Page 93 of Illusion
You know what? Fuck this, I’m making a run for it. I throw my arm back to punch Daddy in the balls, but he’s faster than me. He grabs my wrist then the back of my head and slams it into the desk.
My vision temporarily goes blank and when it returns, everything is fuzzy. There’s a throbbing in my rapidly swelling eye.
“Now, now, my love. I’m not here to hurt you.” Daddy leans over me, his weight pressing into my body and cutting off my air.
There’s a loud knock on the door, but when Daddy doesn’t open it, Liam breaks the door off the hinges. Tony pulls out a pistol with a silencer and shoots Liam in the head. Blood spatters spray the room.
A blood curdling scream escapes my lips. No! Not Liam, I beg to whatever entity is listening! His lifeless body slumps down the floor and my heart crumbles. He didn’t even know me, and now because of me, he lost his life.
My knees give out and Daddy allows me to crumple to the floor next. I reach for the garbage can and throw up again while daddy rubs my back. The world is spinning and I might pass out. My chest is so tight, I literally don’t feel like I can breathe.
Ethan, Vade, Nick, and Lucas are probably on their way in here now. I sob harder. They can’t die for me. “What do you want from me?” I manage to choke out.
“Daddy’s come to take you home, baby girl. That man of yours doesn’t love you. He’s no good for you, sugar britches.” He strokes my face, causing me to vomit again.
“You don’t know that,” I sniffle. Neither do I.
“Come here and see for yourself.” He tries to help me to my feet.
I hesitate.
“Don’t worry about your other little friends outside. They’re safe. The building is locked down and they can’t get in at the moment.” He sits next to me and rubs my back. He’s never been this nice to me. There’s an ulterior motive here.
“Here, baby, take a seat.” He pulls up a chair and physically drags me into it then turns a computer screen my way. “Do you know why Nick wasn’t here to see you off on your first day of work?”
“He was going to meet Kaleb and Tito. They were running behind.” At least I hope that’s the case. My heartcracks open, what if he was set up and now he’s dead. Tears fall from my face. I lean forward, trying to bury my head in my hands.
“No, baby, Tito is dead. The night you left the gas on, you forgot to check my bedroom. Tito had just gotten into town and was passed out in there. When I woke up, I smelled the gas and ran out the back door.” He starts laughing hysterically like he’s the one who pulled off the perfect crime. “I followed you through the woods. I thought you were going to get what you deserved in that river, but your meddling knight in a cherry-red Mustang came to your rescue, didn’t he?”
He did, and now my heart is in a panic because he might need to be the one who needs saving. I thought I had planned the perfect murder/suicide. Joke’s on me, because Daddy’s still here and so am I. “But who is Nick going to meet?” I swallow hard, wondering if I really want to know the answer.
“He wasn’t going to meet anyone. He was still at his office banging his secretary. That’s why he was late.” His smile is sickening.
“Nick wouldn’t do that. He’s done with her.” Fear and adrenaline spike. She’s much prettier than me and knows him much better than I do. I have a sinking feeling in my gut that daddy is telling the truth.
“See for yourself.” He turns the laptop on the desk where I can see it. “This is live footage from his office.”
Sure enough. Right there plain as day is Nick with Sasha bent over his desk, fucking her from behind. I’m done.
My heart is shattered into a million pieces. Tears flood my eyes, I can’t keep looking at the screen, but I can’t lookaway. After everything he’s said to me and done to me, he never gave her up.
“You know us men are all cut from the same cloth, don’t you, sugarplum? That man was just going to use you and throw you away.” He leans over and cradles me in his arms, planting a sickening kiss on my cheek. “Come on, Daddy is going to take you to our new home.”
My legs have no strength left to stand. Everything in my head is begging God to take me. The pain I feel in my chest is un-survivable. I’m broken—shattered beyond repair. I just want to die. How did I let myself get so caught up in all this? I should’ve run when he gave me the chance. Uncontrollable sobs wrack my body.
I can’t stay here. “How am I going to get out of here without them seeing me?” I whisper.
“There’s an exit nobody knows about. Come on, baby, I’ve got you.” He pulls me to a standing position.
I stumble forward, catching myself on the desk. My eye lands on the tracking bracelet on my wrist, the little cupcake charm dangling back and forth, causing me to sob harder. I was beginning to think he might be the one for me.
That I meant as much to him as he said I did. I unfasten the clasp and throw it in the trash next to the desk. If he was using me, I don’t want any of them to find me. There are no happy endings for people like me.
I was always destined to end up poor white trash—just like my father. I used to dream about the day I would escape my fate, but dreams are merely illusions generated by a desperate mind.
You can’t dream your way out of your destiny.
NOT THE END!
