Sobbing, Tara watched as they hurt Riley. Kenny’s hand glided down her butt, and he gave it a hard squeeze. Bernicestormed up to her sister and slapped her. “You whore,” she screeched. “Stay away from Kenny. He’s mine.”
Tara groaned. Her father often found fault with something she did, and Riley always stood between them. When her father seemed hell-bent to get to her, Riley’s smartass answers always seemed to get the better of him, and he’d end up taking out his frustrations on her.
She trembled as she tried to formulate an escape plan. Her big sister always rode in to save the day. Tara decided this time she needed to finish the job Kenny demanded of Riley. Only then would they be free to start a new life somewhere else, where people didn’t hurt each other.
Her mom always said to search for kindness in the least expected places. Tara ducked down and went through the cut in the fence. She’d stay off the road, find Serenity Ranch, and hoped to hell Garrett Johnson held the key to save them all.
CHAPTER NINE
Tara hugged herself tightly as she walked along the highway. The warm sun heated the pavement, making the journey seem endless.
Every time a car or motorcycle grew close, she hid behind whatever she found available. What seemed like a bright idea at the time turned into one of the most harebrained endeavors she ever imagined. It didn’t matter. Riley needed her help. If she had only listened and never opened the door when her father knocked, neither of them would be in this position.
A motorcycle sounded in the distance. She ran off the side of the road and ducked into some overgrown grass as the biker slowly passed, searching for her. Refusing to consider what else might be in the grass with her, Tara huddled to the ground until the biker moved farther down the road.
Tara rubbed her eyes and waited a few minutes before walking along the pavement. She needed to go to their apartment, pack up their stuff, and find this Garret Johnson. She didn’t care what they wanted him for, but she wantedher sister back, and she refused to leave until he agreed to help her.
Her foot hit a rock, and she stumbled and fell face-first against the asphalt. Slowly, she pulled herself up and held her burning cheek. Tears gathered in her eyes as she continued to walk. What good did it do to cry?
There’s no telling what the bikers did to her sister at this point, and she was to blame. Riley ensured she escaped, and Tara doubted her sister planned to meet her at the bus station in Corpus Christi.
She told Tara to wait there and use her fake ID for a room. The Riley she knew would’ve pitched a fit at seeing the stupid thing and made her throw it away. Desperation glowed in Riley’s eyes as she screamed for her to run. Tara always listened to her big sister, but this time, she didn’t plan to run like she did when Daddy got drunk and hurt her. She planned to find Garrett Johnson and make him tell her what the bikers wanted.
The road sign welcoming her to Embers let her know she made it. Heading toward the back of the apartment complex, she crouched behind a tree and scanned the area for any of Kenny’s crew. When she saw two bikers asleep in their car, facing the direction of their apartment, she snuck up the fire escape and opened the broken patio door.
Tara ran to the kitchen for a glass of water and guzzled it down. She set it on the counter and picked up a set of keys. A piece of paper lay beside them, and her eyes skimmed Garrett’s note. She folded it up and placed it in her back pocket. Tara clutched the keys in her hand as a plan began to form.
The biker, Stitch, her head tormentor, lamented giving Riley his rickety old car. The men made fun of him, calling the vehicle a piece of green shit and a rust bucket. One ofthem said it fit the fat, slovenly man…messy, dirty, grimy, and past its prime. Stitch took offense to it, and she heard the brawl in the bar before someone shot a gun, ending it.
Tara moved sideways to the window and watched as two bikers pulled into the parking lot, waking the others. One pointed at the apartment and shook his head. Tara held her breath as the bikers on the motorcycle parked and the car sped off. Seeing they changed for watch duty, Tara groaned and pressed against the wall. Peeking out the window again, she spied the old green clunker. If she managed to get inside the car without getting caught, she might have a chance.
Another hour went by, and the men didn’t move, making her anxious. Tara went into the kitchen, searching through the flyers that came in the mail. She recalled seeing an advertisement for beef at Serenity Ranch. Locating it, she gave a little squeal. Every minute Riley stayed in that hellhole, the worse Tara’s imagination grew, making her desperate. Wishing she possessed a cell phone like most kids her age, Tara planned to remind Riley of the importance of getting one. After all, this constituted an emergency.
A loud banging made her jump before she heard her father’s drunk voice call out, “Open this damn door, Riley. Tara, you’re coming home with me. I don’t care what she promised you, you’re my kid, and you’ll stay with me until I say when you can leave.”
Tara cringed. The bikers got off their bikes and headed toward the steps. She ran toward her bedroom and hid on the left side of the closet, leaving the door open to make it appear empty.
“What the hell do you want, old man?” One of the bikers shouted at her dad.
“My daughters live here, and I’m taking my youngest home with me. Riley kidnapped her,” he stuttered.
“They’re not here. Where else do you think they’d go?” the other biker asked.
Her dad didn’t respond right away. “Why…do you want to know?” he asked.
“Because they owe us money. Tell us where they went,” the biker demanded.
“They can’t owe you. Riley doesn’t have anything. I spent her inheritance to keep her from moving away. She’s the exact image of her mother. I can’t lose her again. Tara caused the accident on the ranch, which killed my wife. I took her money, too. She owed me. The little bitch will never have enough to pay me back for losing her mother. If anyone deserves to get paid, it’s me,” her dad exclaimed.
Unfortunately, through the thin walls of the apartment, Tara listened as the bikers roughed her father up. “Riley, Riley,” her dad kept screaming.
“Do you think the kid’s hiding in there?” One of the bikers asked the other, making Tara freeze in place.
“Nah, how do you think she’d make it all the way back here? Walk?” he asked, laughing. “If it’ll make you feel better, we can go inside and take a peek. Maybe they have some food. Kenny’s acted like an asshole lately about the kitchen. I don’t like him telling us if we don’t work, we don’t eat.”
“We can check it out,” the other biker said as he fiddled with the lock.
Tara held her breath as they walked from room to room. The biker opened the dresser and took out a pair of panties and sniffed them.
