Page 126 of Forgive Me Father

“Mom,” I whisper, crouching beside her. I gently roll her onto her back.

“Mom, where’s Aiden—”

I choke on my words, covering my mouth as I survey the horror. Her forehead is caved in, blood seeping from the wound, her eyes glazed over and unseeing. I tear the bottom of Roman’s shirt, pressing the cloth to her head, and scramble for my phone.I pray the paramedics will do their job despite the house’s reputation.

“Mom?” I whisper, desperate for a response.

Nothing.

“Fuck,” I murmur, tears streaming down my face. “What the fuck?” I dial 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“It’s my mom,” I sob. “She—”

“Hand me the phone, Eden,” Hisses a voice that makes my blood run cold.

I turn to see my father standing in the doorway, his own gun shaking in his hand.

“Ma’am, are you still there?” The operator’s voice crackles through the phone.

“Hand it to me, or I’ll put a bullet in your leg,” My father threatens.

I extend my arm towards him, keeping the gun concealed between my legs. He grabs the phone from me, his expression shifting to a falsely cheery mask.

“Hey there, sorry for the mix-up,” He says, his voice smooth as he speaks into the receiver. “My kid dialed the wrong number by accident.” He chuckles, the sound twisted and mocking.

“Thank you for understanding. You have a great night, Donna.”

My father hangs up the call, dropping my phone on the ground and crushing it with his foot.

“You see what happened to your mother?” He barks, pressing the barrel of his gun against the back of my head. “All because you and Roman couldn’t keep your filthy hands off each other.”

“Is she dead?” I whisper, still pressing the cloth against her head.

“She’s with God now,” He sighs, “enjoying eternal life in Heaven.”

His lack of remorse is chilling.

I let out a sob, trying to think clearly despite the overwhelming pain.

“If you do anything to me, Roman will come after you,” I plead.

“I hope he does,” My father snaps, pressing the gun harder into my skull. “Maybe then he’ll learn not to mess around.”

“You can’t kill me,” I hiss, forcing defiance into my voice. “You need me for the bid.”

He pulls back the gun, holstering it with a grim nod.

“At least you understand that much,” He whispers, his gaze icy as he looks me up and down. “Get up, Eden. It’s time to get you prepared.”

With shaking hands, I grab Roman’s gun, rising to my feet. Coated in my mother’s blood, I point the weapon at his head, struggling to steady my grip.

He raises his hands, a twisted smile spreading across his face.

“I see you came prepared.”

“Take another step, and I’ll put a bullet right between your eyes,” I warn. “Now, where is Aiden?”