“Don’t touch her!” my dad shouts, but there’s nothing he can do, especially when Jack pulls a gun from the waistband of his pants, letting us know he’s done messing around.
“No! Please, God. Please, don’t hurt him. He made a mistake, okay? Please!” I beg, feeling helpless, tears streaming down my face.
“I hate to do this in front of your daughter.” Jack grabs my father by the nape of the neck, forcing him to kneel. “Okay. Let’s get it over with.”
“No!” Even though I’m where the gun is aimed, I still see my life flash before my eyes.
All the time Dad and I have spent together. The good times before his addiction took over.
“Please, don’t do this,” I hear my dad pleading, his sweat mixing with tears. “Not in front of her. Not here. Please, Jack, I’ll make it right. I swear.”
“Oh, so you do have the money?” Jack asks.
My father’s face crumples. “Not yet, but I will.”
“We both know your promises hold no merit. They are worthless, just like you.”
I let go of a gut-wrenching scream when Jack places the barrel of the gun between my father’s eyes. But nobody seems to care. Nobody’s listening.
Or so I think until Jack moves the gun from my father to point it at the ceiling. He looks me straight in the eye, and I get the strangest feeling that I know him. Something in his eyes speaks to me, and I’m not afraid. I know he’s not going to hurt me. It’s weird. I’ve never laid eyes on this man before, yet I just know.
“Change of plans,” he advises, returning the gun to his waistband. “If you don’t have the money, I’ll just take something else.”
“No,” my dad intervenes, but I barely hear him over my loud heartbeat. “Jack, don’t do this. She doesn’t deserve it.”
Ignoring him, Jack pins me with his gaze. “If you want your father to be safe, then you have to come with me.”
“Don’t do it, Lennon. It’s a trap. He doesn’t mean what he’s promising.”
“Was I talking to you, old man?” Jack snaps. One minute, he’s looking back at me with warmth, and the next, he’s like a wild animal, baring his teeth until Dad bends.
“Fine,” I agree. Not because I want to, but I don’t have a choice. I can’t stand here and watch him murder my father when I could've done something about it.
Dad could be right, and Jack is lying, toying with us. But I can’t afford to take that chance. Not with my dad’s life.
“Just promise me he’ll be okay.”
“Scout’s Honor.” He’s still holding out his hand, crooking his finger, beckoning me. “But you have to behave yourself.”
I feel helpless, like I have no choice but to let these men take me away. There’s no way I’m letting my father die.
I place my hand in Jack’s, and his fingers curl around mine, almost protectively. Giving me peace that there’s nothing to be afraid of. I know it in my bones. I should scream and fight, but as soon as we touch, I feel safer than I ever have.
2
JACK
All of a sudden, everything is clear. We step out into the night, and the air tastes different, cleaner, sweeter, like rain after a fire. Even the damn stars are out, but it’s like I’m seeing them for the first time since…hell, I don’t know if I’ve ever really cared or paid attention to know they really existed. I never notice shit like that.I’m always too busy chasing money…trouble. But tonight, she’s next to me, shaking so hard even I can feel the tremors running up my arm. She’s trying to hide it, keeping her chin up and eyes forward. Being brave, even though we both know what she’s seen.
How have I lived so much of my life without knowing she existed? How did the world turn for all those years?
Lennon. Unusual for someone who lives in this neighborhood. But it fits her. She doesn’t belong in a place like this…never did. Everything about her is soft, bright, and out of place, and I want to keep it that way. I want to rid her life of all the filth and give her the things she’s worthy of. Make her mine.
She’s still trembling even though the air is warm and sticky as hell. I lean in, keeping my voice low, so only she can hear. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”Fuck, I wish I couldbelieve that.Her head bobs up and down, not saying a word. I wish she would. I want to hear her voice again. I want to hear her yell, tell me to fuck off, or say my name…something.
It’s less than a minute, and Trent’s coming around the corner with the car. The tires squeal when he suddenly stops in front of us. She flinches, but I don’t let go. I open the back door, nudging her inside. She slides across the leather seats, putting as much distance between us as she can. I get in beside her. I need to be close. Besides, I don’t trust her alone back here…not being the street-smart survivor she is, and not with how raw I’m feeling. Trent lets out a heavy snort, but he’s smart enough to keep his thoughts to himself.Good. I’m not in the mood.
Even if he did say something, I’d tell him it’s because she can’t be trusted to be alone, not for a second. Leaving out the real reason: that I can’t stand to be away from her, not even for the drive home. That’s my little secret.
