by J. N. Pack
“Go to your room McKayla. L and I need to talk about some things.” Broadway says firmly.
When she looks up at me, I nod.
I follow Mr. Broadway to his room. I shut the door and he raises his hand and cracks me across the face. My vision blurs around the edges and I stumble backwards. I want to hit him back. I want to scream. What’s the point? This is what I’m here for. If I don’t take it, he’ll make McKayla disappear. So, I take it and I’ll take everything he throws at me.
“Don’t ever come beating on my door again.” He yells. He pulls his belt off and the first time he hits me with it, I gasp having never been hit with a belt before. Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. The second hit is across my face and draws blood from my nose and lips. Then across my back sending me to my knees on the floor. He swings again and again, striking everything from my back to my sides, butt, legs, head and neck. When I finally cry out, he stops and drags me to the edge of the bed. I vaguely recall him putting his belt around my neck.
When I finally come to, I’m being tossed into a shower where he turns on scalding water. He coldly says, “Get yourself together and get the fuck out of my house.”
After he’s gone McKayla slips into the bathroom and helps me out of the tub. My entire body is trembling. She helps me down the hallway and out of the house. We’re standing in the pouring down rain when my legs give out and I fall to my knees. McKayla cries, “L, you can’t stay here. You’ve got to help me move you.” As she slowly pulls me down the street away from the house. She leans me against the bike and squats down beside me. She searches my clothes finding my phone. Finding the only contact she recognizes and calls.
“Where the fuck are you Luna?” I hear him growl into the phone.
“Ummm this is… this is McKayla.” She says in a low voice.
“McKayla? What’s going on? Where’s Luna?” he asks.
“Can you come. She needs help…” she stutters.
He sighs, “Where is she?”
“Corner of Rain Davis and McNair Street. Please hurry Killian.” She says into the speaker of the phone before hanging up.
She runs her hands through my hair, and I whisper, “I’m sorry Kayla.” Before passing out. I faintly recall her whispering help would be here soon.
**Killian**
After hanging up with McKayla I grab a t-shirt and my sneakers without stopping to put them on. I throw them into the passenger seat and pull up maps on my phone and follow the directions it gives me.
What the fuck has she done now? My insides are tied in knots and I can’t seem to get past the feeling that something is seriously wrong. I shove the feeling to the back of my mind so I can focus as I get closer. It takes me ten minutes before I am slamming on the brakes to keep from hitting a soaking wet McKayla. I slam the truck in park and jump out. I stop in front of McKayla. I look her up and down for any sign that she is hurt. When my eyes finally stop on her face, my heart stops in my chest. She’s been crying and her face is swollen, puffy and red. I spin around and my heart lands at my feet. She’s half slumped against Maddie’s bike. She’s broken. The rain has washed away most of the blood, but there are deep gashes across her face and all over her body. Bruises cover most of what I can see of her body. I run to her side and slowly lift her into my arms.
“Get in the truck McKayla.” I yell as I run back to the truck as quickly as possible. I hold her tight against my chest as I climb into the truck. I drive back to the house as fast as I can. Her small body is shaking all over.
When I walk into the house with her body laying limply over my arms I panic, unsure of what to do. I let out a heart wrenching growl that sends McKayla scurrying into a corner, where she slides down the wall and hides her face in her arms.
Bishop and Ada Jade come down first. Bishop with his gun drawn and Ada Jade following close behind.
I hear Hux and Maddie coming down behind them.
“What the fuck man?” Bishop says stiffening when he sees her laying broken in my arms.
I feel tears begging to fall from my eyes as I beg, “Help. I… I… don’t know what to do. Please… somebody help.”
Bishops flies the rest of the way down the stairs and shoves everything off the couch and says, “Lay her down here.”
Ada Jade is crying in the phone having a complete breakdown. Maddie takes the phone from her and gives Frank the address.
Luna whimpers and I’m stumbling down to her side.
**Frank**
It’s nothing new being called to bail Luna out of trouble, but it is completely new for Ada Jade to be hysterical and unable to speak and for Maddie to be crying. I’m not a man of faith and I don’t put a lot of stock in what I can’t see, but the whole way to the address Maddie give me, I prayed and bargained with God to take care of my baby. I never expected what I would see when I walk in. When I walk in and see her beaten and broken body lying there, a cold deadly feeling crawls through my bones and my heart.
I grab Killian and slam him against the wall and yell, “I’ll rip your fuckin’ throat out.” His eyes are wet and red, but he doesn’t fight me. I can see anger burning behind his eyes.
“It wasn’t him. “a small voice yells from behind me.
Maddie steps up and says, “Frank, it wasn’t Killian. He’s been looking for her all night. He went and got her and brought her here.”
“Then who?” I growl as I ease the boy to the ground.
“Broadway. He’s been blackmailing Luna.” Killian stumbles over his words, not because he’s scared of me, but because he’s terrified for my daughter. “Gina apparently dropped Luna’s sister off on his steps the day she was born.”
The little girl steps forward, “He…he tried to kill her.”
“How long have you known Luna?” Maddie asks.
The little girl says, “She’s my sister. We met when I was six. I think L was fourteen. I never knew her real name. He only called her L and she wasn’t allowed to tell me her real name.”
I’m trapped staring in the familiar eyes. The same beautiful eyes my daughter has.
“He umm… He hurt her. He always talked about making her pay for all the crap she caused.” The little girl says looking down at her hands.
A tear finally slips down Killian’s eyes and I’m afraid I’m going to have to find a way to keep him busy or he may pull the trigger on Broadway himself. I glance back at Luna and her face is swelling and there’s black and blue bruises and cuts on her neck.
“Hospital. Get her to the hospital and don’t let the little one out of your site.” I growl at Killian.
Killian grabs her and he’s out the door with everyone following him without another look back.
I’m going fuckin’ hunting.
Chapter 19
**Killian**
My insides are knotted, and my brain is flooded with images of her body lying broken by Maddie’s bike. When she left the party, I knew something was up. I didn’t think she would go to Broadway. It made me sick to my stomach to think about what he fuckin’ did to her. We’ve been sitting in the waiting room for over an hour and I haven’t spoken to anyone. I’m afraid I might break if I say anything.
McKayla is curled against my side in one of my t-shirts and a pair of my joggers that are way too big for her, sleeping. She keeps tensing up in her sleep and every few minutes she startles awake. I rub her shoulder knowing that I’ll never let anything happen to her knowing she’s the most important thing in the world to Luna.
Ada Jade drops down beside me and hands me a cup of coffee. I can’t drink it, but it gives me something tangible to hang onto.
“You love her, don’t you?” she says quietly.
My hands tremble and I nod slowly staring down at the coffee.
“I’ve never heard that sound come from anyone, ever. That kind of pain to come out in a sound.”
I look away and say, “I’ve never been that scared in my life. Scared for someone else.”
McKayla wh
impers in her sleep and I tighten my arm around her shoulder to comfort her. There’s something familiar about her.
“Uncle Lincoln?” Bishop says.
I look up and see my Dad standing there with Gina at his back.
“Where’s my fuckin’ kid?” she says loudly. Ada Jade and Maddie are up in a matter of seconds. They stand protectively between Gina and McKayla. “Which one?” Ada Jade growls.
Gina’s eyes fly to me and then down to McKayla. Then she glances at my Dad and back at McKayla. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
Hux takes my seat allowing a still sleeping McKayla to curl into his side. I stand and throw myself at Gina. Dad throws his arm out stopping me.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I growl.
Dad says, “Easy son. I called Frank after you called me, and he asked me to come. We may not see eye to eye when it comes to business, but when it comes to family, we are the same. Plus, he gave me a signed paper so that when she can go home you can carry her home. It’s notarized, just in case Frank can’t be here.”
“She needs to go.” I say staring past him at Gina.
“Son, she’s going to stay out of the way. If she doesn’t, I will send her away myself.” He’s uncomfortable. “Any word yet?”
I turn away from Gina and search my Dads face for any sign he’s being insincere. “No.” I say quietly after a few minutes. A thought pops into my head and I glare at Gina shoving past my Dad, “I know you know who she is and I know you know damn well she’s not Broadway’s kid.” I glare into her dark eyes. “Who?”
She looks worriedly between me and my Dad. He catches my train of thought and turns to look at the little girl. “She’s eight, who’s her Dad Gina?”
She smirks and says, “Ain’t you figured it out yet son?”
I growl and take another step towards her when Dad turns and says, “I’ll bury you, if you’ve done what I think you’ve done.”
I take another step and she turns, taking several steps towards the door slamming into Franks chest. He growls down at her and says, “I knew you’d come you nasty little cunt.”
She’s closed in between me, Dad and Frank. She’s tense and she is spinning around looking at us all.
Frank growls, “Who’s kid is she?”
She’s nervous because she knows what’s coming no matter what she says. She smirks, “Enjoy spending time with your little sister Killian?”
I take two steps to grab her, but Dad has her slammed against the wall by the throat. “You filthy fuckin’ whore.”
Frank’s at his side. “You’re dead. I told you if you did to another kid what you did to mine, I’d fuckin’ end you. I meant every word.”
Dad shoves Gina into Russo’s arms and looks at Frank and says, “She’s all yours.”
Frank nods at Russo and I know I’ll never see her again.
I walk back over taking my spot back beside McKayla and my Dad comes over staring at her.
I look up at him and say, “He can’t get her back. We have to protect her.”
He pats my shoulder and pulls his phone out and says, “It’s done son. She’ll never have to worry about anything ever again.”
He starts making calls and he grabs Frank by the shoulder and says, “Anything you need, you’ve got a friend for life. Your girl went to back for my girl, I owe her my life.”
Frank nods as he comes over. He looks down at me and asks, “Your Dad get you the papers?”
I glance down at the papers on the seat beside me and nod.
“The doctor say anything yet?” he asks and I shake my head saying, “Not yet.”
He says, “If I don’t make it back or if anything happens to me kid, promise me she’ll always have you pushing her back to sanity. Pushing her to do better but having her back even when she crosses the line, because she will cross the line over and over again. I need to know that if I don’t make it back home for any reason, she has you. She will always have Maddie and Ada Jade and the Kings of Mayhem, but she needs you. Someone who cares for her. Someone who dare I say, loves her.”
I glance at McKayla and then back at him and finally nod. There’s not a chance in hell of me walking away without her now. “Just don’t make me have to do that. She needs you as much as me Frank.”
He looks down and then off to the side and says, “I can’t make any promises kid, but I will do everything in my power to come back from this.” He pats my shoulder before turning and walking out of the hospital with his guys following behind him.
He’s gone for an hour when Dad comes back in and sits beside me. “Her birth certificate and social are being delivered to the house as we speak. Her last name is being changed and I’ve had everything worked out with social services pending a blood test they will do as soon as she wakes up, right here at the hospital. They aren’t going to make her leave because it would make no sense to remove her only to put her back if the blood test come back how we are all expecting.”
I nod. “Dad, she’s going to need Luna. Luna’s her sister and that’s the only person she trusts.”
He smirks and says, “I know son. That’s why she will stay with you and Luna and the boys at the beach house until she is comfortable enough to come stay with me at the big house. There are five bedrooms in that house I’m sure one of them is sufficient for an eight-year-old. No parties while she is there, and I will be checking in and getting to know my little girl quite a bit.”
I smirk. He knows there’s no way in hell I’m saying no to having the two most important girls in my life under the same roof as me.
The Doctor comes down the hallway and stops in the waiting room. “Frank Marlow?”
I stand, allowing Dad to slide under McKayla while she sleeps. “Frank had to leave, but he left me with papers to make decisions on her behalf and to sign her out when she is released. How is she? Is she okay?”
The doctor bows his head and then says, “Just bruises, cuts, and knots. They will heal with time. We’ve given her pain meds so we are going to keep her tonight so she can rest and she will be allowed to leave tomorrow. She did have a fractured wrist and it is going to be put in a cast before she leaves in the morning.”
I step closer and I ask, “Did… Did he… Did he rape her?”
He drops his head again and looks away, “I’ll let her be the one who divulges that information when she is ready.”
“When can I see her?” I ask quickly.
He says, “Three at a time. No more than three.”
I nod and quickly walk over to McKayla. I squat beside her and wiggle her shoulder. She bolts upright. “Hey. They are going to let us go back and see Luna. I figured she’d want to see you first.”
Chapter 20
She shoots to her feet and shoots straight for the doctor. Realizing I’m just watching her she turns around grabbing my hand and pulling me behind her leaving my Dad smiling behind us. She drags me down the hall behind the doctor and when he stops in front of the room, she squeezes by him and I follow behind her staying back. When McKayla sees her, she gasps and Luna’s eyes pop open. McKayla runs to her side taking her hand smiling at her sister.
Luna reaches for McKayla’s hand and she says, “I’m sorry McKayla.”
McKayla squeezes her hand, “It’s okay L. I promise I’m fine.”
Luna looks over to me and I step closer to the edge of the bed. “I umm. I need to tell both of you something that may be shocking, but it needs to said.”
They both tense, expecting the worst. I shake my head and say, “Gina had a lot of secrets. The biggest one being McKayla. Turns out she kept secrets from everyone including Broadway and my Dad.”
I look over at McKayla and continue. I squat down so I’m her height and say, “You aren’t Broadway’s daughter. You are…”
Luna angrily says, “She’s my sister. She’s….”
“My sister too.” I say.
They both stare at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Turns out Gina ended up pregnant w
ith my Dad’s kid and didn’t want the responsibility of raising another kid, but she didn’t want to give up her cash cow either. She dropped McKayla on Broadways doorsteps. We are positive you are my Dad’s she even admitted to it, but they still have to have a blood test before we leave the hospital.”
She nods, but she’s anxious and so is Luna. “I… I don’t want to live with him. I want to live with L..Luna.”
Luna pulls her into a hug, her own tears held at bay. “You’ll be safe with him McKayla. He won’t hurt you.”
McKayla begins to cry, and I slide closer wrapping my arms around her. “You don’t have to stay with him. You can stay with me… and Luna can stay if she wants too.”
Her eyes fly to Luna’s and Luna stares at me.
“My Dad wants her to be comfortable and to get to know him slowly so he said she could stay at the beach house until she was ready. He said you could stay as well. He will be dropping by to spend time with McKayla and to make sure we aren’t partying every night with her there, but he knows she would be safe with both of us there to protect her. Not to mention Hux and Bishop.” I say trying to convince them both.
McKayla looks up at Luna and Luna just shrugs. “I’ll see you all the time kiddo. Killian will be a good big brother.”
My heart drops and tears start streaming down McKayla’s cheeks. “You promised me L. You promised, it would be you and me.”
I pull McKayla against my chest and look down at Luna, who is still avoiding looking at me.
I squat in front of McKayla and say, “Here’s five bucks, go grab Maddie from the waiting room and tell her to take you to the vending machine. She’s the one with purple hair.”
She looks between the two of us and then runs from the room.
I walk over to the bed and she says, “You don’t need to be here.”
I grip her hand and quietly say, “I have to be here. Do you not see it Luna? I care about you. I need to be here.”
**Luna**
My heart stutters in my chest. He reaches for my hand, but I’m not ready for that so I snatch it away. I’m embarrassed about what I did. I’m embarrassed that I was hurt like that. Something was taken from me and I can’t get it back.