Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Felix leans back against the wood with his arms crossed. “I’m not hiding anything.”
“And you …” My father narrows his eyes at Kai, Nathan, and Milo. “You took a picture of my daughter in a precarious position and shared it with the world?”
“It was a mistake,” Nathan mutters.
“An accident,” Kai adds. “It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Right. But it did happen.”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Nathan says. “I was careless.”
“Yes, you were.”
CLICK!
The noise alerts me.
He’s got a gun.
I immediately step in front of the three boys, unafraid of the bullets he’s threatening them with. “Don’t.”
“Lana!” Felix growls. “Don’t do it!”
“Tell me why you choose to protect them,” my father grits, incensed.
Seconds feel like hours.
“Because I love them!” I’ve never felt something so fiercely in my heart.
But now that it’s finally out in the open, I feel relieved.
“And we love her,” Kai says, stepping forward to grasp my hand and lace his fingers through mine. “And if you want to kill me for loving your daughter, then fucking kill me now because I will never, ever, stop loving her harder than the day before.”
My heart almost jumps from my chest because of his unabashed devotion.
“I’ll take a bullet for you. I already did so once, and I’d do it again and again,” Nathan says, stepping up to grasp my other hand. “I’m the one responsible. Kill me if you must.”
“No,” Milo says, stepping in front of all of us. “I will not let you hurt the people I love.”
My father’s jaw tenses, but his body relaxes just a little bit. “Love …”
“Yes. Do you remember what that felt like?” I ask.
His lip rises in disgust. “No. I’ve not felt the love of a woman or for a woman since your mother destroyed it with her bare hands.”
The pause that follows feels like it lasts an eternity.
CLICK!
The gun’s safety is put back on, the sound making me feel like I can breathe again.
He puts his gun away. “But I love my kids, and I’d do anything to protect you.” Tears well up in my eyes as he approaches. “If you still want these boys, despite the fact they hurt you … then I’ll accept your choice.”
My father places a hand on Milo’s shoulder. “You’re a brave guy.”
“Thanks,” he gulps.
“That body in that picture, did you clean it up?” he asks like it’s no big deal.
The boys all nod in silence, all stupefied by how easy he makes it sound.
“Good.”
“Wait, you’re not mad?” Nathan asks.
“Of course, I’m mad. But that doesn’t stop the killings because if it did, you wouldn’t be doing it in the first place,” he retorts.
“I thought you summoned us here to expel us,” Milo mutters.
“I was going to kill you, actually.”
Milo’s face turns ghostly white.
“But seeing as how that would upset my little girl, I opted not to,” he muses like it’s the most normal thing on earth.
“How many more have you killed?” he asks.
“Plenty,” Kai responds. “More than I can count on two hands.”
“And was she there?”
I blush again. “That kill was actually mine. Along with a bunch of others.”
He sighs softly, shaking his head, and rubs his forehead with his fingers. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t skip a generation.”
“Wait … What?” Felix mutters. “You knew? All this time? And you didn’t say anything?”
“You think I don’t know what you’re both capable of?” my father retorts, tilting his head. “You’re my flesh and blood. I know that insatiable hunger. Why do you think I told you to stop fighting? I knew you two would be dragged to that dark side if you didn’t.”
“Wow,” Milo mutters, snorting. “This is a turn of events.”
“Dad,” I mutter. “I …”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.”
He places his hand on my shoulder, and memories flash through my mind like a movie running at two-hundred times the normal pace. My tiny self, searching for the bathroom, finding a light on in my brother’s room, seeing my mother in his bed …
The gun from the cabinet … and a firm hand on my shoulder.
A sharp breath follows.
“Dad …”
“What is it?” Dad says.
Tears well up in my eyes. “You didn’t kill Mother, did you?”
I look up into his eyes, which yield to my gaze like only a father’s eyes would when he’s tried so hard to protect his daughter from reality.
My lips part. “I did, didn’t I?”
This truth has haunted my soul for years.
It takes him a few seconds to reply. “Yes.”
His face contorts with a pain unlike any other, and he pulls me away from the boys only to hug me so tightly all the waterworks begin to flow.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t. Don’t apologize.” His hand wraps firmly around my hair, stroking me. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You did the right thing.”
“I killed her,” I say.
Felix stands in the corner, silently watching us, but the pained look in his eyes makes me cry even harder.