Page 104 of Stolen Kisses
“Flynn, Daddy’s home. I am definitely not a friend. I’m your father and I’m back big time.” He laughed and continued laughing like he’d said a joke. No, he was laughing at me. “Maria, Maria you think you can just get away with what you did? I think it was amusing to see you try, more amusing to watch you believe you could escape me.”
“How did you find us?” I had to know, how he’d figured it out.
“Friends in high places. Names pop up even if you use cash. Cameras everywhere. The biggest thing though was Flynn being taken in by the police. That was a dead giveaway. Names in systems and friends in higher places. You can’t escape me. You will be punished Maria. For everything.Everything.”
I started to shake and my soul shivered.
He was going to kill me.
He was going to kill me just like I knew he would.
Franco was going to kill me.
“Come here Flynn.” Franco said crouching down.
“No Flynn stay here.” I winced.
My worst nightmare was happening. Us being found, having nowhere to run, and no one to save us.
Franco walked up to us and grabbed Flynn.
Flynn started crying and tried to reach for me. When I tried to take him back Franco backhanded me so hard I slammed into the wall and fell on the ground.
Flynn started screaming and crying when he saw that.
“Give him back to me!” I cried. “Give him back.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t.
Franco looked to me and gave me a wicked, evil smile. His dark eyes darkened the way they used to before he’d beat me, or before he planned to do something to teach me a lesson.
It was so strange I remembered when I was at the Crowthorne and I saw Elliot grab Christina up by her arm. I didn’t know why that memory decided to pop into my mind, but it came. I’d thought at the time that I would never allow any man to treat me that way. I’d thought I’d leave if ever I happened to fall into a relationship where the guy was abusive. Look at me now still taking it.
So Pathetic.
Franco looked down at me and that smile of his grew wider with a promise of death.
“Flynn, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m booking a one way ticket back to Florida. It’s up to your mama to decide if you come with me alive, or in a body bag.” He chuckled.
Dark dread filled me.
Jesus …
Jesus no …
What was he saying?
I never factored in the possibility that he would hurt Flynn.
Looking at him now, I saw the pure evil in him—insanity and evil.
How could I have been so wrong? Why couldn’t I see it before? Way back when, when we first met, why didn’t I see it then?
He’d kill Flynn too. He’d do it to hurt me and then kill me.
Terror like a steel weight dropped in the pit of my stomach, immobilizing me, and my mind became a vast expanse of desolation without hope.
There was no hope.
