Page 59 of Daddy's Rules

“You shouldn’t have done this, Kar. We finally had a fucking chance to get revenge and you had to go soft! And now you’re turning yourself in?” Disgust mars his face.

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Kari-Anne says and I hold her close to me as we shuffle backwards down the steps to the sand. “I’m the one who wanted revenge, Greg, not you. Why do you even care if I come clean? I wasn’t even going to mention your part in this until Jordan told me she saw you at the club the night she was drugged. Did you drug her, Greg?”

“Stop calling me Greg,” he says and opens the back door to usher us out. “You’re a pathetic excuse for an investigative reporter,” he says, practically spitting the words. “Yeah, I drugged her.” Greg’s eyes dart to mine and narrow. “She’s lucky I didn’t do any worse.” I swallow hard when he turns his attention back to Kari-Anne. “And you!” He points a short thin finger at her. “You should have found me.”

“I’m not an investigative reporter. I’m nothing more than paparazzi, drooling like a rabid animal for details to ruin people’s lives.”

“Bullshit!” Greg yells, his hand unsteady. “I’d been waiting for you to figure out who I was all this time, but you were too obsessed with her.” The gun swings at me and a small yip flies out of my mouth as my hands fly up in front of me. Can I grab the gun while he’s distracted with his rant? My heart, already beating at a rabbit’s pace, palpitates faster.

“And fine. That I understood. After all, she was the reason our mom died and we were separated. But not even when you gave up your vendetta could you see who I was.” His face softens when Kari-Anne’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open. But then the hardened edge to his features return.

“Andy?”

“Ding, ding, ding!”

Kari-Anne’s hand flies to her mouth and tears start free-flowing down her face. But Greg isn’t affected by it. He shoves us further along down the sandy beach. I look for Owen and the dogs but see nothing except an empty stretch of sand.

“My car’s around the corner. Hurry up.”

“Where are you taking us?” I ask, grabbing Kari-Anne’s hand. She’s not moving as fast as Greg wants and I’m worried by the scowl on his face that he’ll shoot her. And I’m the one he really wants.

“Somewhere no one will find your body. Now shut up, you dumb, privileged bitch.”

Kari-Anne stumbles in the sand. Greg’s arm swings and the thud of the heavy metal butt of the gun hitting her in the face again makes my stomach roll. Kari-Anne falls to the sand. He swears.

“Andy, leave her. I’m the one you want. She’s unconscious, likely has a concussion, and probably won’t remember anything if she lives.”

“I said shut up!” His scream sounds hysterical. He’s flustered by Kari-Anne’s state and when he tries to yank her up, he’s too small and falls to the sand himself. My feet move into action and I start to run. He curses behind me but I don’t look back. The only thing I can think is ‘run.’

When the sand explodes beside me, I dive out of the way. My heart feels as if it’s about to thump out of my chest but I right myself and continue to run despite his hollering behind me. Another shot hits the sand and I scream. If I don’t get away, he’s going to kill me.

The thought of leaving Owen alone, the image of him standing above a gravestone with my name etched on it makes my legs pump faster. I have no choice; I have to get away.

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