We're just glad you're with us safe and sound. Now you need to catch up on your sleep. We have a lot to tell you, but tomorrow will be soon enough."An...el sniffed back a sob before struggling out, "I wish I had never left home – married Justin. It was the dumbest thing I have ever done. It's a wonder he didn't kill me, or have one of his cronies rape me. He just got worse and worse. Mom, I'm lucky to be alive." You're safe now, Baby," Brenda said as she absently tucked the sheet around her. That evening I went down to a bar and had a couple of oysters and some champagne. It was really hot, and the the cool taste of shellfish and bubbly went down like a gift from the gods. Suddenly I could feel a hand on my shoulder, I turned around, and a pair of large, brown eyes met mine. It was a woman of the more mature kind, somewhere in her fifties I'd say, hair done up fashionably and wearing a very nice short black dress. Her voice was a bit husky."Hello…" Her voice spoke volumes. Even I. She never having anyone take an interest in her was blind to his real motives, and so trusting along with the feeling that she had the power to control such a big intimidating hulk of a man one that in the past had been unable to be controlled by anyone! The thought of her having complete control of such a big powerful black man had left her giddy and his attention to her had removed any thought that he was only leading her on, shall we say to sexual slaughter! She was so sure she could do the. “The environment in which she was raised had a woman in it who seemed to hate men. She certainly didn’t trust any of them. Valerie didn’t even go on dates, because she was afraid it would stress you out that she was out there with some guy who might be hurting her the same way you were hurt.”I had to physically stop Eve from responding. I could see she was upset.“She wasn’t upset by this,” I said. “She didn’t feel like she was denied anything. She just learned not to trust men very much, too..