Page 62 of Submission

“Ouch!”

“Remember who you’re talking to, girl. It seems as if you’ve forgotten yourself speaking to your father like that.”

“She still screams the same, though,” Rachel says as she casually pops another grape in her mouth.

That bitch.

“This is my house!” It takes everything within me to stand back on my feet and push Veronica as I glare into her wicked face. “So get the hell out.”

I enjoy the look of shock on my stepmother’s face as she stumbles back, almost falling on her ass. She doesn’t expect me to fight back. None of them do.

“Look at you getting all spunky,” Samuel taunts as he takes off his belt. I know what’s coming, and even though it would bein my best interest for the security team to save the day, a part of me hopes that they don’t come. If they interfere with my family’s ambush, they’re going to be required to tell Hunter about it, and the last thing I want is for my present to clash with my past.

“But guess what?” Samuel continues. “We’re not going anywhere. You think you can whore yourself out and not pay your due?” He cracks the belt, making me flinch. “Looks like you’ve been holding out on us.” He gives me a venomous look. “I know how much a place like this costs. I checked. So where’s the money you’ve been holding back from me? V checked the bedroom, and we didn’t find anything there. Where is it?”

“There’s no money!” I shout, jumping back when he tries to lash me with the belt.

The messenger bag I still have on across my body bumps into my hip, and I can feel the outline of the small gun that Hunter gave me last week. After everything that’s happened, I decided to take his advice and carry it with me for protection.

I try slipping my hand inside the flap for it, but suddenly, Veronica slaps me across the face with an open palm, making my ears ring.

Whack!

Taking advantage of my momentary dizziness, she grabs me by my arms, locking them behind my back, and forces me to face my father, who cracks the belt once more like he has a million times before.

“You think you can deny your sister a place to live or food in her belly?” she hisses into my ear, and my frantic eyes fall on Rachel, who waves her fork in my direction.

“Mom, the guy she’s dating is hot. He’s definitely where she’s getting her money from. Maybe I should just steal him from you since he likes ‘em young or maybe after what happened last time, you can just give him to me.”

My father raises his belt again but I’m not going to be beaten.

Not in my own home.

Using Veronica’s hold on my arms as leverage, I push back against her, lifting my legs in the air and kicking Samuel in the stomach as hard as I can. He stumbles back and falls onto the ground, not having expected it.

Now that he’s down, I don’t hesitate, twisting around and pulling Veronica’s hair and shoving her onto the ground as well.

“You bitch!” Rachel is on her feet, rushing towards me, her hands curled into claws, but I’ve already taken out the gun from my bag and then point it in her direction, my hands shaking.

“One more step, and I’ll fucking shoot you! Don’t make the mistake of thinking that I won’t.”

My voice is bordering on hysteria as my heart crashes against my ribcage as if it’s trying to get out.

“You wouldn’t do that.” Rachel gives me an uneasy look, her hands up in a surrender position. “I’m your sister.”

“You’re no sister of mine,” I tell her.

“Put that damn gun down!” Veronica snarls at me, getting up off her butt.

Slowly, I back away against the window of my living room, and there are three targets I’m keeping my eyes on. Samuel is struggling to stand up, and from the look on his face, if he gets a hold of me, I’ll live to regret it.

“Have you finally lost the little bit of sense you ever had?” Veronica questions. “Isaidput that gun down.”

“Have I lost it?” I let out a shaky laugh, and my eyes narrow at her. “This might be the smartest thing I’ve ever done! You all have always treated me like an animal. No, actuallyworsethan an animal. All three of you. My supposed family.

"It doesn’t matter where I go. You’re never going to leave me alone, are you? You always want more money, and you’ll never allow me to find some sort of peace in this fucked up world, so why shouldn’t I just kill all three of you?"

I glare at each of them over the barrel of my gun.

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