Page 77 of Bound by Family
Stone pulls me in, and then Hunter, all saying the same things. Then we sit at the picnic table, and it’s as if a switch has been lifted. My brothers go back to their ornery selves, and my father busts their asses for it.
When it’s time to say goodbye, I feel so much better.
I turn the truck over, and a calmness comes over me. We’re going to be okay. It will take some work, but we’ll get there. I love them, they love me, so it will work.
I pull my phone out, ready to call Cooper, when my phone rings and Leah’s name comes up.
“Hey!” I say cheerfully, ready to tell her that I’m home and we need to meet up.
“Come to my house now.” The phone disconnects.
Without thinking, all thoughts of Cooper and phone calls gone, I race. Yes, I drive like it’s a race to my friend. Confusion fills me. Leah needs me, and that trumps everything.
Swinging the door open at Leah’s parents’ house, I barge in, searching for her. It’s not like her to call me like that and then not answer her phone right away. We’ve been friends for way too long to keep one another on edge like this. We talked on the phone just yesterday about me coming here to see my dad, and everything seemed fine.
“Leah!” I call her name, just as I hear a scream come from far away. It’s Leah’s scream.
Where the hell are her parents?
Following the voice, I run full-throttle down the hallway, and that is my first mistake. My father and brothers taught me to always watch my surroundings. Be aware of the people and things around you at all times. Unfortunately, when Leah screams and now cries, all reason leaves me.
Reaching her bedroom door, the air and blood leave my body as shock takes over. Leah is lying on her bed, hands tied to the headboard, feet tied to the footboard, spread wide. She’s not naked, but that’s the only good thing, because she’s black and blue on just about every part of her body and cuts line her beautiful face as the blood mixes with her tears.
It’s the man in the room, though, the one with the filet knives and bloodied knuckles, who gets my full attention. Len, the quieter one from the rally, has the scariest look on his face. It’s blank, void, cold.
“About fuckin’ time you got here.” He slices Leah’s arm, and she screams.
“Stop! What are you doing?”
“Want her to die?”
Shaking my head, I answer quickly, “No!”
“Then you come with me. And bitch, you fight me, I’ll gut you. Then I’ll come back and gut your friend. I may have to fuck her, too. All this shit is gettin’ me hard.” He grabs himself with the knife so close I wish he would nick his dick as Leah’s blood wipes off on his jeans.
“Where?”
He points the knife directly at me, Leah’s blood dripping off the tip. “No fuckin’ questions. You make a fuckin’ sound, I’ll slit your throat, and I don’t give a fuck who sees me. Got nothin’ to lose.” His words register, but they don’t compute fully.
Len doesn’t wait for me to answer, he gouges the knife into Leah’s side, blood streaming out as she cries and screams.
“Get away from him, Bristyl!” she screams as he picks up the blade and punctures her again.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!”
“Okay! Okay! Stop!” I yell, trying to get Len’s attention on me and not my bleeding friend. If I can get him out of the house and away from Leah, her parents should be home at some point to get her help. At least, I can make sure she’s safe. Fuck!
“I’ll go. Come on. Right now.”
“Don’t!” Leah screams.
Len lifts his fist and punches Leah in the temple so hard her eyes close. She makes a strange gurgling sound, and my fear for my friend heightens.
“No!” I make a move to go to her, but Len grabs me around the arm hard.
He pulls a syringe out of his pocket, and I fight, kicking, hitting, but nothing fazes him. He’s ice cold as he slips the needle into my arm.
“What did you give me?”
