“I'll go out the back,” I said, grabbing my sweater from the hook on the wall.I'd hopped the back fence many times in my life.It wouldn't be hard to do.Even in the dead of night.
My father's head swayed from side to side.“No, no.Don't do it.They'll see you.They always see.”
His words more than freaked me out.To say the least.Even so, I still knew what I had to do.
Leave.
“I'm fast.They won't see me.”I walked right by my dad, not even stopping to say goodbye.
He'd never protected me.
Not once in my life had he gone out of his way to do anything for me.Why I kept coming back was a damn mystery.
I got to the kitchen and thought about taking one last look at him.Because I knew—I just knew I'd never see him again.
But—I was too angry.
He'd put me in harm’s way.
Again.
When all I'd ever done was go out of my way to help him.To make his and my sister's lives easier.
And look what it had gotten me?
On the auction block.
I turned off the kitchen light and waited for a minute.Back pressed against the wall.The only sound I could hear were my father's soft, pathetic sobs coming from the living room.
Instead of making me feel sorry for him, it only fueled my anger and disgust.
I was so done with him.
Done with this whole scene.
I should never have come back here.What had I been thinking?
I reached out and set my hand on the doorknob and turned it.Then I slowly slipped out the door, closing it behind me.I stood still for a moment, listening in the dark for any faint noise or movement.
But there was nothing.
Phew.
The coast was clear.
Just like I'd thought.
I took off like my life depended on it.Because it did.I reached the fence and tossed my bag over.Then I started to heft myself over the top when—
“Not so fast, girlie,” someone said behind me.Big, warm hands grabbed onto my waist and dragged me down.I fell with a crash to the ground below.
I struggled and turned, forcing him to lose his hold on me.He wasn't going to win.I was getting away tonight.If I didn't leave tonight, I'd be stuck here.Forever.
Just as I scrambled across the yard to the side fence, those big hands tightened around my legs and yanked me down.
“You're going the wrong way,” the man whispered into my ear.
8
