Page 97 of Dollhouse

“Drop the guns, both of you, or your precious Tate will die.” I lower my gun knowing King has my back and that we still have three people upstairs and a team on their way ready to intervene if we don’t reach out to them within a certain amount of time.

I can practically see the calculated wheels turning in King’s head and the steam coming from his ears. He doesn’t want to risk her life, and he’s calculating the risks just like I have already done. He lowers his gun, and I step toward the side with my back to the wall so I can see the fucker behind me and keep an eye on Tyson.

“Thank you for your service,” the blonde fucker smiles and puts a bullet right between Tyson’s eyes.

Harsh.

“Where the fuck is she?”

“You’re too late. She’s already dead.” The fucker smiles at me.

A bullet flies past my head and the smug smile is wiped off his face only when he falls to the ground, a bullet in the middle of his forehead. He collapses to the ground with a thud. I look over my shoulder to see King with a smug smile of his own.

King shoves his gun in his hoodie pocket and walks toward the bodies, unbuttoning his pants and freeing his dick.

With an eye roll I look away while he pisses on both of their dead bodies.

“Come on, let’s find her.” I remove my phone from my pocket seeing that there’s zero cell service. We’ve got to find her and get the fuck out.

With our backs together against each other, King and I stalk down the hallway, checking behind each door only to find empty cold cemented rooms.

Empty. Everything is empty. There’s no one down here.

We reach the final door with my heart beating so rapidly I can hear it in my ears.

Time slows, it feels as if we’re in slow motion.

One door left; I’m saying a silent prayer that she’ll be behind the door.

King and I share a look, as I grip the doorknob and turn.

It’s locked.

Stepping back, I raise my right foot and kick the fucking door down. Nothing is stopping me from getting to my girl. I let her down once and I won’t make that mistake again.

If she forgives me and allows me another chance.

The door gives and the sight makes me freeze in my tracks.

I’m frozen while King pushes past me and rushes toward the pale body on the floor. She’s unmoving and looks unrecognizable because she’s so damn dirty.

Like a wrecking ball, I’m hit with memories from the past all at once.

* * *

“My sweet Eli,I love you so much.” My mother whispered, her arms wrapped around me, and I knew she wanted to hug me tighter, but her weak body wouldn’t allow her to.

Sniffling, I raised my head to look up at her. “I love you, Mom, please don’t leave me. Please, I’ll be good and will do better in school.” She was trying not to cry in front of me. She was trying to be strong for me like she always tried to do. She never wanted me to see how sad and frail she actually was.

“You are perfect, my sweet boy. Never forget that I love you, and I will be with you always.” She kissed my forehead and held me close to her fragile body.

Mom had been sick for a while now. She had cancer and wasn’t responding to the treatments. I blamed Steven, her husband for her sickness and her body’s inability to fight the sick disease that’s taking her from me. If Steven had sucked the life right out of her, out of both of us.

Steven wasn’t my father, but he made me call him father or sir. He’s the fucking worst and I hate him. I didn’t know why Mom has stayed with him all these years. I was young, but I’d been willing to do anything to provide for me and Mom. She’d always declined my offers to help her, never willing to take us away from Steven and his abuse.

I was fourteen, and Mom was leaving me alone with Steven. She was dying, and it’s only a matter of time until she goes. Her home nurse says likely would not make it through the night. But I don’t know if I trust her. I’d caught her and Steven having sex, so I’d been wondering if she really is giving Mom the best care possible.

“That’s enough, Eli. Get out here and finish your chores.” Steven’s whiney voice interrupted my moment with Mom.

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