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“And why would I tell you anything? You’ve been gone for two days, and when you do decide to come home, you’re drunk.” She could have slapped herself for the things that just came out of her mouth. A look of surprise crossed his face, but then pure rage settled in its place.
“What did you just say?” His voice was low and slurred, but there was no mistaking the raw anger that came through in those words. She was smart enough to keep her mouth shut this time. “Well?” His voice boomed around her, and she jumped from the force of it.
He was close enough that the stench of the whiskey he drank seeped into her pores. His hand came up quicker than she could anticipate, and the force of his slap made her head whip to the side. She immediately tasted blood, and she knew it was from the ring he wore.
“You would think, after all these years, you would learn to keep your damn mouth shut.” She shrank away from him when she saw him take a step back. It would only escalate from here. She needed to just get away from him and let him sleep off his intoxication.
She quickly headed for the front door, but he grabbed her arm in a bruising grip. Crying out, Jane tried to twist out of his hold, but he was like a pit bull and tightened his hand. His laugh was sickening, and she felt her stomach knot. Why in the hell she let this go on was beyond her. She should have told someone, said something to the police, but then again, if the whole town knew what an abusive drunk Charles Silver was and still didn’t do anything to stop him, what was the point of saying anything?
He spun her around and backhanded her. She could feel blood drip down her chin, knew he had busted her lip open once again. It was going to be a lot harder to hide these marks. What the hell was the point? Maybe if she walked around with the proof of her home life, someone would take notice and stop him. As it was, her father was far too strong, and Jane and her mother were at his mercy.
“Tell me, you fucking little brat!” Spittle ran down his chin, and she had no doubt the majority of that was alcohol. “Your mama owes me some money, and I intend to collect.”
The only thing her mother owed her dad was a swift kick to his balls. The dirtbag took every dime her mother brought home from the church flea markets and bake sales. It was hard enough supporting just the two of them on the little money Jane made working at the drive-in on the weekends and after school, but when her father took her mother’s paycheck, he was hurting them when he wasn’t even around.
Jane’s bottom hit the end table, and she reached back to steady herself. He had yet to let go of her arm, and she felt her hand tingle from the restricted blood flow. Her hand brushed against the base of the lamp, and she grabbed it. If she didn’t get away, there might never be a next time for her. Swinging her arm out, she slammed the base against the side of his head. For a moment, all he did was blink down at her, and then a line of blood started to make a path down his temple. Bile rose in her throat, and she dropped the lamp.
Oh, God. What have I done? His grip loosened right before he slumped to his knees, his hands going to his head. He started making incoherent noises before looking back up to her.
“You’re going to wish you never did that, Jane.”
Her heart was beating frantically, and she took off. That was not her father, not anymore. He was cruel and evil, and she couldn’t take it anymore. Running as fast as her legs would carry her, she went to the only two people she ever could when shit hit the fan. She knew her mother would be okay for a long while, so her safety wasn’t a concern at the moment. Her father wouldn’t know where to look for her, and even if he did find her, he wouldn’t instigate anything in front of others. He was a drunk, but he was a smart drunk.
Mark Henry’s house was only about a mile down the road, not in the wealthy part of town certainly, but not in the rundown ghetto part where she resided. She had no shoes on, and her feet were already cut up, but she had to keep running, had to get away. She had to get to Rys and William.
Chapter 14
Jane sat up with her heart in her throat and sweat coating her body. The dream was intense and so very realistic. She could still smell her father’s liquor-laced breath. She had fallen asleep after she had sex with Rys and William. Oh, God. I slept with Rys and William. Through the window, she could see the sun sinking.
