Page 44 of Redeem
"Madden has Lily. I'll text him to bring her here. Please, just don't hurt Mom," I say, pulling out my phone and he nods.
Bringing up Madden’s name, I flick off a text, hoping to fuck that he gets it, or there's going to be more than one person getting hurt tonight.
"Good boy. I never wanted to hurt Lily, but you made me do it. If you just stayed in line, she wouldn't get hurt. It's your fault."
His words cut me deep. He's right. If I just did what he said, he wouldn't have used her to make me fall in line.
Addie touches my hand, and I look down at her. Something passes between us, and she shakes her head. I want to believe her, but my father's words repeat over and over again.If you just stayed in line, she wouldn't get hurt. It's your fault.
"Bullshit, you're an abusive low life who would be nothing without Keegan. You need him, and that's why you control him," Emilio snaps, his lip curling back as he takes a step forward.
My father laughs, lowering the knife to my mother's stomach.
"I'm your father, and how dare you speak to me like that? We raised you. Put a roof over your head. You ungrateful asshole." His voice gets louder with each word. His hand starts to shake, coming closer to her stomach.
"You didn't raise shit," Emilio growls.
My father’s eyes turn to slits, and it all happens in slow motion. He pulls the knife back, my mother's high-pitched screams fill the house, and Madden sneaks up behind them, pulling my father away.
My mother stumbles forward, and I catch her. She sobs in my arms, her body shaking uncontrollably, and I pass her off to Addie and Arrow, coming back to face my father, who's struggling under Madden's grip.
Picking up my discarded gun, I bring it up, aiming it at this low life who's made my life hell. Who's beat the shit outta me since the day I could talk. Who's never once respected me or even said he loves me. All my life, I thought I deserved it, that I needed to be better. That I had to prove myself to him, but ever since Isabella walked into my life and showed me what unconditional love is, everything changed.
Now, standing in front of me is the shell of a man. He trembles under Madden's embrace, looking at me with tears in his eyes. Begging me to let him go. To forget all the blows over the years, all the doctor’s visits and every time he used Lily to punish me.
He doesn't deserve to live another day or another second.
Madden releases him, and he falls to his knees in front of me. He looks up, opening his mouth, but I don't let him have the last word.
"Fuck you," I scream and pull the trigger.
The bullet hits him between the eyes, and he falls to my feet. Somebody screams behind me, but I block it out. My ears ring and I drop to my knees. Blood covers the floor and the corner of my mouth lifts.
He's gone. He can't hurt us anymore.
We're free.
CHAPTER31
ADDIE / ISABELLA
It’s been a week since everything went down. I needed to talk to my friends, and Serena and Stella were so glad when I called. We have moved around the state from motel to motel, never staying longer than a night in one place.
My father's been looking for me since Maximo’s death. He’s claimed I’ve been kidnapped by Arrow and sent people looking for me. Arrow has people on the inside giving him information. And that Emilio is missing, and Arrow is the one who killed them. They haven't said a word about Keegan or his father. I don't think my father realizes that Keegan and Madden are involved.
I knew he'd be next on the hit list. There's no way around it. Even though he's my father, and he's done bad things, it's hard to think about killing him.
So far, our plans have been working out. Well, except for Emilio getting shot in the arm and Keegan's father being at his house. I wasn't too sure how Keegan would feel after his father's death. But it's not the same reaction as it was with Adrian.
I think, if anything, it's been good for him. Lily hasn't asked about her mother or father. It’s sad that she hasn’t, because it just goes to show what terrible parents they were.
“It’s time. We have her,” Stella says as she hugs me. They drove to this dodgy motel about an hour from Roxbury just for us.
I look over to Serena, who’s playing dolls with Lily. “Thank you both. You really are amazing friends.”
I give Lily a big hug, and Serena too. The guys are all waiting for me, and I can see the struggle on Keegan’s face. He doesn’t want to leave Lily behind, but we can’t take her. Not for this part of the plan. It’s too dangerous. She’ll be a distraction we can’t afford.
We are going to convince my father and uncle that Arrow will let me go if they both come alone. That we will meet them in a motel about an hour from the cabin. But not tonight... Tonight will be the first time we are all alone together, and I can't wait.
