Chapter Twenty-Seven Tigerlily
My dad finishes the Crunch wrap Supreme and stands, leaving his trash on the table.
“I need to go out and finish what I was doing,” he says. “There’s a cold front tonight.”
I nod, watching him walk toward the door. I look at my phone and Google cold front Los Angeles.
Nothing.
He’s lying.
Zinnia launches into another story about Alfie, but I’m not listening. I’m watching my dad through the window as he steps outside.
The curtains are half-closed. I can’t see much. Just his silhouette moving across the driveway.
My dad isn’t a yard person. He’ll pay Zinnia ten dollars to mow the lawn. If he says he’s fixing the hose, I know he’s full of shit. There’s no broken hose. And even if there was, there’s no reason it would need to be fixed right now. He’s lying about a cold front, and I don’t know why.
I finish eating, clean the table, stack the plates, and wipe down the counter.
Then I walk to the front window and look out.
He’s not by the hose.
The garage door opens from behind me, scaring me.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“Did you fix it?” I ask.
He tilts his head at me. The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. There is no cold front, the hose is not broken, and something else is going on.
I still, adrenaline rushes through me.
He storms at me and stops right in front of my face. So close I can smell the Taco Bell sauce on his breath.
“What the fuck did I tell you?” he snaps.
Tears burn my eyes immediately. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Rage explodes across his face. He grabs my arm and throws me across the room.
I crash into the couch. My shoulder hits the armrest hard.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”
I shake my head and scramble backward. “I don’t.”
He grabs me and flips me over. My face smashes into the couch cushions as I try to grasp for anything to get away.
Then he spanks me.
Once. Twice. Over and over.
The sting radiates through my entire body. Burns like fire. I cry, trying to twist away.
“Dad! Stop! Stop! Stop!”
He doesn’t stop.
He keeps hitting me until I’m crying so hard into the couch cushions I can barely breathe. My legs are numb. My ass is on fire. It hurts so bad.
When he finally stops, I can’t move. I can barely think.
I wince as I try to stand. The tears keep falling, but it’s no longer sadness I feel. Anger surges through me now, hot and sharp and uncontrollable.
I grab something off the coffee table. A ceramic vase. It’s heavy.
“Fuck you!” I scream, throwing it across the room. It crashes at his feet and shatters into pieces.
He storms back toward me and grabs me by the neck.
“We had a fucking deal, Lily! Do you know what I’ve done for you! For us! All that I’ve fucking sacrificed!”
“It should’ve been you!” I croak out.
That pisses him off. His eyes turn black, and his grip tightens around my neck, crushing my throat.
“Your mom got what she deserved, that fucking whore!”
I gasp for air and claw at his hands. I try to punch him, but his reach is longer, and my fists don’t connect with anything but air.
Over his shoulder, I see Zinnia standing in the hallway. Frozen. Crying.
“You’re just like your fucking mom!” my dad seethes.
He’s going to kill me just like how he tried to kill her. Zinnia was me six years ago. I pound on his arms, not wanting my life to end in his hands.
I haven’t done enough in my life. I’m too young to die. Tears slip out of my eyes as I imagine Callum kissing me, Jax protecting me, Zephyr’s brown eyes. I have so many years ahead of me, and I’m not ready. But I can’t fucking breathe.
My vision starts swimming. Black spots dance at the edges. My fingers pinch his arms, but he doesn’t budge.
He keeps talking. Listing off everything he hates about me. Every way I’ve disappointed him. Every reason I’m worthless.
I see a tear stream down his face.
But the pressure on my throat never lets up.
I can’t control my limbs anymore. My ears go numb.
Everything turns black.
Pain radiates through my body. My throat. My ass. My arms. My hands. Everything.
Someone’s pushing me. Over and over.
“Wake up, Lily! Wake up!”
I open my eyes. Zinnia’s frantic face hovers above mine.
My neck is kinked, trying to adjust my sight to the light. I think I’m on the floor. When did I end up on the floor?
My eyes adjust slowly. I see two figures in the living room. Shoving. Throwing arms. Then a loud crash.
Zinnia screams. “Get up! Lily! Get up!”
She pulls at my arm, but my body feels so heavy. Like I’m underwater. My lungs burn. I start coughing and can’t stop.
A familiar figure walks over. Is that Zephyr?
I’m confused. Why is Zephyr here?
He looks at the two men fighting, and then over at me.
“Tiger,” Zephyr says, glancing at the fight. “Come on.”
“No!” My dad shouts.
Zinnia isn’t hesitant. She runs outside first as Zephyr gives me a hand, but my body fucking aches.
My dad shoves Jax backward and kicks him hard when he’s on the ground. Then he rushes toward the hallway closet.
My gut sinks.
I know what he’s grabbing.
“Get out,” I rasp to Zinnia. My voice doesn’t sound like mine. “Go!”
My head’s fuzzy. My vision’s blurry. Everything feels light and heavy at the same time, but this time I don’t plan on dying. I’ll force my limbs to move and get out of this situation before anyone else gets hurt.
I stumble toward Jax. He’s on the floor coughing with blood on his face.
“Jax,” I try to say but nothing comes out. My throat’s on fire.
I hear the gun click.
Metal against metal.
I turn my head, and seeing the barrel pointed directly at us. My stomach lurches.
“Dad!” I shout. Or try to. It comes out as a croak.
I jump in front of Jax.
In the corner of my eye, I see Zephyr pull Zinnia behind his back. Shielding her.
The loud bang strips my eardrums.
All I hear is ringing.
I look down.
Blood.
Spreading across my chest. Dark. Wet.
Then darkness.