Children of Fire (Complete)

sixty-seven

Emerson

How was this happening? This was impossible... I knew that Greyson knew where I was, but my father? He hadn't even tried to get in touch with me since I left home all those years ago. It didn't make any sense... why now? Why was he trying to find me now? And why the hell was he with Greyson? My dad hadn't been involved in my life when Greyson was around. When I moved out of my family's home and into Greyson's, my dad basically acted like I didn't exist. The day I left, all he said was "So you won't be here to make me dinner?". The only question that was running through my head now was, why me?

"I'm sure you have some questions, Emmy J." My dad said, his familiar raspy voice sent shivers down my spine. I hated his voice. I turned slightly to my left, pointing the gun at my dads head. He let out a wry laugh that unnerved me even more. He was obviously the one who had shot Ray, because he too had a gun, and it was pointing straight at me.

"Not now, Grady. Let's just get her and go before her boyfriend brings his entourage and we can't do anything." Greyson said, was that... fear? Was he afraid? I wouldn't know, he had never been afraid when we were together. He never had a reason to be. Nobody back home stood up to him, and I damn sure didn't. But for some reason he didn't seem to be afraid of me. I turned to him, pointing the gun at him instead of my father.

"I don't think he's her boyfriend anymore, son. I see you've got a nice sized rock on your ring finger, do I have a son-in-law?" My dad barked out a laugh.

"Wait, you're married?" Greyson roared, rage flashed across his face. I felt the old familiar feeling rising in my throat like bile. I knew my eyes were glassed over, because I wasn't in the underground bunker anymore. Instead, I was in the bright sunshine yellow kitchen that Greyson and I had once shared...

'You'll always be my girl, won't you Em?' He asked me, running a finger across my jaw. I was curled up in a corner, my knees clutched tightly to my chest and tears streaming down my face. He had just beaten me senseless after he saw a message from some random guy in my MySpace inbox. All the guy had said was hey... I never even responded... and Greyson had beaten me half to death.

'I'll always be your girl.' I said robotically, my eyes looking into his but never really seeing him.

'You'll marry me. You'll have my children. We'll grow old together. Right?' He asked, a sickly sweet smile plastered on his face. He ran his bruised knuckles down my jaw again.

'That's right.'

'Say it.'

'I'll marry you, I'll have your children, and we'll grow old together.' The tone of my voice was flat.

'Say it like you mean it!' He bellowed, bringing his hand back and slapping me again. Tears rolled down my face but I willed myself not to make a sound.

'I will marry you, no matter what. You're the only one for me, Greyson, I swear it!' I said, with feeling. It didn't matter if I believed it, because I definitely didn't, as long as he believed it.

'That's better. That's my girl.'

"Not yet. I'm engaged, but we'll be married soon." I answered, blinking rapidly to get rid of the memory in my brain. Greyson laughed maniacally.

"You won't. Because I'm taking you away from here." He said, his foot inching towards me. I put my fingers over the trigger and he stopped abruptly.

"Stupid boy. The deal was that you can't have her until I'm finished with her, we have some unfinished business, don't we baby girl?" My dad said, smiling at me. At least I think it was a smile, it looked more like a painful grimace to me.