Chapter 31
CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE
LINDY
My heart thudded a rhythm of doom in my chest. “Me?”
“I was going to get rid of your dad tonight, then come to Meager to get you. But you came to me.” A rumbling noise curled from his lips. “How did you know to come here to look for him?”
“Minty said Dad had disappeared in Blades territory, and I remembered we used to come here when I was little. How you were the one fixing up this house, saying how much you liked it, that it’d be useful one day.”
His hand cupped the side of my face. Hot, damp, and callused. I jerked away from him, my insides shrinking. “That’s my Blade girl. Remembers the good times of her club.”
“I remember you gone most of the time.”
He pushed me, and I stumbled back. “You think I wanted to be around the three of you? Worked out for me anyhow. My life took a profitable turn.”
“What you always wanted,” Dad said.
“You know what I want now?” Raptor’s voice thundered, and he grabbed me, crushing his mouth on mine.. Stars exploded in my eyes, I choked. My hands slapped and pushed and shoved against him, but this mountain of a man was a boulder, immovable, rigid as stone. A sharp sting flared through me and the copper taste of blood filled my mouth. He’d bit my lip.
“Let go of her, you crazy fuck!” shouted Dad.
Yanking me back toward the chair, Raptor blew the rifle in Dad’s direction and an explosion went off by Dad’s legs. I screamed.
“No!” Minty raged.
“This is how it’s gonna go down.” Raptor pulled me into his side. “You and me, baby, we’re gonna fuck, and he’s gonna watch and he’s gonna listen.” He pointed at Dad with the rifle. “I want to make a real deep impression on him in his final moments of life.”
“You going to kill me too?” I whispered.
“You, I’m going to keep.”
“Keep?”
My father thrashed against the wall, struggling to stand. Minty heaved himself over on the floor, his eyes gleaming at me. “No!”
Raptor stared at me. “I’ve been watching you a long, long time, Melinda. Been waiting.”
All the adrenaline seemed to wash out of me, my body going limp in his hold. “No. No.”
“And if you don’t behave, little girl, I’m going to sell you.” He gripped my ass painfully. “You want me to be good to you? You keep that in mind.”
I twisted in his hold. “And how do you define being good to me?”
He shoved me in the chair and hooked the strap of the rifle over his shoulder. Grabbing a big roll of duct tape from the small table, he ripped a long piece open, and plastered it over Minty’s mouth. Going over to Dad, he bound his head with it against the wall, his hands on the floor. “I don’t want you to miss a second of this, brother. I want it to burn your fucking eyeballs and boil your ears before I gut you.”
The room wavered as Raptor tracked toward me. “Let’s see what else your mouth can do other than yap, Melinda.” Tipping over the chair, he shoved me to the floor before him. His hands pulled at the thin collar of my T-shirt, ripping it. “That’s it. Want to see your tits while I fuck your face.”
No
No
No.
He undid his belt, and the room spun. I got up on my knees. “It doesn’t matter to you that I’m Emmy’s daughter? That I might be your kid?”
My father howled, his body thrashing against the floor. A horrible cry rose from Minty.
“Nothing matters anymore. Nothing.” Raptor took out his dick and rubbed it hard up and down as he took in a deep inhale, his chest puffing up. “You know how to blow cock like a good bitch should? Back in the day, me and Pick used to teach ‘em how. They’d line up for our dicks with smiles on their pretty faces, didn’t they, man?” He laughed, his dick stiff in his hand, his tip red and swollen. I didn’t move, didn’t react. Dad’s desperate cries filled my ears. An ugly scowl furrowed Raptor’s face, his lips curling. “Open that mouth.”
My neck straightened. “Fuck off!”
Roaring, he slapped me, and I went flying, the wood floor meeting my head. Pain exploded through my skull, and I blanked. Clawing at my legs, he dragged me down the floor. A howl exploded behind me and I craned my neck. Minty heaved himself at Raptor’s back and they both fell over. I scurried away from them on all fours.
My gaze shot around the room, for something, anything to use. My hand went to my back pocket where I’d tucked the burner cell phone. Raptor’s hand dug into the back of my shirt, and he yanked me back. My arm flew, bashing the phone into his face.
He yelled, slamming me to the floor, and the phone spun away from me. An explosion ripped through the air, and flashes of light burst outside the window. Boom. Boom. Boom . The cabin rocked and rattled with force.
The tiny square window high up on the wall at the back of the cabin shattered into pieces, showering over us as I bent my head down. More explosions ripped around the cabin Minty crawled to a corner, and I darted towards Dad. Raptor cursed, a hand over his eye. He’d been hurt.
His rifle. His rifle.
I’d clocked where he’d dropped the weapon earlier. The sofa. I crawled to the sofa by Minty, my hands reaching for the rifle. My fingers found the hard, sleek case of the butt. Clasping it, I hoisted the rifle up and released the safety.
My insides tightened at the weight of it in my hands, the weight of it against my body. Thank God Catch had taken me and his old lady for shooting practice a few months ago and he’d shown me how to use a rifle. I swallowed hard as I glanced at my father, his eyes burning. I’d seen him use his often enough.
In the smoke-filled darkness, Raptor pulled himself up and scouted out the open window frame. Shots exploded in the air, and he slid back against the wall.
Had to be Wes. Let it be Wes.
I wanted this bastard to face me. Look me in the eye. Know it was me finishing him off.
Me.
My arms shook. Steadying my legs on a quick breath, I took aim. “Hey, fucker!” I shouted out. He glanced at me, and I fired, my body jerking with the force. Raptor dropped to the floor.
Fuck yes.
I ran to my father. “Daddy?” Putting down the rifle, I ripped all the tape off of him, and he grunted. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here!” I pulled on him.
“Lindy…”
“Now!” I strained to get him upright. Finally, he stood and we got out the door.
A shot rang out and Dad howled, his body popping back, falling to the floor. “No!” Blood slid over my hand.
Raptor yelled, “You’re not going anywhere.”