Tongue's Target (Ruthless Kings MC Las Vegas #10) - K.L. Savage Page 0,2

I can’t. The tears keep falling. “You’re scaring me, Mommy.”

“It’s going to be just fine, baby. I’m going to stay here and take care of your dad.”

“What about you? Come with me, please!” I beg her and take her hand, tugging her to the door. “We can run away, Mommy. We can be together. We can get away from him.” I cry for her, for me, for us. I want us out of this house.

“Come here, you bitches! Don’t try to take my daughter from me!” Daddy stumbles again, falling to the floor. “You two better come here.” He opens the drawer on the coffee table and Mommy opens the front door to push me out.

I dive to the left so she can’t get to me, but she grabs me by the shirt when she hears something click. Her eyes widen and she begins to cry too. “We need to go. Daphne, come on!” She drags me away from the front door just in time before a gunshot rigs out.

I scream when realize what Daddy was looking for in the coffee table.

“You two get back here and I’ll think about forgiving you,” he says, sounding more stable than he did when Mommy hit him in the head with a glass bottle.

“I’m scared,” I whisper as Mommy has us running through the kitchen to get to the back door.

“I know, but everything is going to be just fine, baby. I promise.” She opens the sliding glass door and shoves the money in my hand. “Now, tell me what you’re going to do.”

“Mommy—”

“Daphne, what are you going to do?” she says, frustrated.

“I’m going to go to the neighbors and call Aunt Tina,” I sob.

“You aren’t going to look back here, do you hear me? You swear?”

I nod and rub my nose across my arm. “I swear.”

“Where the fuck are you?” Daddy yells in the house.

Mommy wraps her arms around me and gives me a kiss on the head. “I love you, baby. I love you so much. Don’t you ever forget that.”

“This is your last chance!”

Mommy turns around and sees Daddy behind her, shirt off, belly hanging out.

“Get your ass back inside, Daphne, or I’m going to kill your momma,” he says.

I panic. I don’t want Mommy to get hurt. I take a step inside, but she blocks me and slams her hands against my chest, shoving me backward. I lose my footing and fall backward, hitting against the porch rail. She slams the sliding glass door in my face and her hand touches the glass. “I love you,” she mouths. “Go,” she says just as another gunshot rings out. Blood spreads across her shoulder and the air is forced out of my lungs. “Run!” she yells, her hand landing on the glass again.

Only this time, it’s bloody.

“Mommy,” I choke her name out as I trip down the steps.

Go to the neighbors. Call Aunt Tina.

I sprint into the woods and hide behind a tree trunk, staring at what is happening through the sliding glass door. Her back is to the door and Daddy is facing her, aiming the gun at her head. I cover my mouth, my tears flowing freely now.

Another shot fires, sending blood all over the door. It drips down just as Mommy falls to the ground.

Daddy opens the door and shoots the gun in the air, sending birds flying off the trees. “Come back here, Daphne! I won’t hurt you; I promise.” His feet pound down the steps, banging against the wood. I hear the gun click again, and I remember my mommy’s panic when she heard it.

I do what she tells me to.

I run, and I don’t look back.

And I don’t want to remember anything about this night.

Ever.

Present

I gasp awake. The sheets stick to my skin from the sweat beading across my body. I haven’t had a dream like that in a long time. I don’t know what happened to my mom, but I know Dad didn’t kill her. He was an asshole, but a killer? No.

At least, I don’t think…

I press my palms against my eyes and take a few deep breaths.

“What’s wrong, Comet?” Tongue asks me, flipping on the lamp on the nightstand. “You’re sweating.” His hand lands on my cheek and turns my head to look at him. His touch settles the wave of uneasiness inside me. “Do I need to kill someone? Has someone scared you?” He reaches for his knife that is sitting next to the lamp.

I know he is telling the truth.