Page 61 of Fractured Hope
He nodded and backed into the office, closing the door quietly.
Atticus had crouched down and was now next to me behind the table and chairs, which were doing little to hide us.
“Oh, Bodhi,” Derek singsonged. “Why don’t you come out here and say hello?” His voice was so cold and callous.
My blood turned to ice when I finally heard his voice for the first time in so long. Bracing myself, I peeked over the chair. He knew I was here. We locked gazes instantly. His blue eyes were hazy and bloodshot. I had to wonder what he was on. It looked like more than just his usual alcohol binge.
“Come out and join us.” He waved the gun around. “Now!”
I didn’t move.
“Come here now or I start putting holes in your friend here.”
A loud crack rang out, and I froze in place. Terror settled over me. What had he just done?
I was still petrified when pieces of the plastic clock on the wall behind me exploded around my feet.Thank God!
“That was a warning. I’m not fucking around,honey. The next one goes in this guy’s head.” He was waving the gun around erratically as Seb took a step to the side. “Then, I’ll use my next six or so to put some new holes in that one next to you. The one who dared to touch what’s mine.”
“The fuck you will!” I exclaimed and stood to face him. Anger burned in my gut as I confronted my abuser head-on.
“Oh ho! Look who thinks he has a backbone now.” Derek chuckled darkly, turning his flinty steel blue eyes onto me again. “You really think you can stand up to me?Really?” He rolled his eyes.
“Leave them alone!” I said firmly.
“But I’m just starting to have fun!” He advanced on Seb, pushing him backward into the room, and came to fill the doorway, effectively blocking any escape.
I took a moment to take in Derek’s disheveled appearance. It was a far cry from his usual immaculate deportment. He was in a basic long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, but it looked like he hadn’t showered in a month and his usually clean-shaven face was now covered in a bushy, unruly beard. He looked more than a little unhinged.
“Do you have any idea the trouble you caused with this little stunt? You really thought you could run away from me? You might have succeeded longer if you hadn’t basically gift-wrapped your new address with that trip to the hospital.” A sickly, sardonic look crossed his face. “Did you have another accident, baby? You’re just so clumsy, always hurting yourself. And you dared to blame me! You cost me my job! They’reinvestigatingyour fucked-up lies. You are coming with me, and you’re going to fix this fuckup you little shit. You’re going to tell everyone you lied, and then I’ll have my fun dealing with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. The truth came out, and you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.”
“How dare you?” he growled in outrage as his face flushed red.
Now that he was closer, I noticed that his hands were trembling. His gaze shot around the room, assessing before settling back on me with a smug grin. “I’ll give you a choice. Youcome with me now or I kill your friends and drag you out of here. Which is it going to be?”
Normally, I wouldn’t think he was serious. He knew the law and delighted in skirting it with his position, but to actually kill someone meant he had seriously lost it.
“You’ll never get your job back if you kill someone,” I said, hedging my bets.
“Ha! You think the idiots around here could link this to me? I know how to cover my tracks.” The look that crossed his face was completely deranged, bordering on manic. Had he killed before? “Decide. Now!”
“Okay, okay.” I held my hands up, deferring to him and trying to give myself some time to think. I knew I couldn’t go with him, but I couldn’t let him hurt Atticus or Seb or risk him finding Lyric. “If I leave with you, you promise you won’t hurt them?”
“Oh, I promise.” I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.
“You’re not going anywhere with him!” Atticus said as he stood and grabbed me to pull me behind himself.
Everything happened so fast after that.
Derek’s patience snapped. His rage bubbled over as he pointed his gun at Atticus.
Instinctively we both ducked as a shot rang out. Even knowing we couldn’t move faster than a bullet, it was human instinct. We landed heavily on the floor and rolled as Atticus tried to shield me.
Then there was a sickeningcrunchfollowed by a heavythud.
I was still in shock, terrified to move and see Atticus covered in blood, but it wasn’t until an anguished “Sebastian!” came from Lyric that my body responded.
