meet my stare. “Julie, I’m sorry. I know
that words can never undo what my father did, but I want you to
know how terribly sorry I am.”
I took a step out from behind Luke, putting
my hand on his arm to let him know I was okay facing Derek on my
own.
“You’ve known,” I started toward him, and my
voice shook. “All of this time, you’ve known who I am, and you
couldn’t find just one second to tell me who you are?”
“I wanted to, but—”
“But what?” I asked. “Your father murdered
my parents. He put a gun to their heads, put a bullet through their
skulls, and you think telling me that you’re sorry is going to make
it better?” My eyes filled with tears as I watched Derek drop his
arms. He stood defenseless, hurt and broken down. But no matter how
defeated he seemed, it didn’t change the fact that he’d blatantly
lied to me. “His blood runs through your veins, Derek. His evil
courses through your body, and you expect me to accept your
apology? How do I know I can even trust you? How do I know you
weren’t planning on coming back in here and killing me
yourself?”
“You don’t,” he said, “but you have to trust me—”
“I don’t! I don’t have to trust
you!”
“Julie,” he begged, “I swear I never wanted
to hurt you.”
“That makes one of us.” Hannah’s voice came
from the back of the room. None of us had heard her come in, and
when I turned to meet her stare, my heart fell to my stomach.
Hannah stood in the doorframe between the
kitchen and living room, her eyes never leaving mine. Her red hair
was mussed and ratted. Her eyes were dark and sunken; she looked
like hell. But as she took a step forward to command the room, she
lifted a handgun in the air and pointed it directly at my face.
Suddenly, that’s all I could really concentrate on.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sunday, September 23
“Hannah, no!” Derek yelled, “Put the gun
down.”
“Not until she’s dead,” Hannah said, eerily
calm. “Not until I finish what Daddy started.”
“Hannah!” her brother said. “Don’t talk like
that.”
Luke pulled me back slowly, shielding my
body with his. He took a step backward, lightly forcing me against
the far wall and covering me completely from Hannah’s aim.
My body shivered behind his, and I could
feel him gently pressing himself against me to assure me, as much
as he could, that I was safe. He reached back and took my hand,
squeezing my fingers for a brief moment before letting go.
“Hannah,” Luke stepped forward an inch.
“Stay back,” she yelled, waving the gun
higher.
“Hannah,” Luke continued, and he was just as
calm as she’d been when she walked in a few minutes earlier,“you
don’t want to do this, right? Put the gun down.”
“Listen to him,” Derek pleaded with his
sister.
“Stop it!” she yelled at both of the men,
taking a step to the side to get a better view of me. “You,” she
said, still aiming the gun, “step out here. I want to see your face
when I kill you.”
“Hannah,” Derek tried to reason with his
sister, “she’s an innocent girl. She’s a victim, just like us. She
had nothing to do with what happened.”
“She’s his daughter,” she said, tears
streaming down her face. “I was born without my father because of
what he did.”
“He was doing his job,” Derek argued. “You
know Dad was messed up, Hann—”
“I had to live my entire life with my father
behind bars,” she said, meeting my stare. “So you’re not a
victim. You had your dad .”
“Hannah,” I stepped out from behind Luke. He
reached out to pull me back, but I stopped his hand. “This is my
fight.”
“You hate your dad for not protecting your
mother,” Luke whispered. “I’m not going to let you hate me for not
protecting you.”
“I’m okay,” I said, and I turned back to her
immediately.
Even with the weapon still aimed in my
direction, I was surprisingly composed. I saw the pain in her eyes,
but pain
that words can never undo what my father did, but I want you to
know how terribly sorry I am.”
I took a step out from behind Luke, putting
my hand on his arm to let him know I was okay facing Derek on my
own.
“You’ve known,” I started toward him, and my
voice shook. “All of this time, you’ve known who I am, and you
couldn’t find just one second to tell me who you are?”
“I wanted to, but—”
“But what?” I asked. “Your father murdered
my parents. He put a gun to their heads, put a bullet through their
skulls, and you think telling me that you’re sorry is going to make
it better?” My eyes filled with tears as I watched Derek drop his
arms. He stood defenseless, hurt and broken down. But no matter how
defeated he seemed, it didn’t change the fact that he’d blatantly
lied to me. “His blood runs through your veins, Derek. His evil
courses through your body, and you expect me to accept your
apology? How do I know I can even trust you? How do I know you
weren’t planning on coming back in here and killing me
yourself?”
“You don’t,” he said, “but you have to trust me—”
“I don’t! I don’t have to trust
you!”
“Julie,” he begged, “I swear I never wanted
to hurt you.”
“That makes one of us.” Hannah’s voice came
from the back of the room. None of us had heard her come in, and
when I turned to meet her stare, my heart fell to my stomach.
Hannah stood in the doorframe between the
kitchen and living room, her eyes never leaving mine. Her red hair
was mussed and ratted. Her eyes were dark and sunken; she looked
like hell. But as she took a step forward to command the room, she
lifted a handgun in the air and pointed it directly at my face.
Suddenly, that’s all I could really concentrate on.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sunday, September 23
“Hannah, no!” Derek yelled, “Put the gun
down.”
“Not until she’s dead,” Hannah said, eerily
calm. “Not until I finish what Daddy started.”
“Hannah!” her brother said. “Don’t talk like
that.”
Luke pulled me back slowly, shielding my
body with his. He took a step backward, lightly forcing me against
the far wall and covering me completely from Hannah’s aim.
My body shivered behind his, and I could
feel him gently pressing himself against me to assure me, as much
as he could, that I was safe. He reached back and took my hand,
squeezing my fingers for a brief moment before letting go.
“Hannah,” Luke stepped forward an inch.
“Stay back,” she yelled, waving the gun
higher.
“Hannah,” Luke continued, and he was just as
calm as she’d been when she walked in a few minutes earlier,“you
don’t want to do this, right? Put the gun down.”
“Listen to him,” Derek pleaded with his
sister.
“Stop it!” she yelled at both of the men,
taking a step to the side to get a better view of me. “You,” she
said, still aiming the gun, “step out here. I want to see your face
when I kill you.”
“Hannah,” Derek tried to reason with his
sister, “she’s an innocent girl. She’s a victim, just like us. She
had nothing to do with what happened.”
“She’s his daughter,” she said, tears
streaming down her face. “I was born without my father because of
what he did.”
“He was doing his job,” Derek argued. “You
know Dad was messed up, Hann—”
“I had to live my entire life with my father
behind bars,” she said, meeting my stare. “So you’re not a
victim. You had your dad .”
“Hannah,” I stepped out from behind Luke. He
reached out to pull me back, but I stopped his hand. “This is my
fight.”
“You hate your dad for not protecting your
mother,” Luke whispered. “I’m not going to let you hate me for not
protecting you.”
“I’m okay,” I said, and I turned back to her
immediately.
Even with the weapon still aimed in my
direction, I was surprisingly composed. I saw the pain in her eyes,
but pain
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