Grant appears from the shadows behind him.
I didn’t hear him come in, but he’s there, as I knew he would be, grabbing Joey by the hair and yanking him backward. The knife clatters to the floor. I kick it across the room, gasping. I blink, trying to clear my vision from swimming, but I’m used to a few blows to the head. I shake it off.
“Go!” Grant yells at the girls so they hurry.
Madeline doesn’t hesitate. She’s already at Emily, tearing at the ropes, Georgia helping pull the tape from her mouth. Emily sobs, gasping for air.
I don’t watch them leave. I keep my eyes on Joey, who’s still struggling against Grant’s grip, his face twisted with rage as crazy shit spouts from him, giving me a fucking headache. He wonders why all the girls are always running from him.
“Hold him,” I say to Grant, and he tightens his fist in Joey’s hair, yanking his head back. Joey snarls, thrashing, but Grant’s got sixty pounds on him and leverage to spare. He can’t take either of us unarmed.
I step closer, close enough to see the madness in his eyes. I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit on some level I can relate.
“You know what your problem is, Joey?” I say, low and steady. “You talk too fucking much.”
I drive my fist into his jaw. His head snaps sideways, eyes rolling back. He goes limp in Grant’s hands.
“Jesus,” Grant breathes out. “He was giving me a headache.”
I grunt in agreement. Grant releases his hold, letting him drop. Joey hits the concrete hard, limbs splayed out like a broken doll. Out cold. I give a few small kicks to double-check and one more for good measure.
“Grab the rope,” I say, already scanning the workbench. “Zip ties there.” I point to where I spot them on the bench, keeping a foot on Joey’s head.
Grant moves fast, grabbing them. We roll Joey onto his stomach, wrench his arms behind his back, and bind his wrists. We do his feet next.
“That’ll do,” I say, standing up. My knuckles are split and bleeding, but I barely feel it. “Let’s move.”
We jog for the open bay door, boots pounding concrete.
“Madeline!” I shout the second I clear it.
“We’re here!” Her voice comes from the tree line, shaky but strong. She’s got Emily propped between her and Georgia.
Relief floods through me—they’re safe. My thoughts cut off as my brain catches up to what I see to my left. All the lights in the cabin are now on. I stop running as the door opens and Joey’s dad steps out, shotgun raised like he’s been waiting this whole time.
“Well,” he says, his voice carrying. “Looks like we got ourselves a situation.”
I step into the path, blocking his line of sight of the girls, wanting to shield them any way that I can. I should have cleared the fucking house. My heart hammers against my ribs, but I keep my voice steady but calm.
“Mr. Parker,” I say. “Put the gun down. It’s over.”
He smiles, and it’s the same cold smile I saw on Joey’s face minutes ago. The family resemblance has never been stronger.
“Son,” he says, racking the shotgun. The sound echoes in the quiet night. “It isn’t over till I say it’s over.”
“Well, your boy’s in there bleeding out,” I say, nodding to the garage.
His smile falters. His eyes flick toward the garage, then back to me. The shotgun barrel dips, just an inch.
He steps down off the porch, gravel crunching under his boots. I shift, making sure I’m fully in front of the girls. “If you hurt my boy, I won’t let you off with an easy bullet to the head, like I’d been planning.”
“I mean, he’s breathing.” I shrug. “For now.”
Joe Sr. takes another step toward me, then another. The shotgun is still raised, but his focus is narrowing right where I want it. I swear I can feel Madeline’s radiating fear behind me, but I don’t turn around. I can’t. All that matters right now is keeping her alive. Putting myself in the line of fire in front of her is the only way to guarantee that.
“Or I could just fucking shoot all of you and then go check on my son.”
“If you shoot us, there’s no coming back from that. One body, sure, but your son’s mess is too big to clean up at this point, and you only have yourself to blame for that.” He made that monster, and I’m starting to see that my shitty father did the same to me. Glad I won’t be turning out like these two fuckwits.
