Page 83 of Levi
“Oh, Dad, how could you do this?”I palm my forehead in despair.So many lives have been destroyed.
His phone goes off and he quickly answers it, keeping an eye on me.But just as fast as the call came through, it ends.
“Our ride is almost here.”
“Ride?”Now he’s thrown me for a loop.
“We’re leaving.I need to get you safely away, now that Levi and his goons have found you.I really thought Brody would’ve done a better job of keeping you hidden, but beggars can’t be choosers.I thought the asshole would’ve found you before two years, especially being so close to his grandparent’s place, though.”
“Was Brody in on this with you?”I can’t believe this.
“No, but I had been watching for some time, making sure you and Halo were fine.”
“You knew where we were but didn’t say anything, or come by to see me?”I can’t stop the hurt in my voice, even though I’m mad as hell at him.
“I couldn’t risk Levi finding you so I kept a low profile.”
A ping from his phone goes off.
“It’s time, go get Halo.Leave everything here, I’ll make sure you two have the things you’ll need at our next stop.”
“I’m not leaving with you and neither is my daughter.”
“See.This is why I couldn’t sit you down and have a discussion about Levi Thorne.He has you brainwashed and you’re not thinking clearly.”
“No one has brainwashed me!”I yell.“I love that man and he’s everything to me and Halo.He’d walk through fire for me and Halo.”
Dad looks even more bored.The door down the hall creaks open, and my heart stops.Halo.She must’ve heard us yelling and woke up.I hate that she has started crawling over the railing now that she’s a little older.Ginger helps her over the side a lot of the times too.So she doesn’t hurt herself.Dad is between me and the hall, making it difficult to make it to her first.
“There she is!”Dad gushes as Halo comes into view, holding her teddy bear and pink blanket with Ginger on her heels.She is thankfully oblivious to the storm brewing in here.
Before I can move, he’s got her scooped up in his arms and put on his hip.This is a nightmare of epic proportions.There is no way I’m leaving here with him to some unknown place, but now that he has Halo, I can’t help but to comply for her sake.
“The dog stays,” Dad says as he rocks her back and forth, as her tired form lays her head on his shoulder.There is nothing more I want than to snag her from him.Never in my life did I ever not want to be around him.All those years of wishing he was more in my life is coming back to bite me in the ass.
“Dad, we can’t go with you.Levi is not what you think.He’d never hurt me or Halo.Ever.”I take a step towards him slowly, making my way to reach Halo.If someone would’ve asked me yesterday if I trusted my life with Dad, the immediate answer would’ve been ahell yes,but now I’m not sure what this man is capable of.
“It’s not up to you anymore.I thought you’d gotten your head on straight in Montana, but clearly Levi still has his hooks in you.”Lights from a car flash through the living room window.“My guy is here and we leave now.”
Just as I’m about to reach him and rip Halo out of his grasp, the front door opens and Levi and Mitch barge in.Dad stumbles back from the shock, and I lose my chance to grab Halo.
“Put our daughter down or hand her over to Saylor, Adam,” Levi demands, as he comes to stand by me.Mitch is evaluating the situation in the room by standing off to the side, as if to box him in.
“Not a chance Levi.I wish you’d just died in the bombing, then we wouldn’t have to go through all this,” Dad states, and pulls something out of his back.
A gun.
“Oh god, Dad!Don’t do this in front of her!”I’m panicking and try to lunge at him, but Levi holds me back.
Halo is fully awake now and starting to cry, while reaching for her daddy.I’m a nervous wreck, shaking.Ginger seems to be taking in the room, and starting to crouch down in a defensive position, not liking her cries.Halo is wiggling, trying to be released from Dad, because he’s holding her too tight.
“Adam, let Halo down and we can talk all you want,” Levi says in the calmest voice ever.How is he not as panicked as I am?But then I see his hands trembling, and know that he is anything but calm.
“I’ve heard and seen enough to know that no amount of talking will change my mind.My daughter and grandbaby may be caught under your spell, but I’m not.Your charms don’t work here.I know all about your past and what your family puts people through first hand.The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?I refuse to sit back and watch my daughter be the next one in line to being a victim of the choices you’ve made.”
“Please don’t do this Dad,” I beg, as I sob along with Halo.Ginger is getting more irritated, but then Dad raises the gun up to point it at Levi.“NO!”I scream and try to move my body in front of him.
All at once, not only does Ginger make a move but Zeus comes out of nowhere, from the other side of the room from the kitchen, and they both attack him.Ginger’s jaw sinks into his forearm and Zeus aims for his thigh, making Dad drop Halo.Thankfully, Ginger is right there to soften the fall.We hear a small whimper from Ginger, but she battles through it and grabs Halo by the clothes and drags her over to us.Zeus is still on Dad, not letting up.
