That jaw of hers worked overtime hours before she finally swallowed, chasing it down with the lukewarm soda that had likely lost all of its bite because it had sat open for far too long. Still, she washed down her Ranger-sized mouth full of food before standing to her feet.
“I can even go outside?” she asked.
It was cute, the hope in her voice. “You can certainly try. Though, I don’t think you’ll like what you find when you do.”
“What do you mean?”
I turned my back to her. “Enjoy your dinner.”
“Seriously, what does that mean?”
“Eat it up before Ranger gets down here.”
“Trooper!”
God damn it, I loved it when she said my name. “Have a nice evening!”
Even though she called out after me, I kept my pace. I propelled myself up the steps, quaintly leaving the door unlocked to see what she might do. Did I have Ranger’s permission for any of it? Nah. But, I was curious to see how badly she wanted to test us.
I was itching for a reason to punish her anyway.
I leapt up the steps, two at a time, until I charged into my room on the second floor. It didn’t take long for me to hear those scurrying little footsteps of hers rushing around downstairs, and oh, the smile it brought to my face. I perched at the bay window in my room, waiting for her to figure it out. Waiting for her to step outside, so I could prove to her just how fucked she was and how she needed to listen before Ranger decided he’d had enough.
Though, a part of me enjoyed watching her struggle.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
Her footsteps grew furious as my door crashed open. Ranger’s angry face stared me down, but all I did was crook my finger toward him. I nodded at the window. I patted the seat beside me as he walked into the room. And as Dutch joined us, his face as equally confused as his jaunted walking, we all peered out my window toward the northern side of the clubhouse.
Watching as Naomi found her way out onto the wrap-around porch.
“Nooooooooo!” she cried out.
“Now, she knows she’s going nowhere,” I said with pride.
Ranger patted my shoulder. “Good job. Maybe now, she’ll shut up.”
6
NAOMI
I don’t know how long I stood there, staring out at the water. I don’t know how long I gazed up and down the road, watching and waiting for any sort of car to come by. The road was deserted. The land in front of us, deserted. The ocean, more deserted than I had ever seen it.
I was surrounded by nothingness.
And my hopes of Gordon finding me quickly dwindled.
At least Daddy’s safe.
It was the only solace that kept me company as I watched the rest of the sun set over the water. I would have thought it beautiful, had it not been for the circumstances surrounding it. I found myself thanking my stars that I didn’t have windows in the prison they had tossed me into, because if I had to stare at something so beautiful night after night while cooped up in that hellhole, I may have actually killed myself.
At least Daddy’s safe.
As darkness draped over the world, I made my way back inside. If they had enough confidence to allow me to come outside, then I knew I was outnumbered. I couldn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean they were there. Just like inside my father’s house.
At least Daddy’s safe.
I didn’t know that for certain, though. As I laid down in bed, somehow making it back inside without someone harassing me in the process, I didn’t sleep a wink. I kept thinking about all of the things they were doing to my father. Beating him. Spitting on him. Mocking him. Starving him of his meds. For all I knew, they had gone back to my house the second they knew I was back inside just to dispose of him.
