Page 47 of Psycho

Was this really happening?

Micah pinned me with his gaze. “Pack a small bag. Just the necessary shit. Everything else you can leave behind.”

I shook my head, opened my mouth, and then shut it when not even a small sound escaped.

The fear was back, and if Dad wasn’t a match for this big man, how could I possibly be?

“Do it, Lainey. I don’t like to repeat myself.”

I blinked at the sound of my name coming from his lips, sounding so… predatory, that I could feel every hair on my body standing up on instinct.

I wanted to run.

I was afraid to.

He took a step closer to me, and I slowly tilted my head to meet his silver eyes.

I shivered.

He reached out a hand for me, and I felt my breath catch, but he seemed to have come into himself at the last moment and put his hand down.

I didn’t know if I was feeling disappointed because he didn’t touch me, or because I wished he would show me his hands.

If he was going to be cruel, I’d much rather know it from the beginning.

His eyes narrowed, and I gulped, afraid now that he got a good look at me, he might find me lacking‌.

I didn’t know what I hoped for. That he did and he would leave me alone, or that he didn’t, and he wouldn’t hurt me because of it.

God, my thoughts sounded naïve.

But I realized quickly enough that his eyes weren’t even focused on my face.

No, they were on my neck, taking in the bruises there. He narrowed his gaze on it before turning to my dad still on the floor, then he turned it back to me once more, his eyes moving about, as if checking for other injuries I might have gotten. He paused when he got to my arms, and I realized he could see the cigarette burn there, the skin red and blistered and angry looking.

I held my breath when he gently let me go and walked around the small trailer.

Both Dad’s and my gaze were focused on him. He stopped when he got to the table.

He picked up a half-empty pack of cigarettes.

We were quiet as we watched him light a cigarette with a lighter he had on him, and he took a puff of smoke.

I held my breath as the scent penetrated. Then Micah walked up to where Dad was.

He smiled viciously at Dad.

I shuddered from the look in his eyes, wondering how a human being could look so…

Not human.

Dad’s scream in pain suddenly penetrated through the silence and I jumped back. It took me a moment to realize what was happening.

Micah had grabbed Dad’s arm, holding him still and pushing the lit cigarette into his skin—in the same place Dad had hurt me.

Oh, God.

Was he hurting Dad for hurting me?

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