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I shook my head as tears slipped down my cheeks. “Ican't leave you.”
Dad grabbed my hand, dwarfing it with his as he swiped my tears away, and murmured. “You’re going to have to, sweetheart. You’re going to have to, and you’re going to need to carry on. I know—” He swallowed hard, then looked away. “I know you might not carry my blood, but you are my heart.” He forced his gaze back to mine. “When a man gives his heart, he gives it wholly and to the end. You are my daughter, my heart, mylife.I would gladly, in a thousand different ways, hand that over for yours.”
Tears flowed and they’d never stop falling.
I couldn’t speak.
Could only shudder and weep.
“You need to go now,” London commanded.
I sniffled, smearing my tears and mucus with the back of my hand as Dad pulled me against his chest. “I love you. Never stop believing that.”
“Now, Jack,”London snapped.
Dad grabbed my shoulders and gently pushed me back. “Now, I need you to go, my lioness. Become the woman you were always meant to be. Love. Love so fucking hard you feel torn in two.” He glanced toward Nick as my stepbrother stepped closer. “They’ll protect you, sweetheart.” He met my gaze. “They’ll keep you safe.”
One small shove and I stumbled backwards.
“Princess…” strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me toward a car.
“No,” I shook my head. “No, Dad.Please…”
But Dad didn’t move, just stared at me as his eyes glistened, and finally he turned away. Nick had to all but drag me to the car. Car doors opened and slammed shut. Tobias was a blur behind my tears as he leaned across me in the backseat, yanked my seatbelt into place, and snapped it shut.
“WAIT!”Dad roared.“Wait a minute!”
I spun, twisted in my seat, and shoved my door open.
“I need a pen…”Dad barked, rushing toward me.“Someone give me a goddamn pen!”
My brothers twisted in their seats. “We don’t have time for this,” Caleb warned as gunfire echoed all around us.
“Here forChrist’s sake!”London roared as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen.
Dad frantically scanned the floor, then lunged and grabbed up a filthy napkin as he rushed toward the car. “Here,” he panted, leaning above me.
I could hear the scratching of the pen on the car roof before dad shoved the napkin at me. “Here. I kept this for you. I figured…” his brow creased. “I figured we might’ve needed it together. But I want you to have it. Use it to keep you safe. Don’t ever come back here.” He nodded at Nick as he stepped away and gripped the door. “Don’t ever come back.”
Bang!
We were already moving as Dad slammed the door and the four-wheel drive lunged forward as The Order’s men came rushing into the far side of the building.Crack…crack…crack…I didn’t flinch, didn’t care, just twisted in my seat to watch my father as he passed through the open doorway, ducking for cover.
There were men firing back at The Order. Men I could only assume were London’s. They blurred as we raced past, tearing away from the carcasses of forgotten buildings and headed toward the streets…
“Fuck!”Nick slammed on the brakes, throwing me forward.
Then we were reversing hard before skidding to a stop once more. Nick shoved open his door and whistled shrilly, the sharp sound piercing my grief.
“Rebel!”he yelled.“Here, girl!”
Rebel?
I jerked my blurred focus to Tobias’s window. A blur of black came running, tore around one of the Explorers The Order had left behind, and raced toward us.
“Rebel!”I spluttered as she leaped through Nick’s open door and clambered inside.
Bang!He yanked the door closed and punched the accelerator as Caleb grabbed her, patting her head, smoothing her ears. “Easy now.” he soothed. “Easy…”
