march past them, my balls aching where she nailed me, my heart bleeding where she tore a gash in it.
Chapter 13 Help Me, Dad
Loralei
I haven't cried so hard since my dad died. How could Mace have come to mean so much to me in such a short time? I know the answer. It wasn't a short time. It's been a long time. Since I first met him, I loved him.
It's so hard to admit to myself. I did honestly hate him, but I also loved him. We always straddled that line, even if it was only in my head. When reality offered to jump over to the love side, I gave him my body again. It was fantastic like the first time, like I'd dreamed it would be, and he shredded my heart again like I knew he would.
Returning to my house, I'm broken. I've lost my job, my dad, my self-respect, and now I have a man named after Satan out to get me. What do I have left? I have no pets, no friends, no one I can turn to.
That's my choice. I've isolated myself since my dad died. I buried myself in my work. Pinned my hopes on a loser like Griffin. I pull my car into my driveway and rest my head on the wheel. "Help me, Dad."
He doesn't respond, so I drag my butt up the stairs to my place.
Something feels off right away. My security light doesn't click on. A weird darkness surrounds the house, and something blocks the window.
Shoot. I don't have a gun. If someone is in there, I'm fighting with my fists.
I carefully open the door. Inside, even without the light on, I can see it's trashed. Coffee table turned up, couch on its side, stuff scattered all over the floor. When I turn on the light, shocking red paint marks everything. The couch has been slashed and painted red. I check the dining room. No one here. The hallway pictures are all smashed. I'm afraid to look in my bedroom. My precious sanctuary.
Oh God. It's even worse in my bedroom. They've taken my pictures from under my bed and sprayed them red.
My life board is trashed.
Someone has come in and erased my life.
I drop to my knees and cry. This was all I had. It wasn't much. It was humble and simple, but it was mine. Everything in this place I bought with my own money. Now it's all gone.
I'm not sure if it's an angel or just the old records in my head, but I hear my dad's voice now. "Turn this challenge on its head. Take it and make it your victory because pain is brought to us to make us stronger, so fight through it and find your purpose on the other side of the battle field."
I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to turn this around.
I cry on the floor until the sobbing ebbs and my dad's words finally penetrate. He's right. I could be on the precipice of something big. I'm supposed to learn something from this. "Okay, Dad. No more hiding."
Even though my heart is broken, I'm not going to pine away for Mace anymore. That got me nowhere. I'm going to go out. Live life. Take chances. I have indefinite time off work. I've never travelled alone. I'm going to drain my savings and hit the road. My journey is waiting for me. I can't sit in my apartment anymore obsessing over my job. I'm going for it.
The second I stand, fear grips me again. What if I get in trouble? Will I ruin the family name? Isn't it already ruined by my dad? What if Diablo finds me when I'm alone, and I won't have Mace to protect me? What if I do something so stupid, and I don't get my job back? It doesn't matter. It can't be worse than what's already happening. I've lost my job. I don't have Mace to protect me. Might as well go for it for once in my life. I don't even know what going for it means, but I know I have to try.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I pack anything I can into a few bags and take off in my car. Tonight I'll stay in a hotel. Tomorrow, who knows? I'm not going to plan it out. I'll take it day by day.
Chapter 14 Check-In
Mace
I am out of whiskey. Again. How hard is it to