Pure rage fills me. Anger over today. Anger over Lynx and Ray and everyone who has fucking wronged me. Anger over my mom who gives zero shits about me.
I grab my glass, taking a swig before dumping the rest, then slam it against the side of the sink, the weak, old glass shattering with ease. With a large shard in my grasp, I point it at him. “Does this scare you enough, Ray? Try and fucking touch me, and I swear I’ll stab you.”
The springs on the old couch squeak as my mom stands. “That’s fucking enough! Iris, put the glass down. Right now!”
Ray reaches into his pocket, pulling out an ancient looking pocketknife. Whipping it to the side, the blade flings open. “Try me, bitch.”
He steps toward me, and my senses ring on high alert. I’m instantly sweating, perspiration dotting along my hairline as he stalks toward me.
“Both of you, cut it out!” my mom shrieks.
I have no idea what’s come over me, but I didn’t think he’d ever take it this far. I don’t want to fight him, but with the wild look in his eyes, I don’t anticipate him backing down now. I’m fucking trapped in the corner of the kitchen with no way out. My only exit is exactly where Ray stands, and he has a dirty blade in his shaky grasp.
“Let me go, and I won’t come back,” I growl, my hands trembling.
He shakes his head slowly. “Now you just have to be put in your place, little girl. Your mouth needs more than a bar of soap.”
“What, you want to kill me?” I shriek.
He laughs. “Not kill. Just show you who the fucking adult is around here.”
I whip my head back and forth. “Leave me alone.”
“Too late,” he whispers.
“Ray, put the knife away. Iris, put the glass down. Quit acting like maniacs!”
He leaps toward me suddenly, and I shout as I step back, my back ramming against the refrigerator. It knocks against the wall, and I shove my hand out, slicing the shard of glass through the air.
“Stupid whore,” he whispers, wrestling me down to the ground. He swings his knife forward, and I roll to the side to avoid a slice to my chest.
I push the glass into his forearm, and the feeling of it sinking into his flesh makes me want to gag. He lets out a howl, and my mom starts screaming, but I can barely hear a word she says as my heartbeat whooshes in my ears, and Ray’s wails fill the air.
He shuffles closer to me, and rears his arm back, swinging it forward with the blade. My body goes cold as the blade sinks into my lower abdomen. Red, hot pain burns through my entire being, and an agonizing scream tears from my throat.
Boom.
I can barely see straight as I look toward the front door and see a massive shadow stomping toward me. I’d let out a scream if I wasn’t already screaming from the top of my lungs.
Holy shit.
It’s Lynx.
His face is pale and full of fury as he takes in the scene around him. My mom shrieks, rushing around him, and curling up by Ray.
Fucking Ray.
He shuffles back, his spine hitting the cabinets behind him as he stares nervously at Lynx. Lynx towers over him, a menacing, hulking presence over Ray’s crumbling form.
Lynx reaches behind him, and my eyes widen when I see him pull out a gun, with the nose of it longer than I’ve ever seen.
What the hell is that?
“You should’ve never touched what’s mine. That was your first mistake.” His finger goes around the trigger, and my mouth drops open as he pulls it, a silent shot flying from the gun and straight into Ray’s skull. His head snaps back, banging against the cabinets before lulling to the side. “Your second was hurting her.”
My mom lets out a terrified scream, her hands and left side of her face full of his blood. Her eyes are wide as she stares at the redness, only getting more so as it drips from the back of his skull and into her palms. He points the gun toward her, and she swallows her cries, letting out a soundless plea.
“Don’t. Please, don’t,” I whisper, my voice choked and full of pain.
He frowns at me, his gun lowering. A blank look takes over his face as he tucks the gun back into his jeans. Returning his gaze to my mom, he growls, “You will not say a fucking word about this. If you say anything, what happens to you will be much worse. You will not see your daughter again. Not unless she wants you to. She won’t live here anymore, and you won’t talk to her or poison her with your bullshit. You got me?”
My mom lets out a choked sob, clutching Ray in her arms. “She can go to hell for all I care. She’s no daughter of mine.”
A silent tear leaks from my eye, and I glance away from her, so hurt, so torn. She starts sobbing again, and I look at the wall as arms curl around me. I realize it’s Lynx as his woodsy and smoky scent surrounds me.
The last thing I hear as I walk out of my apartment for the last time are my mom’s sobs over Ray.
She’s no daughter of mine.
Chapter 13
The next time I wake up, I’m in a soft bed, the plush covers pulled up to my neck. I roll over, and an instant ache hits my stomach, making me wince.
My hand goes to the source of my pain, and I feel what I think is a bandage covering the area.
What?
I pull the covers back, seeing me in only my sports bra. A thick, white bandage is wrapped around my stomach.
Oh my fucking hell, I was stabbed.
Ray.
Tears flood my eyes, and I glance around the unfamiliar room, unsure of where I am.
“Holy shit, you’re awake.”
I turn to face the blank wall, seeing Violet standing up from the floor. The sun barely shines through the windows, meaning it’s Christmas morning.
My first morning alone.
What am I now, an orphan?
I start crying, and the movement makes the muscles in my stomach throb. Violet cringes as she rushes over to me, pressing her hands on either side of my face. “Try not to move. Everything is going to be okay, but I’m sure it hurts like a bitch.”
“What happened?” I ask through a sob.
She sits on the corner of the bed. “Lynx just disappeared, and when he showed up again, you were bleeding on the back of his bike and barely conscious. They brought you inside and stitched you up, and you’ve been sleeping ever since.”
“Am I okay?” I gasp. “Is Lynx okay?”
She nods. “Yeah, you’re fine. You lost quite a bit of blood, but the knife didn’t hit anything serious. Lynx is fine too, just… quiet.” She stares at me a moment. “How did he find you? How did he know you were in trouble? He said he just felt something was off, but… I just don’t get it.”
I stare at her, my tears drying up as she interrogates me. I don’t know what to say, but I know he wouldn’t want me to say anything. “I don’t know… he just showed up out of nowhere. He was just… there.” Which is true, except I’m leaving out the pieces about the before.
She nods, completely believing everything I’m saying. It makes me feel so damn guilty, but I know I can’t tell her the truth.
She sighs. “I know this isn’t how Christmas is supposed to be, but I hear you might be staying here now, and I can’t deny that I’m kind of excited about it.”
My brows furrow. “I’m going to be staying here?” Not that I mind, because where the hell else would I stay? If I wasn’t here, I’d be at a homeless shelter or with child protection. This feels like it’s my only option, and it’s not even a bad one.