Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“I can’t say that I am.”
His smile faded. “Where is your mother?”
I slowly shook my head. “My mother?”
“Yes, Haven, your fucking mother. She hasn’t been home in two days.”
A feeling of dread washed over me. “What did you do to her?” I cried out.
He looked surprised. “I haven’t done shit to her. Like I said, she hasn’t been home, so where is she?”
My mind raced as I wondered if my mother had told me she was leaving town. I had just spoken to her last night and she was fine, but hadn’t told me she wasn’t home. Maybe she was with Doug. “I…I don’t know where she is.”
“You mean to tell me you haven’t spoken to her in two days?”
“What are you doing here?”
He slowly stood. “I saw you in the paper. Looks like you’re doing good for yourself. Building some stupid dog park, throwing parties for the community. Is your boyfriend paying for it all?”
I turned to look at the bedroom door. Nate would be walking into the apartment any moment and would be caught off guard by my father—my father who was holding a gun.
“What do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Not to me it isn’t.”
“I want my family back.”
A humorless laugh slipped out as I stared at him in disbelief. “Your family? You don’t have a family anymore.”
He snarled. “That’s your fault,” he said as he walked across the room. I stood perfectly still, afraid that if I made one wrong move, he would shoot me.
I saw Nate walk into the bedroom from over my father’s shoulder. I didn’t dare draw attention to him at all. I could feel my breathing increase, and I felt for my phone in my pocket. It wasn’t there, and I wanted to let out a frustrated cry.
“If you so much as lay a finger on me, I swear I will kill you.”
He stopped walking. “You’ll kill me? If you haven’t noticed, I’m the one holding the gun, Haven.”
I could see Nate slowly making his way toward my father. He had something in his hand, but I couldn’t see what it was.
Focusing in on my father, I took a step to the side. “If you’re looking for money, you’ve come to the wrong place. Everything I have is tied up in the dog park.”
“I’m sure you can get some from your rich boyfriend.”
I shook my head. “He wouldn’t give you the shirt off his back.”
My father laughed. “You think he’s with you because he loves you? You’re a piece of ass for him, Haven, that’s all.”
Smiling, I replied, “How wrong you are. It’s really rather sad that you had to come crawling back to your ex-wife and daughter asking for money. What’s wrong, Dad? Couldn’t find a new family to take advantage of?”
My father stood there and stared at me. He lifted the gun and pointed it directly at my chest. “I’m going to enjoy watching you die, Haven.”
Before I could say a word, Nate lifted what was in his hands and hit my father over the head, causing him to instantly fall to the floor.
“Get out of here, Haven!” Nate called as he kicked the gun away and pulled my father’s hands behind his back.
“No! I’m not leaving. You need something to tie up his hands.”
Turning to run out of the room, I nearly ran into the police officer who was rushing into the room. I stumbled back, and he reached out to steady me. Two other officers were behind him.
“We’ve got him, sir,” the one said to Nate as he pulled out handcuffs and put them on my father.
Nate looked like he didn’t want to let go, but he eventually stood and took a few steps back. He turned, and when our eyes met, he quickly made his way over to me. Drawing me in, he held me close to him.
“Are you okay?”
I held onto him tighter. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m fine.”
He gently pushed me back some and studied me from head to toe.
“I’m okay, Nate. Just a little rattled.”
“Thank God you didn’t come here alone. When I heard you scream, I nearly killed myself getting up here. Then I heard your father talking.”
“Did you call 911?”
He nodded. “I did. The second I heard him, I called.”
Closing my eyes, I let out a shaky breath. “That could have gone a completely different way.”
Nate framed my face with his hands. “But it didn’t. You’re safe, and I swear to God, he will never hurt you or get near you again. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I need to call my mother and make sure she’s okay. It sounds like he was looking for one of us between our places.”
Frowning, Nate asked, “You don’t know where she is?”
I shrugged. “I don’t. I assumed she was home, but I panicked when he said she hadn’t been home for two days.”