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"One of you little bitches," she spat in Spanish, "tookto tell me who has it!"

"I don’t know!" I screamed, curled on my side in the fetal position And it was the truth--I had no idea who took it But it wasn’t unusual for Izel to say that things had been stolen just so she had an excuse to beat onor anyone, I was a stupid, white, American whore…a puta "Una estúpida, blanca puta Americana!" And she was jealous that Javier protectedthe truth!" I sobbed uncontrollably into h my body as her foot thrust into asp

"Ahhhiiieee!" I cried out in pain when s caripped my stomach as I tried to cover myself, to shield my belly from anymore blows Vo on my side, I expelled asaround ht as I lay there hoping it would all just go away

The sound of the door sla The ru across the wood beneath me shook me to my bitter core

"No, no, no! Javier, yo no fui!" Izel pleaded, futilely trying to defend herself

I opened ht in Javier’s iron hand, her little caramel-colored feet lifted from the floor

"YOU NEVER TOUCH HER!" Javier roared in Spanish, his face rasp "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, IZEL!"

Javier slae mirror several feet away cracked in three places, fell from the plastic hooks and shattered across the floor in a thousand pieces When the glint of reflective shards rose up in ain with my hands to protectoff her hand I watched in horror--and sickening relief--as Javier’s fist caain on his sister’s face until he knocked her unconscious and blood covered everything that ainst the floor and he ca ar out in the hall as he carried me out

The men hurried inside the room

I only ever felt safe in Javier’s arms I hated it whenever he left me there, in the cory uns on their backs and evil in their hearts And Izel, who every day wished I was dead

Javier carried irls were kept, and he took me to the house I stayed in with him all the time that he was there, the house I was supposed to be left alone to live in even when he was gone, and not put with the other girls where conditions would be considered deplorable Because this house was my home It was my home with Javier