Page 77 of The Other Side

His body slips beside me again, and my flesh scrambles with fear. I turn to tilt my chin up, his onyx stare already piercing through me.

And the longer he stares, my breath stumbles more and more.

He’s not Daddy.

He’s not Daddy.

“You keep this attitude up, and you’re not going to like the repercussions.”

“What’re you gonna do? Hit me?” I fire back, my lenses flaming with tears.

Jesse purses his lips when he grabs my upper arm. My gaze grows when he tugs my body to him, and a choked gasp rips from my mouth.

“Listen to me,” he grits out. “You want to be a little bitch, you do it on your own time. Are we clear?”

The pads of his fingers sink into my skin, and my lungs puncture. “Y-yes,” I breathe.

He ejects me from his grip, his stare boring into me as he pulls away. “I want this kitchen cleaned by the time I’m out of my office.”

He turns to round the corner of the threshold before disappearing from view. My hands sheathe my face, all my reserved breaths rattling out to revive the oxygen in my veins.

I see a little girl sitting on her living room sofa.

She’s reading a book, only for her peaceful night to be interrupted by her drunken daddy. She’s frightened, as she always is. And as much as I want to tell her everything will be okay, I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed her.

I always promised her I was going to give her a route out of the darkness. But instead, all I’ve done is drive her back in it.

And suddenly, I swear, I hear those two dull sounds ring through.

Knock.

Knock.

Chapter 24

Brant

It’s three o’clock on Thursday afternoon when I park my truck along the curb. Mixed emotions braid through me as I stare at Callie’s house.

The end of this job is near.

More distance will be paved between us.

I pluck my leather binder and rolled-up drawing from the passenger seat. My boots eventually hit the blacktop, and I make my way onto the stone pavers of the driveway.

I knock on the front door, and it’s a few moments before Callie greets me on the other end.

“Hi.”

“H-hi,” I stumble out.

My stomach soars in my throat at the simple sight of her. My eyes devour her navy dress and beige stilettos. There’s this adorable bowtie woven at the center of her waist, framing the hourglass curves of her hips.

Her elegance is breathtaking. Literally. But my adoration is short-lived when her princess-cut diamond shines from her finger.

I slightly wag my head, erasing my ill manners. “Sorry, I assumed Jesse was going to answer the door,” I explain, my stare dancing along her chestnut waves.

She hitches a thumb over her shoulder. “He’s in his office, but he’ll be out in a few minutes.”