Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“Sure,” he grunts out, and I can see he would like to say more but he’s holding back. “Was beautiful.”
“Yes.” My father chuckles, the knowing in his laugh makes my stomach lurch. He’s playing Merrick and I hate that I’m a part of it. “Seems my precious daughter has her own personal protector in the crowd.”
“She needs one.”
“Ah, yes, we do make sure she is safe.” He glances at me and I look down, I don’t want to play this game anymore, not with Merrick, but years of training…if that’s what you want to call it…has the fear of reprisal twisting inside of me.
“Yes,” I chime in, hating myself for playing this part. “My family does keep me safe, but I so appreciate your help as well. You’ve been so kind…” Merrick gives me a look like he’s not buying the back and forth here, but before he can say anything, my father moves us to the next step.
“Kezia has not missed a performance since we arrived outside of today, and she twisted her ankle a bit in her last dance this evening. I was thinking…” Merrick keeps his eyes locked onto my father as he takes a sidestep closer to me. “Once again, I would be honored if you would take Kezia into your care tomorrow. We have our busiest day and I would like her to have a day to relax before we move on to our next town.”
Merrick sniffs and holds back something like a snarl, then looks down at me. “You hurt yourself?”
“It’s nothing.” I hate the lie, but it’s already out. I’m trapped by it. “Just stepped wrong.”
I hear the laughter and chatter coming from behind, right on time. Our group is a well-oiled machine.
My sister and four of the other younger women swarm around us.
“Kezia!” Genevieve calls. “Are you coming? Mother is waiting for us.” She turns to Merrick. “We’re on clean-up duty. All the costumes need to be washed. We take turns, but tonight it’s all on us. A family that works together…works.” She smiles, giving him the well-used lines.
Dangle the carrot, then take it away, our father always says. Makes them salivate for what they can’t have. Makes them putty in your hands.
“I have to go.” I look at Merrick, our secret hot and heavy between us, but I plead with my eyes for him to play along.
At least for now.
“I’ll be here at daybreak,” I hear Merrick say as I’m pulled away, my heart already breaking, knowing I won’t see him until morning. Hoping in the end, he doesn’t change his mind as I play and replay our day at the water’s edge.
Come back for me, Daddy. Your little girl already needs you.
Chapter Nine
Merrick
Something smells like shit around here and it’s not just all the overflowing port-a-johns.
Her father is full of it. Something is wrong there. I don’t know the specifics yet, but I’ll fucking find out, and when I do there’ll be hell to pay.
I know I only spent a few hours with her, but she’s mine, and I’m going to make sure she’s safe until she’s with me full time.
After the group of girls dragged Kezia away last night, I drove around the back of the camping area and watched from the shadows for an hour. Kezia didn’t do any fucking costume cleaning, so that sister of hers is also a liar.
That would make Kezia a liar too.
Fine. She’s being coerced, my instincts told me that early on. That ‘father’ of theirs, if you can even call him that, has some sort of hold over them.
He’s more than full of shit, he’s a mother fucker and it makes me wonder what sort of intimidation he uses to get compliance. As I watched from the parking lot, she returned alone, walking to Thadius and some older woman, maybe her mother. They were lecturing her, pointing fingers and waving hands, getting right in her face as she stared at the ground.
Then, the older woman took her by the arm, half dragging her into some sort of makeshift shower area, shoving her in. She came out soaking wet, wearing just a thick sort of nightdress, and the woman then handed her off to one of the younger women that took her from me earlier and they disappeared into a tent.
I could see their silhouettes as they sat with a low light inside casting shadows. Every once in a while, Kezia would put her head in her hands while the other threw hers into the air as she talked.
Soon after, the light inside went out.
I hated leaving, but I had to take care of some work since I’d had my other deputies cover everything for the day while I was gone and dispatch called me a few times for some minor but important incidents around town.