Page 83 of Rival

Coughing, I spit out blood pooling in mouth. It’s only the tiny speck of a baby inside of me that keeps me fighting and clawing to get away, and I think I’ve actually succeeded when he’s gone a few moments later.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I watch as Griffin throws my father across the room, slamming a fist into his jaw. My father’shead flies sideways, and he falls back like a log, dropping to the floor. The whole house shakes from his weight and I’m frozen as I feel the vibrations roll through my hands holding me up.

“You piece of shit! Beatin’ up a little girl just ‘cuz of a stupid mistake?” he shouts, straddling my father’s body as he slams another fist into his face.

Those words knife their way through my head, and I choke on a cry.

I don’t wait around.

Leaving everything behind, I descend the stairs as rapidly as I can, taking my stupid mistake with me, and fly out the front door of the house.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I’m sure they’ll be tied up for a bit, so I run to the road, thankfully seeing a car cresting the hill to my left.

Waving it down, I whisper a silent prayer that they slow for me. Thankfully, it does. The driver is a middle-aged woman whose name I can’t remember, but I’ve seen her at church from time to time.

After wrenching her door open, I plead with her. “Will you please take me to Pastor Danielson’s house? I need to get to there now.Please!”

Nodding in shock, she waits until I get inside with mouth hanging open, then hits the gas as we race toward town.

Using the bottom of my shirt, I do my best to stem the flow of blood pouring from my nose and quickly take stock of my injuries. Both my driver and I are breathing rapidly from the intense situation, but she doesn’t ask any questions. The only thing she says is, “Here,” as she pushes a small towel into my hand.

I can’t even croak out a thank you, but I flick my eyes toward her so she can see how appreciative I am of her help.

The drive is bumpy, and every bounce sends a fresh wave of pain through my back. It’s only when I realize my stomach feelsfine, untouched by the attack I just survived, that I blow out a slow gust of air in relief.

I wait patiently as we pull up to the Danielsons’ house and I’m prepared to sit on their porch if they’re away from home. Grabbing the handle, the woman stops me with her palm on my shoulder.

“I’m glad you waved me down, dear. Please, take care of yourself.”

“Th-Thank you,” I grit out, a fresh wave of tears already spilling onto my cheeks. With a nod, I climb from her car and knock on the door of Ruth and Josiah’s house.

Wiping away the wetness from my face, I wait until the door cracks open.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!What the hell happened to you?”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Griffin

“You piece of shit! Beatin’ up a little girl just ‘cuz of a stupid mistake?”

I’m screaming in Clayborn’s face, then hauling back and delivering a blow I know would rock me to my core.Who the fuck does he think he is?

He’s trying to ward me off and I flick my eyes over to a shocked, bleeding, and pale Edith, shoulders curled over her body as she stares at the two of us.

She’s fuckin’ pregnant. Jesus…

I don’t have time to even process it. Is it mine?Shit, it’s gotta be mine, right?

This absolutely disgusting waste of air is slapping at me, but I don’t let his pathetic taps faze me. I’ve never been more thrilled to see blood flowing from his nose, and I want more.

Everything surrounding me fades into a hazy silence when I drop my full weight on him and lean into his face. My nose wrinkles at the stench of him. Stale cigarettes and body odor laced with alcohol seeps from his pores. His smell assaults me, so the hints of flowers and clean, air-dried sheets I grew accustomed to in this room are nowhere to be found.

“So,Clay. Wanna tell me how long you been beatin’ on your daughter? ‘Cuz I gotta tell ya, witnessin’ today only tells me seem to have gottenrealcomfortable doin’ it. That black eye she had a few weeks ago, that your doin’ too?”

“Fuck.Off!” he spits out, arching his body to move me, but I’m rooted in place and have no intentions of going anywhere. Not until I get my answers. “You ain’t gotno rightto—”

Digging an elbow into his gut, I hiss, “I goteveryfuckin’ right, you fuckin’ drunk!” Smiling darkly, I tilt my head to the side and find so much joy when his eyes widen with actual fear. The same fear I only briefly saw pouring out of his daughter. “That’s most likelymybaby in that belly you just beat the shit out of. I’m findin’ that my protective instincts are goin’ a bit haywire right now.”