Page 85 of In You
"She's not mentally well," I explain rapidly, pulling her back firmly.
Abandoning our cart, I walk backwards, keeping my eyes on his for a second too long, and his brow arches a tiny bit with the question in his face if I'm her "daddy" now.
You're fucking goddamn right I am. And I'll be theonlydaddy she ever has from here on out, I promise.
Blood boiling in my veins and roaring in my ears, I haul her out of the store and into the Jeep where she cries because we left her Daddy in the store. I'm so on edge that I lean over and grabher hand. "Sweetie, that man's not your daddy anymore, I am. And I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm here forever."
Tamryn stops crying and hiccups, her eyes going wide as she glances up at me through wet lashes. She sniffs, wiping the back of her hand across her nose. "Really?" she asks in a small, child-like voice. "You mean that?"
"Yes, darling, I do." Clenching my jaw so hard my teeth grind together, I lean forward, grabbing tissues out of the glove compartment and wiping her nose for her as she sniffles and tries to jerk her face away from me. Agitated, I commence to settling into the car to wait for the man and his family to come out. "I just need you to be patient for a bit, okay, and I'll take you to Andy's and get you an ice cream cone."
"Yay!" she says, getting a sweet smile on her face. "Thank you, daddy, you're the best."
Giving her a tight lipped smile, I gently chastise myself for even entertaining the brief thought that we'll ever be normal. We willneverbe normal. And right now, as long as I get to absolutely run that man through I don't care that I'll never be normal ever again. I don't want to be if it means letting that man live in peace. Fuck that.
I turn the radio on to a kid's pop station, and sit patiently in the parking lot listening to her sing along with them. It takes exactly six songs before the family comes out of the store, and I watch with every muscle tight with strain, vying for control over my body and my sanity, as the woman loads the kids in the van while the man puts the groceries in the trunk.
He keeps sneaking looks around the parking lot with a concerned look on his face, no doubt wondering if Tamryn's going to pop out of nowhere again.
Probably listening for sirens to come carry his ass away.
And trust me when I say that there's no way in fucking hell I'm letting that man go to prison.Over my dead body.I firmly stowaway fantasies of pulling out my gun and shooting him in the parking lot, and instead put his license plate into my phone and then make my IT guy run it, verifying that the plates aren't stolen or fake, and pull off to get Tamryn's ice cream. She's taking the first lick when my phone dings with the man's home address and full name.
Trevor Graham.
It's about to be one long goddamn night, so I'm glad I slept in this morning.
Later that night Tamryn yawns, stretching hard as she blinks sleepily, curled on her side in our bed, almost there. We went straight to the kitchen for a glass of water as soon as we came home. Thank God she switched back. I hate to think what I'd do if she didn't because I need to get that man tonight.
I'd turn into something truly horrific if I couldn't, and she doesn't need to see that.
"Go to sleep, honey. Stop fighting it," I murmur as I reach over, rubbing my hands in a soothing motion down the back of her head, stroking her hair. I gave her three sleeping pills a couple hours before bedtime that way once she's out, she's out.
She nods and sighs deeply as her eyes flutter closed and finally stay closed. Ironically, I put a baby monitoring camera on her so I can watch her while I'm out, and as an extra precautionary measure I leave a note on my pillow, telling her I had to leave for an emergency for a couple of hours but I'll be back in a little bit, signing it with an endearment.
Love you. -Caleb.
Just in case she wakes up looking for me. But I doubt she will.
I dress in all black, complete with gloves and a beanie, and switch to an unassuming car that I keep parked on the other side of the shed. Ripping the cover off, I stow it to the side and then I start the engine silently, stashing my bag in the front passenger seat.
I go slow as I make my way to the man's address, and pull a couple streets over before walking to the house. It's dead silent, as it should be at one o'clock in the morning, but I stay careful regardless. I make sure the house doesn't have an alarm to trip, and then I pick my way in through the basement. It takes me forever to go up the stairs as they creak, and I go even slower when I open the door and step into the kitchen.
A rottweiler enters the room, but before it has a chance to growl, I shoot it dead, causing my heart to squeeze with pain.
Everything's silent thanks to the silencer on my rifle, however, it makes a thumping noise as it slumps over on the floor next to its dog bowl. I step over him quietly, easily finding my way through the house as it's a simple layout. I carefully check to make sure the first floor is clear and free of children before I make my way to the upper floor, ready to fucking go.
Ascending the upper floor I stay stealthily quiet as I peek in the rooms, verifying that three of the children are sleeping and accounted for. Only the baby is missing.
I close their bedroom doors as I go along, heading down the hall to the master. A single rainbow nightlight beams its light on the hardwood floor of the hall. And as I near the parent's bedroom, I know the baby is in there, but honestly, the baby's about to have a new family so, I couldn't care less.
At least it's too young to remember that I'm about to murder it's parents.
Intent on enacting my revenge, I take a deep breath before putting a hand to the door knob and pushing it open.
Man, what a fucking treat.
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