Chapter 9

I woke up to the sound of the car’s tires on the highway, a sound not altogether unpleasant. At first, I thought it was all a bad dream. And then I opened my eyes fully.

It’s real. This nightmare is real.

My head throbbed in pain, worse than any migraine headache I’d ever had. I placed my hands on it and felt the healing energy immediately flow.

I sat up and tried to focus on the scenery speeding by the window. The markers on the side of the road indicated we were on I-27, and from the exit numbers increasing, I surmised we were traveling northbound.

“Did you have a nice nap?” He looked at me and smiled simply, as if he were just taking me to the park on a sunny day.

“What the hell do you want from me?” I asked, continuing to heal myself.

He appeared offended. “Language, Emily.”

“What?” He kidnaps me, and he’s worried about me cursing? “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m still your father.”

“That’s a technicality. You’re dead to me.” The heat from my head subsided, and when I lifted my hands, the throbbing ceased.

“I know you don’t feel that way. I know you missed me, too.”

I snickered. “It’s too bad Mom’s aim was off.”

“The Emily I remember was full of love and life. The most beautiful child in the whole world.”

“Yeah, that was before I was kidnapped by my father. That kind of thing changes you,” I said quietly.

“Baby girl, I wish that didn’t have to happen. If I could take it all back, I would,” he said. I felt the conviction behind his words; he was genuinely regretful.

“Then why did you do it again!?”

“I need you. For her.”

And that’s all he said, like he expected me to understand. “You’re not making any sense.”

It all sunk in at once. My father kidnapped me. Again. For all the precautions my mother took, for all the promises Tommy made, it still happened. My eyes heated up and the tears fell. I covered my face, embarrassed, but unable to control the sobs.

“Don’t cry, baby girl.”

“Like you care,” I muttered.

“It breaks my heart to see you cry,” he said softly.

What startled me the most was that he was genuine. I could sense his uneasiness, his sadness at seeing me upset.

“I’m worried about my mother and my sister,” I said. “And Tommy and Demetri and Roz—I don’t know what you did to them. You…you’re a monster,” I whispered, still sobbing.

“They’re fine. I didn’t kill them. Look, I’m sorry, but you don’t understand. I’ve sacrificed so much to be with you again…”

Sacrifice? Are you serious? I wiped the tears from my eyes. “Fuck you.”

“What did you say?” He had the audacity to sound indignant.

“You heard me.” I turned to him. “Or do I need to repeat myself?”

He slapped me across the face hard. “You will not speak to me that way.”

“Because you’ve earned so much respect, right? My mighty father.”

He frowned. “You’re with me now. My rules, baby girl. Like it or not.”

He touched his injured shoulder and winced. From the lights lining the highway, I saw the blood glistening on his hand when he withdrew it.

“Serves you right,” I said, trying to find as much poison as possible to throw at him. “I hate you.”

I sensed a powerful regret from him, a sadness so profound it almost got to me, almost made me feel bad for him. But then I thought about home, and how he’d hurt everyone I love. How he took me away before I could even assess the severity of their injuries, let alone heal them. I closed my eyes and waited for an opportunity to escape.

It seemed like another hour or two passed before he spoke again. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” I lied. I couldn’t imagine eating, but if we stopped somewhere, I might be able to make a run for it. I placed my hands on my lap, concentrating on healing myself, making myself as strong as I could.

He pulled off at a truck stop. The minute he parked, I clicked the seat belt release, unlocked the door, and was about to exit when he grabbed my arm.

“Hold on, baby girl. My rules, remember? You’re waiting here till I get back.”

“But I have to go to the bathroom…”

He sighed. “If you try to escape, I’m going to knock you out. Do you understand?”

“I only have to pee,” I said drowsily.

“Fine.” He released me, but I was too tired to attempt an escape. He helped me out of the car and held my hand tightly as we walked. The outside of the building was filthy enough, but when we stepped inside, it was beyond disgusting, with its grimy floor and overall greasy smell. A few of the more suspect characters in the place looked at me as if I were dessert. It would have freaked me out had I not been so exhausted.

I headed toward the women’s restroom, but my father jerked me back. Instead, he steered me in the direction of the men’s room.

“What are you doing?” I tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful.

“I wish I could trust you, but I can’t.” His forehead wrinkled as if he were debating it. “No. You’re going to have to use a stall in here.”

The stench we encountered upon entering the men’s bathroom was epic. Feces, coupled with the pungent odor of urinal cakes, nearly made me vomit. I choked it back, alarmed by the large man finishing up at one of the urinals. His eyes took me in, scanning up and down. A perverse grin formed on his lips.

“Too cheap to spring for a room?” He laughed heartily at his own stupid joke.

My father ignored him and walked me to a stall. “I’ll be right out here baby, if you need anything,” he whispered to me.

I knew it would be futile to appeal to the man for any kind of help. I’m better off with my father than that creepy dude, I thought, as I latched the door shut.

“Hey, can I get a go at her when you’re done?” I heard the man say.

That question pushed me over the edge. It, along with the horrendous overall smell, defeated my internal struggle to keep my lunch down. I puked Exorcist-style, getting only a small portion inside the toilet. After wiping off my mouth, I rested my hands on my stomach, to attempt to heal myself.

“You okay in there?” my father asked.

“I asked you a question,” the man said.

I peeked through the opening between the stall and the door. In the mirror’s reflection, I watched the man approach my father.

“The answer is no,” my father said.

“Why not? I’ve got cash. I can pay. How much is she, anyway?”

“She’s not for sale.” I could tell by my father’s tone he was growing impatient.

“Don’t want to share her, huh? I can see why,” the man said with a lame chuckle. “She looks so… young.”

My father didn’t respond. But in the mirror, I saw him glaring at the man.

“What if I don’t take no for an answer?” The man moved dangerously close to my father. “What if I just take what I want?”

My heart began to pound at the prospect of that man getting anywhere near me.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” my father said. “You can leave now, and no one will get hurt.”

The man let out a forced, insincere laugh. Suddenly, he grabbed my father by the throat and slammed him back against the stalls. It freed the car keys from my father’s pocket, and I reached down and scooped them up, hoping neither of them noticed. The man hurled my father off to the side, as if he were discarding a piece of trash. I heard the soft thud of my father’s body hit the adjacent wall. He didn’t get up.

I sucked in a breath. The only thing standing between this maniac and me was a flimsy stall door with a lock that had seen better days. He peered through the slit. An array of bad teeth formed a crooked smile, and the eager sound he grunted sent a chill down my spine. I backed closer to the toilet, fearing the worst. The door to the stall flew open, and the man entered. His deformed smile turned into a full toothy grin as he unbuckled his belt.

The vomit threatened to come up my throat once more.

“You and me are gonna have ourselves a real good time.”

He moved close enough for me to smell him, which was still a good two feet away. I choked on the rancid body odor that assaulted my nose. As I inched back, I almost fell, my feet sliding on the puke puddled all over the floor. The man kept advancing, his eyes taking me in. The desire, the anticipation I sensed from him terrified me. When I couldn’t retreat any farther, I contorted my body to fit the tiny space between the toilet and the side wall. I crossed my arms around my stomach and slid down.

“Don’t be shy, angel.” He reached down and grabbed me by my hair, pulling me up. “Such a sweet little thing…” His intentions were all too clear when his eyes focused on my jeans.

I traced the heart in my necklace, trying to remember all the tips Tommy and Demetri gave me. I’m not going down without a fight.

With all the strength I could muster, I drew back my fist and launched it at his face. My strike landed and snot flew from his nose, splattering on the adjacent stall wall.

He appeared dumbfounded at first, but then he smiled. “Oh, you wanna play rough, huh?” He licked his lips and tried to grab my arm, but I slid out of the way. It was too small in the stall to attempt a kick, so I tried to knee his groin. But before I could lift my knee high enough to make contact, he shoved me back against the stall by my shoulders. My head knocked hard against the metal stall, stunning me.

He grabbed both of my wrists together in one of his massive hands and pinned me to the wall.

I gulped, still afraid to breathe. “Please…don’t.”

“You’ll love it, I promise,” he said, his free hand moving to my waist. He managed to pry open the top button of my jeans.

I squeezed my eyes shut. This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…

I couldn’t stop the tears. There was no chance of escape. I felt powerless, scared.

“Daddy…” I sobbed, not even thinking about what I was saying. It was more an involuntary cry.

My body shuddered at the feel of his hand on my skin. He grabbed both my underwear and jeans in his hand, and I could feel him struggle to yank them down singlehandedly.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

I dared open my eyes. My father stood outside the stall, the look in his eyes pure venom. The man released me, and I gasped for air, breathing once again.

He stepped out to face my father. “What are you going to do about it?”

My father didn’t answer. He simply grabbed the man’s arm.

“What… are… you…” the man trailed off, his voice sounding weaker and weaker. My father slid behind the man in a swift, fluid motion. He placed one hand on the man’s mouth and the other on his upper abdomen. I remembered Tommy mentioning the spot was supposedly the source of all the body’s energy. I didn’t believe him then, but I believed him now, watching my father drain the man of his life force. It was exactly what Roz saw in her visions.

The man’s body slumped forward.

My father’s eyes rolled back in his head. Is he enjoying this?

I shook my head to clear it. This is it, my chance to escape.

Before I had a chance to calculate the total improbability of success or let my fears render me immobile, I bolted out of the bathroom.

Where should I go? What should I do? My gaze darted around, looking for someone I could trust, someone I could turn to for help, but the same creepy characters from before continued to drift around aimlessly. I searched for a place to hide but couldn’t find anything that would work. The truck stop was just too damn small.

Afraid my father would follow me, I ducked into the women’s restroom. Glancing around, I discovered two things. First, I was alone, and all hope that I could find a woman to help me instantly vanished. Second, there was no way out except back the way I came. I laughed, remembering all of the horror movies I watched in which a woman ends up trapped in a public restroom. There was always a small window up top, always a way to escape if you tried hard enough. Not for me. Nothing is ever that easy for me.

I turned to leave and bumped into someone standing right behind me. With utter dread, I looked up.

It was Lauren. She closed her arms around me in a hug.

She can’t be here. I must be dreaming, or delusional from the vomiting.

“Roz had a vision. She said you were at a truck stop.”

“Is everyone okay?” I blurted out.

“Mom and Roz are in the hospital. They’re stable. Tommy and Demetri are fine.”

“Thank God,” I said. “Did you teleport here?”

“Yes. I couldn’t before. You were moving.” She released me from the hug. “Where is this place?”

“I don’t know. All I know is we’re on I-27, heading northbound.”

“I’ll stay with you,” she said.

“You can’t. He’s going to find me,” I said. “Even with two of us, we’re no match for him.”

“I won’t leave you here.” She embraced me once more. “I love you, Em.”

“I love you, too,” I whispered, as the tears threatened to fall again.

He called my name, from outside the bathroom. “Go now!”

“We will find you,” she said, and squeezed my hands. And then she was gone.

My father burst through the door. He patted my cheek and left his hand there. “Another stunt like that, and I’ll put you out for the rest of the ride.” His cold hand on my face weakened me.

A heavy-set woman in her fifties entered the restroom, and her eyes got large. “What are you doing in here?” she yelled at my father.

“I’m sorry. My daughter is sick,” he said. Distracted, my father loosened his grip. I shook my head, trying to clear the fatigue. “Help me,” I pleaded.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” she asked me.

“She’s fine. Just sick like I said,” my father answered.

I felt lucid enough to try to run. Before he could grab me again, I lunged forward and shoved the woman into him. He toppled to the ground, and I bolted, running out of the restroom, then out of the rest stop all together.

His car keys. They were still in my pocket. I ran to his car and fumbled with the key in the lock. When I managed to open it, I slipped into the driver’s seat and locked the door. My hands were shaking. I knew I had seconds before he’d come running out of the rest stop. The key made its way into the ignition, and I turned on the car. Of course it’s a manual. I closed my eyes, trying to recall all the steps Tommy taught me.

The car door rattled, shattering my concentration.

“Emily, Let me in now!”

I shifted into reverse, let up on the clutch, and gave it gas.

The car revved but didn’t move.

“Listen to me. I’m your father…” The pounding on the glass kicked my brain into gear.

The emergency brake.

Once I released it, the car lurched out backward. Trying to shift into first gear, I stalled it.

“Damn it!”

My father caught up with me and banged on the window once more. It wouldn’t hold up much longer, and if he touched me again, it was all over. I cranked the engine, let up on the clutch, and gave it so much gas that it peeled out, leaving my father coughing in the fumes.

I shifted it into second, third, fourth, not slowing down until I made it on the highway. Even then I drove fast, eager to get as much distance from him as I could.

I got away. I actually got away. I couldn’t believe my luck.

Now what?

Find a police officer, a station, someone to help me. I didn’t know where I was, and as I passed the exit signs, I didn’t recognize the town names. I was reluctant to pull off at a random exit and find myself in a small town with no one around. Finding a cop when you need one, I discovered, was hard.

So I reasoned the best way to find a police officer was to get one to come to me. And driving 120 miles per hour would definitely do the trick.

The car complained, rattling and shaking, but it was able to maintain the speed without breaking down. However old and crappy it was, it drove well, all things considered.

My plan worked—in a matter of minutes, a cop flashed his lights and siren behind me.

I let out a gleeful cheer as I pulled over to the side of the road. I never thought I would be so happy to get stopped for speeding.

I rolled the window down, expecting to be asked for my license and registration. “Officer, I need your help, I…”

I looked up and gasped. My father stood before me. He reached out and grabbed the exposed flesh of my neck. At first, I thought he was going to choke me. But then I realized he was only taking my energy away.

And then everything went black.

I didn’t know how much time had elapsed, when I came to. I was strapped in the passenger side, in his car.

“I’d advise you not to try that again.”

“Hmph,” was my response, still coming out of my stupor.

“I’m sorry about that man, back at the rest stop. He was very crude.”

“Did you… kill him?” I murmured.

“Afraid so. Sometimes I can’t control it,” he explained. “There’s a point of no return.”

I couldn’t believe this animal was not only related to me, but my father.

“I know he’s not the first. How do you live with yourself?” I said.

“Survival. But’s that why I’ve got you now, baby girl. I told you, I need you.”

At least part of what he was saying dawned on me. His touch didn’t kill me. It weakened me, but even when he held my hand that entire time, it didn’t hurt me as badly as it hurt the others. It must be because I’m a healer. I have more energy, or maybe a different kind of energy than everyone else. That’s why he wants me.

So being a healer, the very thing that I thought would be my redemption is the reason I’m a target?

****

The next time I awoke, it was to the sound of the car slowing down. I had no idea how long I had been out, but I could see by my father’s expression he was dead tired. We turned into the parking lot of a motel, its large neon sign blinking “Best Way Suites.” The homeless dude under the canopy cinched the upscale motif they intended with that name. I searched the darkness frantically for some clue as to what town I was in.

My father reached across the seat and touched my arm with both hands.

“Sweet dreams, baby girl,” he said, right before the drowsiness set in. A few minutes later he carried me into a small room and gently placed me down on one of the two twin beds. I fought the fatigue, and with half-opened eyes, I observed a small television set, a small bathroom on the other side, and a tiny end table between the beds. My father walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

This is it. This is your chance to escape. But my body wouldn’t cooperate with my head. I had trouble keeping my eyelids open, let alone jumping up and making a run for it. About to shut my eyes and surrender to the weariness, I caught a glimpse of someone else in the room.

A pair of hands touched my shoulder. “Em, are you all right?”

Half-awake, it was difficult to see clearly, but I recognized the voice. I smiled weakly at my sister.

“Yeah, just tired,” I said, yawning.

She glanced around. “You’re in a hotel?”

“Are you saying something, Emily?” my father called from within the bathroom. A flush followed, and I suspected he would soon exit.

“Yeah. It’s called the Best Way Suites,” I whispered. “Hurry, he’s coming back out.”

She slipped me a note. “From Roz. We’re on our way.” She disappeared, right as the door to bathroom opened.

I shoved the note in my pants pocket before he noticed it.

My father walked over to me and affectionately petted my head. “You’ve had a hard day. Rest now.”

****

The sound of my father groaning in pain woke me from my sleep. It felt like I’d been out for hours, and when I glanced at the clock, I realized I was. Three a.m.

The light was on, but my father was in the bathroom. I heard the water running from the bathroom. Unsure of how long he’d be in there, I dug the note from Roz out of my pocket and quickly read it.

Em, I hope you’re okay. I’m worried so much about you. I had another vision—this one isn’t so bad. There’s a woman and she’s sick. Your father is there next to her. He tries to touch her, but he can’t. You’re there, but I can’t see what you’re doing. I don’t know what it means. Hoping it will help you.

Love you, Roz I recalled my father’s words earlier: I need you. For her. Maybe that was the woman from Roz’s vision? I shoved the note back into my pocket.

“I can’t believe she shot me,” he mumbled to himself, as he returned from the bathroom.

“I can’t believe you kidnapped me,” I said in response, sitting up. “This feels like a dream. A horrible nightmare I can’t seem to wake up from.”

He sat on the edge of his bed facing me. “You don’t understand, Emily. Not everything is so black and white.”

It was exactly what Judy had said, but it just felt wrong coming from him. “If you’re trying to say you’re not the villain, that you’re not pure evil, you are seriously deluding yourself.”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “It’s not that easy. You can’t simplify it like that.”

“Why not? Is there some noble cause you represent? Some perfectly reasonable explanation for why you’ve taken me from my family again?”

He winced, placing his hand on his injured shoulder.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” I folded my arms across my chest, hiding the heat that fired up in my hands. No part of me was interested in healing him, even if the energy within me disagreed.

He reached into his jacket that was strewn at the foot of his bed, and pulled out a Swiss army knife, along with his lighter. I gasped as he unfolded the blade.

“Relax. I wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to stab you.”

“Then why?” I asked. “Why are you doing this?”

He put the knife down on the bed. “Can you imagine, for one minute, what it would be like if you couldn’t touch anyone? If you knew no matter how much you loved someone, you would hurt her by simply standing near her?”

For a brief moment, I considered it. I thought about Tommy, about how torturous it would be to not be able to touch him. And then it dawned on me: my father was married to my mother for twelve years and had two children.

“Almost had me,” I said. “I actually felt sorry for you. But that doesn’t explain Lauren and me. I’m pretty sure there’s touching involved in sex…”

“Anne was different,” he said quietly. “She was a godsend. She’s not affected by my…curse.”

An overwhelming sense of regret hit me, a burden of guilt, but none of those feelings were mine, they were coming from him. As his words registered, my jaw dropped. The doctor who had hurt me reveled in my pain, but my father referred to his ability as a curse, which meant...

He isn’t pure evil.

Looking into his weary eyes, I saw the pain he had endured.

“Then why did you leave?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t have left for anything. She kicked me out.”

“But what happened? Why did you get…weird with me?”

“I wasn’t weird with you.” He buried his fingers in his hair, interlacing them behind his head. “It’s hard to explain. I guess you could say your energy is special. When I’m around you, I feel like a new person, I—”

The disgust must have been written on my face, because he stopped suddenly.

“You see, that’s what Anne believed, too. It’s not like that…you’re my daughter,” he said, his voice sounding just as repulsed. “It’s only energy. But yours is different from anyone else’s I’ve ever met. Yours is intoxicating. I found myself wanting to feed all the time, especially when I realized it didn’t hurt you like the others.”

“Feed?” A shiver traveled down my spine.

“I have to feed to survive. Without energy, I wouldn’t last more than a day or two.”

“That’s what you do? You feed off other people, killing them?”

“I made a promise years ago. To her and to myself, never to feed off others. Never to…kill again.”

Knowing his history and power, it seemed like that would be a difficult promise to keep. Then I remembered the people he attacked in Cannondale.

“What about Frank, my mailman? And that homeless dude? How do you explain them?”

“Your mailman saw me by your house. I thought he was going to turn me in. And the homeless man…it was unfortunate, but I was losing too much strength. I had to feed.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying hard to hold on to my anger. He did kidnap me after all. But the more he talked, the more it all made sense. And the less villainous he seemed.

His forehead wrinkled. “Wait a minute, how did you know about the homeless guy?”

I gulped, unsure of how to answer that. Then I remembered how pissed off I was at him. “That’s none of your business.”

He winced again and took off his shirt. Then he lit the blade of his knife, heating it for a few seconds before he plunged it into his wound. He cried out, but continued digging nonetheless.

I cringed at the pain I knew he experienced. But it was the kind of sympathy you would have for an animal lying on the side of the road—detached and fleeting.

He managed to remove the bullet from his wound, but he must’ve hit a major vein or artery, because the moment the metal rolled out of his skin, he started bleeding profusely. Grasping his shoulder, he hurried to the bathroom. He came out with a towel pressed to his shoulder, to try to stop the bleeding I guessed. Within minutes, the towel was soaked in his blood. He stumbled down on his bed. After a while, he appeared to lose consciousness.

I moved to his side and shook him. The blood-drenched towel toppled to the floor. Blood continued to spurt with each beat of his heart.

My hands felt like they were on fire.

No. No, I won’t help him. He doesn’t deserve my help. This is all his fault. It’s his own doing. I watched his shallow breathing slow down further. And then the blood stopped spurting out.

This can’t be happening. I frantically searched for a pulse but couldn’t find one. My hands grew hotter still.

I’ll never get a better chance to escape. I looked at the hotel room door. I can just walk out of here and away from this nightmare forever.

For a second, I was tempted. But I couldn’t just let him die.

I placed my hands on him—one on his chest, the other on his wound. The energy flowed from me in a rush, the heat drawing out of my hands and into him. It was a matter of seconds before he gasped for air and opened his eyes. He stared at me in perfect awe, like I was some alien creature he’d never seen.

His body fed with a voracity I’d never experienced before. As a result, the healing was faster than usual. I lifted my hands to find smears of blood on his shoulder, the only remnants of the near fatal wound that was once there. Even the bite marks on his arm from Yoki were gone.

I knew it was the right thing to do. It was what I was supposed to do, but no part of me felt good about it.

My father took a second to shake off the drowsiness from the healing. He wiped the blood off his shoulder and looked at the smooth skin where the wound once was. And gaped.

“What… happened?” he asked.

“You lost a lot of blood. I thought you were going to die,” I said emotionlessly.

“I know that. Why am I not dead?”

“I… I healed you.”

A huge smile materialized on his face. “You can heal?”

I nodded reluctantly.

“My God, it’s a miracle!” He hugged me, overjoyed. “I knew it. I knew you were special.”

I pulled away from him. “A simple thank you would suffice.”

“Thank you.” His ice-blue eyes sparkled, his grin resurfacing.

“So will you take me home now?”

“What?” He appeared confused. “No, I can’t do that yet.”

“I saved your life. You owe me that at least.”

“Don’t you see? It’s fate. I was meant to find you…to help her—”

The door flew open in a loud crash, kicked in from the outside. Tommy and Demetri ran in, followed by Lauren.

Demetri immediately dove at my father, tackling him down to the floor. He got in one good punch, and it was enough to knock my father out cold.

“Em!” Tommy ran over to me and hugged me so hard I could barely breathe. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I gasped.

He took the hint and eased up. “Sorry, I just… I was so worried about you.” He drew back from the hug to touch my face and took a deep breath in, his face next to mine. There were tears in his eyes as he shifted to kiss me so passionately even I was embarrassed, knowing we weren’t alone in the room. Lauren cleared her throat rather loudly.

“Tommy, could ya tone it down a notch?” Lauren asked. “Need to talk to my sister, if you don’t mind.”

Tommy smiled as he withdrew from me, and then sat next to me on the bed. Demetri appeared to be tying up my father’s hands.

Lauren glanced over at him. “Tie them tight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responded.

She kneeled in front of me. “Em, what did he do? Are you okay?” She touched my forehead, as if a temperature were some indication I had been abused. “Did he drug you? Did he…touch you?”

“No, no I’m fine,” I said. “Nothing happened.”

“Thank God.” She stood and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I’m so glad we got here in time.”

“Me, too,” Tommy whispered. “I can’t believe he took you.” He glanced down and I felt this overwhelming sense of guilt and regret from him. “I’m sorry—”

I cut him off with a kiss, as passionate as the previous one. The warmth, the taste of his mouth, the loving energy I felt from him threatened to push me over the edge. But then I heard that irritating sound again, of Lauren clearing her throat for the second time.

“Do you need a lozenge?” I asked Lauren, annoyed.

Demetri stood. “That should hold him.”

“Is Mom okay?” I didn’t know how hard my father had hit her with the gun.

“She’s at the hospital, but she’s stable,” Lauren said. “They’re observing her.”

Thank God. She was so unhinged when my father was there, I couldn’t help but worry about her.

Tommy’s eyes became fixed on the nightstand. “Is that from your mother’s gun?” he asked, pointing at the bloodied slug.

I nodded. “He almost died. If I hadn’t healed him—”

“You what?” Lauren folded her arms against her chest and glared at me. “Did you just say you healed him? I must have heard you wrong.”

“He was going to die. I couldn’t let him…”

I stopped talking when I realized all eyes were on me. Even Tommy appeared surprised. Demetri chuckled.

“Mom shot him. Did you forget that? If she were a better shot, none of us would be in this crappy hotel room right now!”

“I know, it’s just…” I wanted to explain. Some beautiful, grandiose statement about healing or humanity in general. Hell, I could’ve said my hands heated up, like they needed to heal him. But the words left me, and Lauren’s agitation only made me more on edge.

Lauren scowled at me. “He is the enemy, Em. He kidnapped you. Again!”

“I know that!” I massaged my forehead in small circles. “I’m not stupid.”

Lauren had the courtesy not to say what she was obviously thinking.

“Em had too much compassion to watch him die,” Tommy said. “That’s not a bad thing.” He rubbed my back softly, causing a ripple of heat to radiate up my spine.

I smiled. At least Tommy gets me.

“Is it possible you neutralized his power?” Tommy asked.

“What is he talking about?” Lauren said.

“How we defeated the doctor,” Tommy explained. “Em healing him neutralized his power.”

“You remember what Judy said? It depends on the ability,” I said. “His power, taking energy away…it seems like healing him would only make him stronger.”

“I’d rather not stick around to find out,” Lauren said.

“It’s okay. I can always just knock him out again,” Demetri said, shadowboxing a right hook. “No one can stand up to these fists.” His bravado was downright adorable.

“It’s not like that worked the first time,” Lauren said, looking deep in thought. “We should go, while we still can.”

“Relax. Most dudes take at least twenty minutes to come back around after one of my punches.” Demetri glanced over at my father. “He’s still out cold.”

“No, she’s right,” I said. “There’s no telling how the healing will affect his recuperation time. I had just finished when you got here. He seemed pretty wired before…”

I didn’t even get a chance to finish the sentence. Demetri’s jaw dropped open and the color drained from his face. I gasped when I saw strands of rope on the floor and my father’s hand clutching Demetri’s leg.

Tommy kicked my father repeatedly in the side until he relinquished his hold on Demetri. As Demetri toppled to the ground, my father halted Tommy’s assault by grabbing his leg.

“Em, run!” Lauren yelled, pushing me toward the door. She ran over to Demetri and tried to revive him. I inched away, but I couldn’t leave, keeping my gaze fixed on the scene.

“I don’t want to hurt either of you,” my father said, as he let go of Tommy and made it to his feet. “But you will not stop me.”

Tommy was woozy but still standing. My heart sank when my father positioned himself behind Tommy and began to feed. Tommy’s complexion turned pale, right before he passed out.

I felt the effects of the drain, but I knew I had to do something. I charged toward my father and hit him with enough force to break his hold on Tommy, but not enough to knock him off his feet. He kept his balance and simply placed his hand on top of my arm. My energy drained, much quicker than last time, until I fell on my knees.

“Get away from her.” Lauren rained down punch after punch on him. “Em, get the hell out of here!”

“I can’t… He’s stronger now,” I managed, still weak from my father’s touch. “His ability… I can’t move.”

Lauren reached into her jeans and to my amazement, pulled out my mother’s gun. My father’s eyes grew large. She unlocked the safety and cocked it. Backing slightly away, she pointed it at his head.

“This ends now.”

I watched the scene unfold as if it were happening in slow motion, though it all transpired within a second or two. My father grabbed her wrist and squeezed until she released the gun. It landed softly on the bed.

Lauren pawed at the air with her free hand, trying to grab him but falling short. He took hold of her other wrist, and she faltered, finally losing consciousness all together. She crumpled to the floor, but my father didn’t release his hold. His eyes rolled back in his head—he was enjoying it entirely too much. I remembered what he said, about a point of no return.

With every bit of strength I could muster, I lurched forward, fell onto the bed, and grabbed the gun.

“Enough.”

The outburst startled my father, but he didn’t release his hold on Lauren.

“You’re killing her. LET GO!”

As if he’d just come back to his senses, he dropped her wrists and stumbled away from her. I kept the gun fixed on him.

Again, fate gave me the opportunity to end it all. No one would care if he was gone, I mean, technically he didn’t exist anyway. All I had to do was pull the trigger and it would all be over.

My father cowered in the corner, shaking. Tears quietly streamed down his face.

I felt a profound sadness from him. Hell of a time for my empathy to kick in. We were connected now, and as much as I wanted to hate my father, I cried along with him. I put the gun down, knowing it was useless in my hands.

Demetri shook his head and tried to stand. He scanned the room and stopped at Lauren. “Is she okay?”

I snapped out of it and moved to Lauren’s side. She wasn’t moving, not even to breathe. I searched for a pulse.

“I don’t know. I can’t find a pulse.” I placed my hands on her head and heart.

Demetri yelled and charged toward my father. He grabbed my father by the throat and slammed him against the adjacent wall. But even touching his throat had an effect. My father simply grabbed hold of Demetri’s arm to stop the assault.

I felt a sudden change in my father’s emotions. The guilt disappeared, replaced by a singular drive, a sense of determination.

“Emily is coming with me,” he said, as he fed off Demetri. “You can’t stop me.”

My mind was swimming, I didn’t know what to do next. Lauren was in bad shape. I wasn’t sure about Tommy, but I knew if I didn’t do something soon, Demetri would be my father’s next victim.

“No more,” I yelled. “Please stop hurting him.”

“I won’t let them interfere, Emily.”

Demetri slumped forward on my father. My father didn’t release him but continued to feed.

“You’re going to kill him,” I said, my voice cracking. “Stop. I’ll come with you.”

He kept his hands in place. “No more escape attempts?”

“No,” I whispered, crying. “Please, let me heal them before we leave, okay?”

He finally released Demetri. “No, no, no. I’m not going through this again.” He gathered his stuff hastily. “I know what your healing did to me. We’re leaving now, before you make them strong enough to try to stop me again.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes, but I couldn’t stop crying. I crawled over to Tommy and put my hands on his chest. No response, but I felt his chest rise and fall. My father grabbed me and shoved me over to my bed.

“I said no!” His eyes were so wild that he actually scared me. But I wasn’t about to leave without at least checking them.

“I have to make sure they’re all right. You could’ve killed them!”

“I didn’t kill them. They’re fine,” he said, in a matter-of-fact way. He motioned to Tommy and Demetri. “If you look closely at both of them, you can see they’re breathing.” He glanced over at Lauren. “And Lauren, well…” he trailed. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t mean to take it that far.”

It was the reason I sensed such a strong feeling of remorse from him earlier. He knew what he did. I should’ve killed him when I had the chance. A shiver traveled down my spine, as if my body were reacting to such an evil thought.

I refused to believe it. I was getting through before, but when I touched her face again, it was cold. My eyes welled up with tears once more.

We heard a voice outside, from a few doors down. “Is everything all right in there?”

No, everything is not all right. My psycho killer father murdered my sister. But I knew if I cried for help, it would only endanger that poor man.

My father scrambled to the door, right as the man approached. He slammed the door and barked through a small crack, “Yes, it’s fine. There won’t be any more noise. We’re leaving. I’m sorry for the disturbance.”

“Lauren, I need you to wake up,” I whispered, concentrating all of my energy to heal her. I thought for a second I felt a flicker of a pulse, but I was so weak and disoriented, I assumed it was my imagination. But then, as my hands grew hotter, she began to take in the energy. Thank God. She’s not dead.

“Gotta go, baby girl.”

Her body was still so cold. I didn’t know for sure that she could recover on her own. “I’m not leaving her here.”

“You don’t have a choice. We’re going now.”

I glared at him, and it dawned on me Lauren was right. I should’ve let him die. “You’re telling me you’re going to leave her for dead, again?”

“No, I… I… It’s just—”

“I know you don’t give a damn about her, but she’s my sister. She’s too weak, and I won’t leave her here to die. And if you make me, I won’t help you.” I didn’t know exactly what he wanted me for, but it didn’t matter. The fact was he needed my help, and that was something I could bargain with.

He stared me down but didn’t say a word.

“I saved your life, remember?” I said, not backing down from his stare. “You owe me.”

He breathed a heavy sigh, breaking his gaze. “Fine, we’ll bring her with us. But only her. The other two stay.”

Though I didn’t want to leave them, I knew Tommy and Demetri would be all right in a couple of hours. But Lauren was practically dead a minute ago. I moved back over to Tommy for a final hug. I knew he couldn’t feel it. I just needed to touch him one more time.

“Emily, I’m not playing around.” My father yanked me back from Tommy and hurled me toward Lauren.

I wanted to scream and punch him and somehow have him disappear. But I knew the faster I helped him, the faster I could return home and be done with him for good.

“She’s too weak to stand. I need to heal her for a while longer.”

“I’ll carry her,” my father said. “You can heal her on the way.”

“But your touch, won’t it kill her?” I hoped my ploy to stall wasn’t too obvious. I wanted to heal her of course, but I needed to know for sure that Tommy and Demetri were okay.

My father sighed. “You hold her hand. It should be enough to counter the drain.” He cracked the door open and peeked outside. “It’s clear. Let’s go.”

Then he picked up Lauren in his arms. It seemed familiar somehow, and the sadness I felt from my father confirmed my feeling of déjà vu. I held onto her hand, and we all left together.