Page 137 of Prey

I didn’t care if they were the enemy or if they were on my side. Roman crouched beside me, speaking to me in a voice I had never heard him use before.

“Ryleigh. We have to go, okay?”

I turned to him. He was the strongest man in the world. He could do anything, couldn’t he?

He could save my dad.

“Roman. M-my dad’s not moving. Can you please—please wake him up for me?”

“Baby,” he said softly. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” I asked as tears continued to stream down my face. “I know you don’t like him. He doesn’t like you either. But you love me, don’t you?”

He cupped my cheeks with both hands. “I do love you.”

“So please, please, please.” I fisted his shirt, pulling him closer. “Please wake him up.”

“Baby, I can’t.”

“Why not? Why not!”

I pulled my hand back and pounded on his chest. “Why can’t you just do this for me?”

He tried to pull me into his body, but I fought back. I pulled away from his hold and turned back to my dad.

“Dad. Wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up!”

Nothing happened.

Hands touched my shoulders, and that was all it took.

I broke down.

I broke apart.

“Please, Daddy, wake up. I’m so sorry. I’m s-sorry I hurt you. But please wake up.”

I leaned down and buried my face in his chest, crying.

A pain I had never experienced before in my life formed in my chest and spread like a disease.

Why did it hurt so bad?

Why was I hurting like this?

I screamed in his chest, but no one seemed to hear.

Distantly, I heard another voice speak. Dominic, perhaps?

“I’m sorry, brother, but we have to go.”

“I know,” Roman said.

He pulled me away from my dad. I fought back.

“No. No! I’m not leaving him. Let go! Let me go right now, you bastard!”

“I’m so sorry,” Roman said close to me.

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