Page 94 of Whatever You Want

My eyes frantically scanned the room, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon. The kitchen drawer where I kept my sharp knives was too far out of my reach. There was a pair of scissors on the coffee table nearby, but I had to move backward to get to them.

I backed away in that direction when all six foot two of the deranged-looking man moved directly into my personal space. Feeling trapped, I wondered if this was the paralyzing fear my mother felt at being completely at his mercy. My feet slipped against the floor, and my eyes flew to the door, wondering if my neighbors would be able to hear me if I screamed.

“You’re nothing but a little bitch, you know that!”

I barely had time to register the smack before it hit my cheek. “You think because you’re sleeping with a cop now that you can one up me?” His face reddened. “He might have found that tracker I put in your car, but I’ll find your mother if it’s the last thing I ever do.” My eyes widened. Logan was right, it wasn’t Vanessa.

“It was you,” I said, bringing my fingers up to my stinging cheek.

“You think I’m fucking stupid? I knew you would eventually take her from me.” He shouted and then landed another smack against my temple. Pain like I’d never felt before seared through me as I struggled to stay on my feet. “You turned her against me, and it’s time you pay the fucking price for running your filthy mouth.” He grabbed the back of my hair; pain ripped through my scalp. “It’s time I teach you a real lesson like I should have when you were a punk-ass teenager.” His fist struck the side of my head before I knew it was coming.

It felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. He gripped my shirt and shoved me against the wall. His fist came toward my face again. I tried to duck my head, but his knuckles made contact with my cheekbone. The radiating pain was enough to send my body to the floor.

Tears burned the back of my eyes as his steel-toed boot connected with my ribs. “Fuck,” I screamed out in pain. My entire body throbbed in agony. I tried to roll around and move away, but it only made the pain worse. My limbs felt heavy, and I made the mistake of letting out a cough. I wanted to run and get away from this fucking lunatic, but my body wouldn’t cooperate.

“Scream all you want, you little cunt.” His laugh was maniacal and showed no mercy. I tried to curl up in a ball to protect myself. I felt another kick, and I could hear the snap and pop of my bones crack. The sharp pain made my vision blur.

“Why are you doing this?” Everything spun around me, making it hard to concentrate as he leaned over me.

“Tell. Me. Where. She. Is.” His hand came down to my throat, and he squeezed so hard, I had no doubt he was trying to kill me. The hatred in his voice, along with the pressure against my skin, had me fearing that I was at the end of my life.

“I told you, I don’t know,” I said, struggling to breathe.

“Liar!” He released his hold and spat in my face. “Your mother never would have left me if you didn’t poison her with your lies.”

“She left because she was sick of getting beaten, you bastard.” I squinted toward the door. If only I had the energy to make a run for it.

“I’m warning you.” He grabbed my throat again. My body thrashed against his, but all the oxygen was being squeezed out of me, making my attempts useless.

He released his hold on me and left me gasping for air. He started rummaging through my kitchen drawers, pulling them out completely, and throwing them across the room in frustration. “I’m going to find her and make her sorry she ever left me.”

I could see blood on the floor—my blood. Everything ached, but I slowly dragged my body toward the door while he was distracted with tearing my house upside down. What he was hoping to find, I had no fucking clue. I just knew I had to get out of there before he killed me.

I brought my hand up to my throat and focused on breathing. I wasn’t going down without a fight.

As soundlessly as I could, I inched my way toward freedom. My body felt weak as I lifted my arms enough to reach the doorknob. The sound of sirens in the distance had Richard turning around. I tried not to panic when he withdrew a pistol from his coat pocket and pointed it at me. I knew at that moment that I had taken things too far. I should never have provoked him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” His heavy footsteps pounded against the floor. I slid my eyes shut, knowing I was completely out of options.

“Amelia called for help,” I croaked out as the sound of sirens got closer. “You don’t need to do this, Richard. You can turn yourself in, you don’t have to kill me.”

“I should end your life right now and send you to the grave, right next to Drew, but you’re not fucking worth sitting in a prison cell.”

I blinked up at him; fear like I’d never felt before raced through me. He took his foot and jammed it into my shoulder one last time before he flung the door open. The second he hit the concrete steps, a police cruiser skidded to a halt, sending the two front wheels onto the curb. My eyes squinted at their flashing lights.

“Stop right there. Drop the gun. Lie down on your stomach and keep your hands where I can see them,” the cop commanded.

I placed my hand over my brow and peeked outside. Everything was blurry, but I could still make out the two police officers who were crouched behind the open car doors. Their service weapons were aimed directly at my stepfather.

Without any warning, Richard fired two shots directly at the officers. I heard the shatter of a windshield and flung my arms over my head and tried to roll away from the door. Richard jumped off the porch and tried to use my landscaping as a cover. I heard the sound of gunfire and looked across my yard in time to see Richard fall to his knees and clutch his chest. One officer ran over to the lifeless body on my grass. The other approached me slowly. He took one look at me and paused.

“You okay, miss?”

I nodded my head, unable to speak.

“You better call for an ambulance,” he called out to his partner, who was checking Richard’s body for a pulse.

“I will.” He stood up and tucked his gun away. “I’ll make sure to tell the one coming for this one that they don’t need to hurry.” He pulled out his phone, and I winced at all the blood oozing out of Richard’s chest. “The suspect is dead. You’re safe now, miss.”

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