KILLED

Chapter Nineteen

"Please don't tell my father."
"I wasn't planning on it, but he also sees everything you do on it", Xander says, patting my knee. "And I have no idea how he'll react."
I hear someone fiddle with the lock before the door opens, and through the kitchen doorway, I can see my dad take off his coat.
"Xander, please leave." The man nods and hops off the mattress, nodding to Will before quietly shutting the door behind him. "Tess, come here. Now."
I climb down and stroll to him, shoving my hands into my sweatshirt pocket to hide that they are shaking. Badly.
"You went against my wishes", my father says. I open my mouth, but he holds up his hand to stop me from speaking. "You did the right thing in saying goodbye, but you still went behind my back. Because the police can track your laptop."
"Then destroy it", I say, surprising myself. "I mean, we can always get a new one, right?"
He smiles. "Yes, I suppose you're right", he sighs. "But there are still consequences for this, I hope you understand."
I nod a little.
"But that will have to wait", my dad adds. "Get your things; we need to leave."
I nod again and run back to grab my backpack, then come back. My father holds out my crutch, which I take before following him out of the room.
"Where are we going?", I ask as we go towards the elevator. "Am I allowed to know?"
"We're going somewhere out of town, and that is all you need to know", he says. "We need to go."
I fall silent and keep following him out of the hotel.
I don't look back. I don't need to know where I am now. I just need to know where I'm going next.
I follow him into the car, sliding into the seat beside the man.
"It's a fresh start", Will says, almost to himself as he puts the key into ignition. "It's the only way to be a family again."
I say nothing and get settled in for a quiet car ride.
I need to get out of here before we leave.
"Before we leave the city", my dad says. "We need to pick up some supplies."
"Okay."
This is my chance.
>>>>--------->
I follow my father into the warehouse, silently holding his hand as hemeets Johnsmen in the large room where I was held yesterday, now surrounded by gigantic crates.
"I need you to watch Tess for a minute", he says, as if I'm not standing right beside him. "I need to check something."
Ash nods, both of us watching Will leave before the man faces me.
"So what's the punishment?", he asks bluntly, absentmindedly fiddling with the pistol sticking out of his waistband, cocking it over and over again.
"I don't know", I snap. "Why can't any of you people just leave me the f**k alone?!"
"Because, you're the boss's daughter", he explains. "You aren't allowed to be alone, and you never will be, no matter what your father promises."
"I'm not going to be here forever", I retort, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes. "I hope you know that."
"You are so damn blind", he replies. "There is no hope in this business."
"It's not hope", I snarl. "It's a fact, d**khead."
I hear the sound of a gun cocking behind the man, and suddenly a shot rings out.
Ash collapses on the floor, blood trickling out of the bullet hole in the back of his head.
I look up from the body, my mouth hanging slightly open in horror as I lift my chin to look at the killer.
"It's time to go", my father says casually. "Come on, Tess." I watch him tuck the weapon into his belt before crouching down onto my knees in front of the drug dealer's corpse. "Tess, let's go." I ignore him and quickly pull Johnsmen's gun out, pointing it at Will as I rise back up to my feet.
"I'm not going anywhere", I say, trying to keep my voice steady as my hands shake. "And I don't take orders from you."
"Actually, you do. Put the gun down, Tess. Put it down, and I'll forget about this", he replies calmly. "Just put it down."
"No." I stand my ground, swallowing a lump of fear.
"Very well then. Men, take care of this nonsense!"
For a moment, silence fills the room, and I think my dad is crazy. At least, until I hear the sound of many weapons preparing to fire.
Shots ring out from every direction, and I scream as what I think is hundreds of bullets graze my face, my arms, my back, my legs.
My body is on fire.
I fall onto the ground, still clutching the gun in my fingers as Will holds up his hand, and immediately, the firing stops as he calmly strolls over to where I'm huddled on the floor, covered in my own blood.
"This is your punishment", he says, crouching down in front of me. "You can't just point a gun at me, dearest. I have people with eyes sharper than yours. They can shoot you without leaving one bullet in your body."
I lift my chin to look him in the eyes, ignoring the white hot pain shooting through me with every move I make.
"You're a monster", I hiss through gritted teeth, scarlet blood dripping off my chin and onto my torn sweatshirt. "I will always hate you, you son of a b**ch."
"And maybe she can't fire a gun at you", a familiar voice says from behind him. "But we can."
My father stands up slowly to face the two detectives, his hand hovering above the handle of his own weapon and smiles.
"I believe you must have missed the demonstration", he says calmly. "All around this room, there are people who have their weapons trained on my daughter, and only my daughter. I'd back off if I were you, that is, if you actually want her dead."
I shake off my pain, rage pulsing throughout my entire body in waves, unsteadily rising to my feet.
"Hey Dad", I say, pointing my gun at the back of his head.
He half turns around, and as soon as I see his eyes, I pull the trigger, watching the bullet pierce the skin in between his violet eyes.
And then, Will Furlen, my father, falls dead on the floor.
"That was for Sara", I say, lowering the weapon. "And for my mom."