'll undahstand."
"You wouldn't want to know." She answered tears pooling in her large brown eyes. She didn't want him to know because he might think of her differently.
This angered Soccer a little, he felt as if she didn't trust him, "Anne, every newsie has a bad past. But it helps if you tell somebody 'bout it." He said, hoping to get her to see that he was trustworthy.
"No." She whimpered, turning away so he wouldn't see her tears.
Soccer softened, " Anne, nuthin' can be to terrible." Then turning her around he cupped her face in his hand. "Nuthin' can make me change my 'bout you. I-"Soccer stopped, he never though about his feelings for Anne. He didn't realize that he was protective over her because he might like her, love her even. 'But you just me her,' a small voice said "Look, Anne, I'se care 'bout youse a lot. And I'se knows dat we just met like a week ago or sumt'in', but please tell me so I can undahstand."
"No, you don't understand-"
"How can I understand if I don't know what happened?" Soccer interrupted softly.
"M-my aunt and uncle did not like me. They found excuses and reasons to punish me, and their punishments were severe." Her tears now coming in a torrent.
"Please, Anne, I know dat dey hoit youse, but if youse keep it bottled up, youse will nevah recovah from it." Soccer coaxed gently.
Anne let out a resigned sigh, "You have to promise not to tell anyone."
"I'se promise. Youse gets ta soak me if I do."
"My parents died when I was very young, so my aunt and uncle we compelled to take me in, though they very much didn't like the idea. They always thought I was a nuisance, even though I always tried to please them. My aunt was under the impression that I was an evil child, and would continually fin fault in me. My punishments at the beginning weren't too bad, I mostly got sent to my room, but as I got older and more mature, the punishments worsened. Particularly since one of their friends said that I was becoming a very pretty young girl. Well, that just opened new areas in which to punish me." Anne stated bitterly. "My uncle at first would parade me around in very revealing clothing and tons of make-up, just because I might not have eaten all of my breakfast or something as absurd as that. Then he..." Anne stopped, she couldn't tell Soccer this, there was no way he can look at the same. "I can't tell you this, it's... it's too terrible." Anne said, a pleading look on her face.
"Nuthin' can change the way I think of you Anne." Soccer assured her as he took her hand.
Anne sighed sadly, "He would gamble a lot and lose most of the time, so his friends said that if he allowed them to... to have their way with me that they would consider him debt free. So hw and his wife, of course, thought that would be okay for punishing me." Anne finished slowly, as she turned away from Soccer so he wouldn't have to look at her.
Soccer was shocked, he hadn't expected that, but instead of being repulsed, as Anne thought he would, he felt sorry for her and angry that someone could justify doing such atrocities as that in their conscience. "Anne, I'se sorry dat dis happened to youse, but you have my woid dat unless youse give me leave ta tell anyone 'bout dis dat I won't." He promised her as he pulled her into a hug and let her cry on his shoulder.
"Thank you." Anne choked out amidst sobs and tears.
In an alley near the docks in Brooklyn
"So, boys, what do you think of Mr. Conoga's proposal?" Kilbeck inquired his gang devilishly.
A/N: MOOOOHAHAHA I'm leavin' it dere 'cause it makes for a good cliffhanger hehehehehehe