Page 78 of Perfect

“His dad is here! He’s attacking Connor!”

“What the… Carter? Fuck. Go into the house and lock yourself in. I’m on my way.” I heard Rachel’s high-pitched squeal in the background before Dad shushed her. From the sound of it, he was in the car.

“What do I do? Connor’s face is—,”

“Do what I tell you and get into the house. Connor can look after himself. Go now!”

Dad’s harsh tone jerked me out of my stunned state. This couldn’t be fucking happening. The call cut off and I spun back towards the two men, dropping my phone, my hair wrapped around my throat like a hand. My breath caught again as I attempted to scream. Connor’s body was being battered.

He was on the floor and he didn’t seem to be moving; fear jetted into me like lightning and I ran toward him.

Carter was on his feet and I could only watch with horror as he drew back his leg and kicked his son full-on in the stomach, his target grunting in pain.

Connor’s body curled further into itself in a foetal position but I could see he was conscious, but only barely.

I yelled for the man to stop but Carter drew back his leg for another blow and I lost it.

“No! Get away from him! Stop, you’ll kill him!”

I ran and threw my body over Connor to try and shield him from the man with the demonic face.

Carter moved around me and booted Connor in the back.

It was like I wasn’t there, like the larger man was in a murderous world of his own. He kicked his son again and Connor started coughing whilst trying to shove me away from him.

I pushed to my jelly-like legs and frantically scanned the area, seeing the piece of wood left over from when Connor had been patching the roof of the barn. Rushing over, I slid my fingers around it and heaved, my muscles straining with the weight. Adrenalin pulsed through me like lava. It was up to me, I had to do something and I dragged the wood over to where Carter stood staring down at his fallen victim. His back was facing me.

With a strength I didn’t know was possible, I raised the piece of wood; my target, any part of Carter’s body. Even if it only temporarily distracted him from finishing his son off, it was better than nothing.

I drew the beam of wood higher and then with all my strength swung it to smash it over Carter’s head. He turned last minute, his eyes widening in shock as the blow came, smashing against his shoulder and the lower part of his face. It knocked him backwards and his breath whooshed from his body. I too fell back, landing on my side with a painful jolt and I scrambled away as Carter swayed back and forth, trying to recover.

As I sat there on my backside, with my hands on either side of my body, bracing me up, Carter climbed slowly to his feet before turning to glare at me. He was noticing me now. His eyes were still filled with a murderous rage and my heart thumped so wildly, I thought it was going to burst out of my chest.

Carter staggered towards me like the drunks you saw in the city at night.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” he dribbled out, spit running down his chin.

I shook my head, I needed to be strong.

“I’ve phoned the police! They’ll be here any minute!Leave us alone!” I yelled in a semi-hysterical voice, sure that my turn was coming. I felt terror like I’d never experienced.

Cater would kill me easily and there wasnothingI could do about it. I rolled to the side and then onto all fours, knowing that I’d have a better chance on my feet and praying that I could get there fast enough. I should have done as Dad had ordered and ran to the house, but I hadn’t been able to leave Connor.

Carter advanced on me as I came to my feet, backing away, my palms raised to ward him off.

I closed my eyes as my back hit the side of the barn and the realisation that there was nowhere left to go, pooled painfully into my gut. This was it. My knees sagged. The range of emotions churning through me at that point was indescribable.

Carter grabbed me by the throat and started to squeeze. I felt my eyes bulge at the pressure.

Air was trapped in my lungs and he continued to tighten his grip around my neck. I lifted my hands and circled his wrists to try and drag his hand away and scratched his skin but it made no difference. I couldn’t get my breath; the life was beingchokedout of me and my head started swimming.

I opened my mouth to plead with him but no sound came out and then suddenly, I felt Carter release me with a grunt. I fell to my knees, struggling for coherent thought as I dragged air into my deprived lungs.

A skirmish was going on beside me and I rocked to my knees, blinking back tears to see that Connor had knocked Carter off me. He had saved me. He was now pushing all his weight onto his father’s back and the man’s spine buckled. Carter’s face was pushed into the dirt and he thrashed beneath his son’s body attempting to rise.

“Get into the house, Harlow. Now!” Connor bit out, his shirt was ripped and I could see angry-looking welts on his bared torso, making me wince. I was breathing heavily, greedily refilling my body with oxygen.

The light from the house lit up Connor’s face. One eye was swollen, it was purple and angry looking, blood was crusted around his nose and his lip was split. I nodded frantically and pushed myself to my feet, running for the house as the sound of a car powered up the driveway. This time I was happy about the interruption. I spun in the direction of the lights, hope thumping through me.

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