“I don’t understand. Where am I supposed to go? Why are you doing this?”
He grabs me by the shoulders. “I don’t have time to go into all the details, but I borrowed money.”
“What! Again? From who?” Not that it should come as a surprise.
“It doesn’t matter! Pack, Lennon! I’m not telling you again.”
“I can’t just pack up and leave. I have nowhere to go!”
“Listen to me.” I flinch when he takes my face in his hands. He’s sweating buckets, and there’s a sour stench, much worse than fryer grease, seeping from his skin. “You’ve seen what’s happened in the past. They’re not going to stop this time. Doyou understand what I’m saying?” His wide, dark eyes search my face. “That’s why you need to go before they get here. Do you understand? You need to leave.”
“Wasn’t it enough last time and the time before? How many times do you have to get beaten half to death before you stop this shit?”
“You don’t think I want to stop? Do you think this is something I enjoy?”
“So what? You can’t pay back what you owe, and somebody’s coming to the apartment?”
“Yes, and they could be making their way up the stairs as we speak. Now do you get it? So do your old man a favor and get your shit together and get out of here. Please.”
In my heart, I don’t want to believe anybody would hurt me over mistakes my father made, but I know what they’re capable of. I don’t know how a person can intentionally beat someone so brutally the way they have my dad. And it took him weeks to recover.
Obviously, he didn’t learn his lesson. So I can only imagine what they’ll do this time.
That very thought is what springs me into action. “What are you going to do?” I ask while throwing the necessities into a backpack.What do I need?My thoughts are going a million miles a minute, my heart racing too fast. I can’t think. But I can’t panic, either. I have to stay calm.Breathe, Lennon. It’s going to be okay.
“Don’t worry about me. My only priority is making sure you’re safe and out of harm’s way. Maybe you can stay with…”
Whatever he was going to suggest gets stuck in his throat when a heavy pounding comes from the front door.
We both freeze.
My blood turns ice cold, and I feel like I’m going to piss my pants. We exchange looks, the terror in his eyes isn’t helping the situation, either. “Fire escape. Go,” he hisses.
Our fire escape is right outside the kitchen, meaning we have to hurry, while being as quiet as possible, to the window that’s not even fifteen feet from the front door.
“Open up!” a man demands before pounding harder this time. “Stop wasting time, we know you’re in there. Open the door, unless you want it kicked in.”
“Go!” Dad whispers, shoving me toward the window. I have to fight back tears when I can’t open it. The windows in this building suck.
All of a sudden, the front door flies open, causing me to scream, and in walks two men like they own the place. The bigger of the two looks around. “What a shithole,” he grunts, flexing his meaty hands.
The other one, who’s not quite as big but not small either, finds us in the kitchen.
Dad steps in front of me. “Jack, listen.”
“Time’s up.”
I peer at him from over my dad’s shoulder, and something instantly stirs deep. A heat that shouldn’t be there due to a pair of piercing blue eyes and a sharp jawline.
“Let me explain…"
“Do I look like I’m in the mood to hear your bullshit excuses?” Jack snarls, cutting him off. “I’m not. You’ve got more excuses than anybody I’ve ever met. Some people don’t learn.”
I gasp when he grabs my dad up by his shirt, getting in his face.
And before I know what I’m doing, I shout, “No!” and throw myself at this Jack guy, beating my fists against his shoulder. “Don’t hurt him! Please!”
“Involving your kid now, I see.” The bigger man grabs a handful of my hair, pulling me off his friend.
