Page 82 of Merciless Union
“But how do I know that if things start to calm down, he’ll even be nice to me again?”
Dad leans over and pats my hand. “Because you deserve to be loved. And I know he’ll realize that in time.”
Hopefully before I give up on him.
Dad and I continue to chat over the next hour. I didn’t know I missed just speaking to him until I had the chance to do it again.
“I’m going to go order us a pizza,” he says, groaning as he gets up. “I think comfort food is what you need right now.”
“Dad, I’ll do it,” I say, motioning for him to sit back down.
“The number is in the kitchen.”
I pat his shoulder as I walk past, grabbing my cell phone out. The phone is ringing at the same time the doorbell rings.
“Pizza already?” Dad says, laughing.
“No, I haven’t even ordered yet.”
The door bell rings again. I just shrug, waiting for the pizza place to pick up their phone.
“I’ll get the door,” Dad calls out. I hear him shuffle to the door, then the click of the door as its opened. “What-,” his words are cut off. I hear the sound of a scuffle, then my father lets out a loud groan.
I hang up my phone and run into the foyer. I freeze once I see what’s going on.
My father laying on the floor, his arms wrapped around his waist. Stepan Pasternak is standing above him, casually holding onto a gun.
My throat closes up.
Stepan steps around my father, grabbing my arm. “I’m making good on my promise. Today, you become mine.”
I wrench my arm from his grasp and run into the kitchen. He slowly follows, as if he has all the time in the world. I grab a knife, pointing it at him.
“Stay back,” I warn, hating that my voice comes out weak and wispy.
He lifts his gun, a silencer in place. “What’s that saying about a knife and a gun fight?”
“You won’t shoot me. You just said it. You want me for yourself. Shooting me won’t solve your dilemma.” I’m still gripping my phone in my other hand. I start pressing buttons, hoping that it wall call anyone and they’ll hear the trouble I’m in.
“No. But I don’t need you to be able to walk. So I could shoot you in the leg, keep you alive, and you’ll still be mine.”
Something crashes onto Stepan’s head. He stumbles. My father knocks into him.
“Arina, run!” Dad shouts at me.
“What about you?”
“Just run!”
Stepan turns around and points his gun at my dad. No, I can’t lose another parent. I barrel into Stepan, pushing him back against the counter. His gun goes high as he fires off a shit.
My father runs to a cabinet, pulling a gun out of it. “I got this. Arina, run.”
I nod, finally running out of the room. I don’t hear anything behind me. I glance back = they’re in a standoff, guns pointed at each other.
I keep running until I’m out the door. My foot slips on something wet and sticky. I glance down – the guard is lying on the front porch, bleeding out.
I gasp, kneeling down next to him. He was shot in the chest. “It’s ok. You’ll be ok.”
