Page 62 of Redemption

Kelsey

“Hi, baby girl.” My dad grunts and rolls against the cement floor.

“What have they done to you?” My heart lodges in my throat when I take in his appearance.

His usual well-groomed brown hair is a knotted mess. Two black eyes stand out against his green irises. There’s a small cut on his cheek and his bottom lip is split. Several bruises splatter along the side of his face, spilling onto his neck. He looks like something out of horror movie.

“I’m fine.” He pants as he pushes to his feet, propping himself up against the block wall. “They didn’t hurt me much.” I bury my head in my dad’s chest and sob like I’m five years old again. He wraps me in his arms, patting my back. “It’s going to be okay, baby girl.”

“How can you say that? Look what they’ve done to you.” I can’t believe he’s being so calm about all of this right now. “We have to get out of here.”

“We’ll be fine. They swore they wouldn’t hurt us if we just give them what they want. You still have it don’t you?” His hands shake as they grip the side of my face.

“Have what, dad?” My mind races to make sense of what the hell he’s talking about when his hold on my face tightens.

“The SD card, Kels.” His voice grows hard as I take a good look at him. The man standing before me isn’t my father. He’s a stranger. The pupils of his eyes have gone black and there’s a far off look in his eye that has my insides trembling. My mouth falls open as I stare down at the man who taught me how to ride a bike. I’ve never seen him look so unhinged.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?” I attempt to shake out of his hold, but his fingers dig into my cheeks even harder.

His hands fall away and he starts pacing back and forth in the small space. He fists is hair, pulling at the tips all the while mumbling to himself. I can only hear bits and pieces, but nothing that makes any sense. Something is seriously wrong with him. I don’t recognize this man standing before me.

I plaster my body against the wall, as the man who once taught me to ride a bike crumbles before my eyes. A lump forms in my throat taking it all in. It feels like I’m in a walking nightmare. Then he snaps and loses what little sanity he had left.

“Don’t lie to me you stupid bitch!” He shoves me to the floor and fists the side of his hair. “I gave it to you. You found it and hid it for yourself, didn’t you? You selfish bitch.” Spit flies from his mouth with every word.

“I didn’t, I swear.” Tears fill my eyes at the same time my heart shatters into a million pieces on the floor.

“You’re fucking useless, just like your damn mother.” He shoves me away from him with such force that I fall on my butt and smack my elbow against the cement, but I don’t feel any of it. I’m too caught up in what he’s just said.

“You bastard! You killed mom, didn’t you?”

He shrugs. “She got in my way.”

I shake my head and press a hand against my stomach to settle the nausea churning inside me. My body rocks back and forth as I come to terms with the bomb he’s just dropped on me. I can’t believe any of this is happening.

My dad paces around the room for a couple of seconds mumbling under his breath before he stops and lifts his head up to glance over my shoulder. “I tried! What more do you want me to do?” I turn in time to see that lying bastard Murphy standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. I’ve been so lost in my own head that I never even heard him come in.

“I’m afraid that’s not good enough.” Murphy tilts his head to the side, studying my dad like he’s a science experiment. “Ye know how this works, Frank. Our money or yer life—choice is yers.”

“I already told you to take her. You can keep her for yourself or sell her to the highest bidder. It makes no difference to me. She’s worth ten times what I owe you. You can have her and you come out on top.” The veins on the side of his neck pulse as he stares back at Murphy.

“Ye think I’m feckin’ stupid, do ye?” Murphy’s brown eyes narrow into tiny slits.

My dad’s voice dips down an octave as he throws his hands up, placating him. “No. I don’t. I’m just trying to help you out until I can get you your money.”

“I’m takin’ her anyway and I don’t need yer permission. She was mine the second ye fecked me over.” Murphy pulls out a gun and waves it in our direction. A scream builds in my throat, but one look at the tightness in his face and I zip my lips.

My dad isn’t as smart. He charges at him at full speed like a damn bull. Murphy’s ready for him, though. His finger squeezes the trigger before my dad can even make it a couple of steps. Blood soaks through the leg of his pants as he falls to the ground. I lose the battle then and scream my head off.

“You fucking shot me.” My dad’s hands put pressure on his leg, but blood seeps through his fingers.

“Aye, I did. Let’s take a walk.” Murphy steps back and gestures with the tip of his gun for me to step out from the room.

Without hesitation, I follow his orders. I’m smart enough to know when I’m outnumbered. It doesn’t mean I won’t get out of here—eventually. When I step through the doorway, he grabs me by the wrist and yanks me back against his chest.

Two guys are staring back at me with blank stares. One of them is the guy with the burns from earlier. They’re both huge. They’re not bulging with muscles like Axel or his brothers, but they still tower over me nonetheless.

“Take him upstairs and put him with the kid. I’ll deal with them later.” My spine stiffens at the mention of the kid. I know without a doubt that it’s Teegan he’s talking about. I’m relieved that he’s alive, but also scared shitless of what these bastards may have done to him.

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