Triple Beat-nook(45)

She didn’t respond. Couldn’t answer. He was cutting off her air supply. She struggled to pull his hand away, but it was abundantly clear that her only weapon in this fight was bravado. All the physical strength was on his side. For a moment, pure, unadulterated panic clawed at her chest. She was in way over her head.

Dani pushed the fear away. Maybe she couldn’t win. But at least she could lose with dignity. She went limp, refusing to continue the struggle.

Her father released her and took a step away. Fury filled his eyes, but she noticed something new as well. Confusion.

He was a professional bully who chose targets who wouldn’t fight back. Regardless of her lack of strength, she was messing with his head. Hope reemerged, combined with even more determination.

“Sit down,” he repeated. He was hung up on the first command.

She didn’t move and he didn’t bother to give the order again. He grabbed her and shoved her roughly down onto the threadbare cushions. A spring poking through the armrest scratched her wrist.

Dani glanced down at the welt, the blood welling there. Great. It looked like she could add tetanus to the list of horrible things she was about to endure.

“You were stupid to run from me, girl. I told you in the jail I was coming back for you. Did you really think you could hide from me forever?”

She didn’t reply. Mainly because she felt more vulnerable sitting, which had probably been her father’s goal all along.

He towered over her. Now that he had his audience in place, he unleashed twelve years’ worth of pent-up anger. “You ruined my life, you little whore! Called the cops, got me thrown in jail. I lost my job, my apartment. Meanwhile, you’re living it up in that big house with that annoying bitch and all her kids.”

He reached down and grabbed a handful of hair, pulling it painfully so that she had no choice but to look up at him. “You think I didn’t know you hated me? The way you were never home, always hiding in your room. Thought you were better than me. Thought you deserved a better life. You got me arrested because you were a selfish cunt. You thought you got away with it too, didn’t you?”

The man was clearly unhinged. He’d had too many years to make her the villain in his life story, to blame her for everything bad that happened to him.

Her eyes watered as he increased the pressure on her scalp.

“Now it’s time to pay.”

Dani was out of options. Her attempts at stalling had gotten her to this point, but they wouldn’t buy her more time. Which left her with only two more choices. Fight or flight.

She glanced around, recalling how she’d escaped the last time. If she could just manage to get her hands on something heavy…

Surprisingly, there was nothing. No lamps, cups, pictures. Nothing. It was as if the room had been cleared.

Her father chuckled. “What’s wrong, Dani? No weapons to use against me?”

He released her hair, his hands going to his jeans.

She reacted without thought, leaning back as she swung her foot up hard, right between his legs. Jackpot.

Her dad doubled over from her kick to his crotch, a loud “ugh” flying from his lips.

“I wouldn’t say I have no weapons.” She tried to use his momentary pain to run. She leapt from the couch, trying to dodge his hand as he reached out to catch her.

She was a second too slow as he caught her by her hair, yanking her backwards with enough force to knock her to her back on the floor.

“You f*cking bitch.” He kicked her ribs, the blow sending sharp shards of pain along her side.

She rolled away from him as he swung his foot again, his boot connecting hard against her mid-back, propelling her face first toward the couch.

Despite the waves of pain and the strong urge to vomit, she needed to f*cking move. Get up. One more goddamn kick like that and he’d break her in half.

She used the couch for support to lift herself, clearing the floor mere seconds before his foot flew again. He kicked the frame of the couch, but the sturdiness of his freaking boots—Jesus, were they made of steel?—protected him from any pain from the ill-aimed blow.

“Goddamn cunt!” he bellowed as he unbuttoned his jeans. Unlike the last time, there was no fumbling. His purpose was clear.

“You realize you won’t get away with this,” she said, fighting like the devil to keep her tone calm. “Regardless of what you do right now, you’ll be arrested, and this time, they’ll throw away the key. Three strikes, you’re out. Did you like prison that much?”