Page 9 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

“No! He’s my stepdad.”

I inhaled deeply, needing to calm myself down. Not much pissed me off more than a wife beater. That low life fucking asshole!

I had to admit, Ken hadn’t really interested me before now. I knew he would come down with the rest of them when they fell. I didn’t even think about the shit they might be subjecting others – their family – to. Now I was just pissed. I was determined to make him pay for what he was putting Kaeli and her mom through.

“Why didn’t you just go to the police?” I asked when I felt calm enough.

She looked at me dryly. “I don’t know if you know Ken very well, but he hurts my mom a lot. I don’t doubt he’d kill her if I didn’t do this.”

That fucker! If he was anything like TJ, I didn’t doubt it either. I really needed to get some detail on her. “You still go to school Kaeli?”

She gazed at me wearily. “Yes.”

“Where abouts?”

She swallowed uncomfortably. “Westside.”

Westside. That was a nice school. She couldn’t be too far from finishing though. She looked too mature to be a junior. “Senior?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“What subjects do you do?” I knew I was being intrusive, but if I could get someone in undercover, I needed them in some of her classes.

“Um…” I could tell she didn’t want to answer me, but either fear or an ingrained sense of politeness overrode it. “Biology, Chemistry, Algebra, Statistics…” She shrugged. “That kind of thing.”

Shit. She was smart too. She definitely shouldn’t be here. I’d make sure I got a message to the Captain later tonight. I wanted protection on her like yesterday.

I pushed her for as much information as she’d give me while I downed another two glasses of bourbon. When I thought I’d gathered enough to pass on, I looked down at my watch, surprised to see how quickly the time had gone.

I exhaled hard. Fuck. This was going to hurt. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer for what I was about to do to her. I hoped one day she would understand and forgive me.

I stood up and strode towards her.

Chapter 7

Kaeli

After almost an hour of idle questions which didn’t seem to make much sense to me, Mitch checked his watch and stood up.

“We better get this over and done with,” he said, moving swiftly towards me.

I tensed, panic quickly rising to the surface again. He dragged his shirt over his head and tossed it behind him, his eyes locked on my panicked ones. Fleetingly, I noticed he didn’t have anywhere near as many tattoos as I thought he did, but that thought flew right out my head when his purposeful strides continued straight for me.

Shit. No! Please...

I scrambled to the side, knowing escape was virtually impossible, but desperate to try just the same. But before I got very far, he caught me, pinning me between the wall and his large, firm body. I gasped, and before I could do anything else, he forced his mouth to mine.

I lashed out at him, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. His other hand pulled at my clothes, grabbing my shirt tightly in his fists as he pulled me harder against him. I hit at him, and tried scratching, but his hand easily caught both my wrists in his, holding them prisoner as he continued to crush his lips to mine. I was powerless. And I couldn’t do a damned thing about it. Tears poured down my face. Please, God. Please, help me!

Then just as suddenly as he came, he released me, stepping back without a word. I stumbled slightly, my head a whirling mess of confusion and fear. Silently, he picked his shirt up off the floor, and strode to the door.

“Come

on,” he said, his voice more than a little rough.

With my head still reeling, I ran after him, praying that was it and I could now go home. As he moved down the stairs, I watched him shuck his shirt back on over his head.

I knew I must’ve looked a mess. Tears were still falling down my cheeks, my chest was heaving from fright, and the wild panic that had been with me since the moment that Pock guy answered the door was forcing my gaze in a different direction every beat of my heart.

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