Her Destiny (Reverie #2)(49)

An injured animal who is mean and ready to strike at those who come near.

“You killed my girl,” Hal says, his gaze never leaving David. “All this time, pretending to be there for me and letting me cry on your shoulder while you vowed to do something and you’re the one who murdered my baby.”

“It’s his fault!” David points at me at the same time he throws himself on the bed, grabbing hold of Reverie and pulling her so her back is to his front, the knife at her throat. “Don’t come another step or I’ll kill her too.”

“Haven’t you had enough with killing and destroying? What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve been wrecking lives for about as long as I’ve known you.” Hal says, walking further into the room. He glances around, taking in all of his daughter’s stuff before he squeezes his eyes shut tight, shaking his head. I notice then that he has a handgun dangling from his fingers.

Shit.

Chapter Twenty-Five

10:30 a.m.

My vision is blurry from all the tears I’ve shed and my face hurts from the tug of the duct tape on my skin. I feel like I can’t breathe and I close my eyes, my chest tight from the sob I’m withholding.

David’s arm is wrapped tight around my middle, the giant knife he’s holding pressed at my throat. I’m frozen in his terrifying embrace, too scared to move though my entire body is trembling with fear. He’s going to cut me. I know it. And once he starts, he might never stop.

“Let her go,” Nick says, his voice even, his gaze full of fear. I stare at him, wishing I could speak, wishing he could read my mind.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

I should’ve never left you.

I screwed up.

Please forgive me.

“Why? So you can have everything yet again?” He drags the tip of the knife down the length of my neck, I can feel how sharp it is and I swear the blade pricks my skin. “You can’t have her. This one’s mine.”

“Do as he says.” Krista’s dad lifts his right arm, the gun aimed right at David. Hal’s arm is shaking, the gun wobbling this way and that and I close my eyes, terrified he’s going to accidentally shoot me. “Don’t hurt another defenseless girl, David. Let that one go before you kill her too.”

David laughs, the sound manic. “Defenseless. That’s a good one. Krista was far from defenseless. She was the toughest damn girl I ever knew. She put up a fight till the very end.”

If he thinks that’s going to reassure her father, he has another thing coming. I wince, ready for the blow and I’m not disappointed.

“Shut the f**k up about my girl!” Hal roars. “You didn’t know her!”

“I knew her better than you, old man. She hated you.” David sneers as he presses the knife closer to my throat. This time I do feel the cut, the slice in my skin and I scream beneath the duct tape, the sound muffled but roaring in my ears.

Nick goes white as a sheet but otherwise doesn’t react at all. “Jesus, David, you’re going to slice her neck open. Let her the f**k go!”

David turns his head toward mine, his eyes staring at me, dark and fathomless. A gruesome smile curls his lips. “You’re so pretty. No wonder Nick wants to protect you.”

I close my eyes but he shakes me, making my head bobble. “Look at me!” My eyes pop open and his smile grows. “That’s it. So pretty. So clean and sweet and perfect. Did you let him touch you? Of course, you did. Spent the night at his place again, huh? You’re nothing but a filthy whore now, just like Krista.”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Hal yells, taking a step toward the bed. I turn to see the gun pointed straight at us, his arm still shaking, his finger slipping over the trigger. I close my eyes again, not prepared to watch my death come right at me.

And that’s when everything happens in a white-hot blur.

Nick leaps onto the bed, covering both David and me as his hand goes for David’s wrist, squeezing so tight I hear the knife clatter to the floor. At the same moment the gun goes off, once. Twice. The sound deafening yet I can still hear the wiz of the bullet as it flies straight past my ear. A muffled groan sounds and I jerk against both boys who are holding me down, unable to tell who is who.

We fall from the bed to the floor in a tangle and I can hear Hal sobbing above us, murmuring words I can’t understand. He runs off, where I don’t know, and then I’m rolling away from the both of them, lying on the floor on my side with my back to them, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.

Hands touch me, fingers traveling over my face before I hear a muttered ‘sorry’ and the tape is ripped from my mouth. A gasp escapes me, the pain excruciating as it tears at my skin, and I take in a great big gulp of air, my lungs burning from the intensity.

“You okay?” I turn to find Nick staring at me, his skin pale and little beads of sweat on his forehead. “I need to untie you.”

I drink him in, happiness filling me, and I struggle to try and sit up. But it’s hard with my hands tied behind my back. “Where is he?” I croak, my throat raspy from my screams.

“David? He’s been hit,” Nick says grimly, indicating with a flick of his head behind him. “He’s not moving. Hal shot him.”

“Oh, my God,” I whisper, shock coursing through me. Nick reaches around my body, his fingers fumbling with the knot at my wrists, and I turn my back more toward him, keeping my eyes averted from where David lies. I can see his feet, his legs, but I don’t want to see his face. What if Hal shot him there? What if he’s dead?