Page 99 of Hurt Me Not
Iawoke with a pounding in my head. I had to blink a few times to get rid of the dark spots that covered my vision, but even then I could barely make out what was in front of me.
I could hear voices in the distance, but it sounded like everything was underwater. They must've hit me pretty hard. It was hard to control my body, like lead was weighing me down, pinning me to the cold floor.
I knew my father was fucking crazy. I had felt his painful fists more than once. But he’d never gone as far as to knock me out before.
He means business this time.
Escape should have been the first thing on my mind, but there was no chance of that.
Pearl.
Let’s see who’s faster, hm?
I needed to get to her. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but by how stiff my body was, it had to have been more than a few minutes for sure.
What if her stalker had already found her, and I wasn’t there?
I can’t believe he fucking did all of this.
The father I’d grown up with wasn’t calculating. He ran off his emotions, much like I did. Maybe that was why I had grown up the way I was. Everything turned into anger, and the anger piled up until we couldn’t hold it back anymore.
Only I would never hit my child or anyone I loved or, in his case, was supposed to love. He’d never given a damn about me.
This time, instead of the fiery rage, he had gone cold. I could almost imagine him sitting in his cell and scheming his way to this very moment.
I thought recruiting Jax’s company would get me ahead, and after meeting Dahlia, I thought I’d hit the jackpot. All this time I thought he was two steps behind, and that once I met him, I would be able to end it there and then.
I’d been wrong.
He had taken his cruelty to a whole new level, and I had a feeling that this was just the beginning. He was truly going to make both of us pay for his sentence, and if I didn't work fast, I might lose Pearl forever.
“Finally awake, huh? It’s about time,” my father's voice said from somewhere behind me. We were likely in a large empty space from the way it echoed—maybe some sort of warehouse? There was a slight musky scent to the air, and since it hadn't rained in a bit, we were probably near water.
I counted three different sets of footsteps approaching, including his.
Stay still.
I forced my body not to move, even though I was desperate to. I wanted to run. To try my luck. But realistically, I knew that they would catch me or put a bullet in me before I took three steps.
Slowly, I could start to feel my body coming back online. The pain intensified, but at least I could feel again. It was like mybody was slowly thawing—not fast enough, especially with the weight of their eyes on me.
But I needed to play smart.
My fingers and toes twitched.
He pushed me over onto my back with a swift kick of his boot, and I couldn't stop the pained groan.So much for playing dead.
When his face appeared above me, a sinister smile spread across it. I never wanted to punch him more than that moment. Or kill him.
Deep down, part of me was unsure if I could actually kill a man. But the longer I looked at him, the more I knew I'd be able to see it through.
I hated him. Hated him because he’d made Mom leave us. I might have been too young to know what their relationship was like, but knowing him, I knew it was his fault.
I hated him for all the insults he’d hurled at me. For how much he beat me up, making me feel like I was nothing.
I hated him for turning me into an angry person who had no idea how to show their love.
But he hadn’t taken away my ability to feel it. Which only led me back to worrying about Pearl.
