Page 24 of The Addict

I felt a wave of relief sweep over me, knowing the door was secured. It was a cop out for sure, but one more moment that I would have before needing to face my fears.

But what about my mother? Was she being tortured as I stood there like a dumbass, terrified by my own father?

“Fucking girl. Is that what you are, Noah, a pissy ass girl?”

I was weak.

“Father, please let me out of here! I’m scared!”

“Suck it up, pansy.”

“P-Please! I don’t like the d-d-dark!”

So weak.

“Heh. You will now.”

I roared in fury, slamming my elbow into the glass at the top of the door, shattering it. Slowly reaching down, I found the lock from the inside and turned it.

I raised the gun. It was now or never.

“Noah? Are you back here?”

I gasped at the sound of Delane’s voice and tucked the weapon back into my jeans. She turned the corner rather abruptly, jostling into me.

Her green eyes were shining with wonder. “Where were you? I’ve been waiting in the front for a while.” She glanced from side to side. “I’m not going to lie, I was starting to freak out.”

My chest was rapidly moving in and out as her question seemed to fly right past me. “I told you to stay put.” I rasped out.

I could tell by the way she eyed me, that she suspected something. “You never came back,” she said softly.

“I was on my way.”

She looked down. “Well, I thought so, it’s just...after the thing with...you know...” She shuddered. “Look, I have no cell and no one else but you. Can I just wait here?”

Her words caused me pause. I wanted so badly to ease her panic, to calm the trembling of her body. I didn’t even know this girl and yet…

Her eyes blinked up into mine and I was startled by the sheer innocence within them. She took the literal breath out of me.

A movement from inside the house caused a lump to quickly form in my throat. “No,” I answered. “Go back. Now.”

“But–”

The light next to us flicked on, its bright rays causing Delane to squint. Someone was coming to the back door.

“Just go!” Heat rushed into me. Delane was about to witness a part of me that I wasn’t proud of.

She took a step back and then stiffened, as if she was frozen without a clue what to do.

“Noah, I–”

Too late.

I pivoted on my heels as the door flew open, ripping the gun from its concealment and aiming it at the face in front of me. When Delane saw what I was holding, she clasped her hands over her mouth, letting out a little scream. She stumbled backwards.

I was seconds away from firing. My heart skipped a beat when I saw how closely the man favored my father. A striking resemblance, really. But soon I realized that it was my brother Damian, not the man I hated the most.

Even though my entire hand was trembling, I kept the gun raised.