"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST THEA?!" I screamed at Hayden. he had called me a moment ago saying it was urgent so naturally I answered even though I was in a very important meeting and boy am I glad I did.

"Dad Ricky was watching her and took her for ice cream and he said he went to the bathroom and when he came out she was gone." He sounded frustrated and upset which was very understandable for the situation. "Why was Ricky watching her?" Last time I checked Thea was going with the boys to the football game.

"Thea and Beau got into a fight and she begged me not to go so I said Ricky could come over for a while and I figured they would watch a movie or something but apparently they just had to get ice cream!"

It was safe to assume Ricky was right there with them and receiving many dirty looks and mean comments from my sons. Good. He deserves anything bad that comes his way. "Where was the last place you saw her? I want the entire area searched over. No rock left unturned." I walked back into the meeting room and motioned for Alex to follow me.

"We'll be on the next flight home but until then you search the whole god damn town hear me?" We walked into the hotel room and I threw clothes into a suitcase carelessly. "I understand Dad. We won't stop looking." I could tell that Hayden was very distraught about this but we all were.

Thea is our pride and joy. The most important thing in all of our lives. If anything happens to her I'll never forgive myself. "Dad what's going on?" Alex asks me obviously very confused. "Ricky took Thea for ice cream and apparently he lost her."

I ran a hand down my face in annoyance and worry. But I couldn't allow myself to think of all the awful possibilities just yet.

There was a chance that she just wandered away and got lost somewhere. Yeah that's it, Thea got lost and they'll find her soon.

Everything's fine.

Everything is just fine.

Oh god I hope it'll be fine.

The next morning, I woke up feeling sore and achy. I could see purple bruises on my arms and stomach in the faint light, and my head was still pounding. I have no idea how long I've been asleep but Clark was gone so it must have been a while.

The door creaking open broke me out of my thoughts. Clark and a man I've never seen before entered talking. "Have you touched her yet?" The man shoving his hands in his pockets."No, I just bruised her up a bit. I'll save the fun stuff for later." Clark chuckled at the end. His laughter never makes me smile like Dads does. Dad. I miss him. I miss all of my family a lot.

Even though Clark told me they didn't want me, the more I thought about it the less sense it made. "Good morning princess." Clark said crouching down to my level. "Good morning sir." I said softly keeping my eyes on the ground. Clark had a similar set of rules that Greg had. Always say sir. Never make eye contact. Keep your voice low. It was the easiest way to please Greg and Clark so that's what I did.

"What's on your mind dear?" The man asked me crouching beside Clark. "Noting sir." I mumbled. A strong hand harshly jerked my chin upwards. "Do not lie to me little girl. That won't end well." Clark growled. I gulped quietly and nodded in understanding. "Now princess, what is on your mind?" I took a deep breath preparing myself for what might come.

"Um, are you sure my family doesn't want me anymore?" Clark's eyes darkened at the mention of my family. "Are you questioning me?" I shook my head violently. "No sir." He rolled his eyes at me. "Then what is it? Come on girl spit it out." "It's- it's just I miss them." I whispered so quietly I don't even think her heard.

Clark grabbed my chin much more gently this time. "Well rest assured darling, they don't miss you." He stood up and so did the other man. "In fact, I received a call from your father just an hour ago saying how thankful he was to me for taking you off their hands. You must have been a real burden to your poor family." He tsked, shaking his head.

I was a burden. I knew it. I knew that if I relied on them too much they would think of me as a nuisance. I mean they didn't ask for me to be born. It was my fault that I was here. But that didn't stop the new rising anger I felt towards my family.

If they wanted me gone they just had to say so and I would have left. I know how to care for myself, I would have been fine. But now I was stuck in this cold dirty room with a man who claims to love me but so far had done nothing but make me fear him.

But it was my fault.

It was all my fault.