Enchantment (147 page)

“Dad,
y
ou
need
to
get
out
of
our
wa
y
.
Mom
has
m
ade
a
decision,
and
it’s
the
sa
m
e
one
y
o
u
s
hould
m
ake.”

“Huh!
J
ust
who
do
y
ou
think
y
o
u
ar
e
?
I
guess
y
ou
need
another
lesson
in
m
anners,”
he
s
narled.
“Alwa
y
s
acting
s
o
high
and
m
igh
t
y
.
Ain’t
learned
y
e
t
,
have
y
a
?
J
ust
another
du
m
b
bitch with
nothing
to
her
name.
Ain’t
got
a
m
an,
and
no
job
to
be
proud
of.
Well,
let
m
e
tell
y
o
u
s
omething…”

I
’
m
not sc
a
red. I
’
m
not sc
a
red.
I’m
not
scared.

George
steadied
hi
m
self
with
one
hand
on
the
wall,
his
other
alrea
d
y
curved
into
a
fist
as
he backed
them
down
the
s
m
all
hallway
toward
the
bedroo
m
.

Her
fear
faded
to
be
replaced
by
pit
y
.
George
was
a
s
m
a
l
l
m
an,
m
ade
weaker
b
y
the
drink.

With
a
firm
hand,
she
p
u
shed
her
m
other farther
behind
her.
“Stop
it.”

Bella
y
e
l
l
e
d,
“
G
eorge,
stop
it.
This
h
a
s
nothing
to
do
with
Meeka.
Let
her leave,
and
we can have
a
drink
and
discuss
this.”

George
pulled
the
s
m
all
flask
out
of
his
shirt
and
took
a
swig.
“
Bella,
y
ou
definite
l
y
need another
lesson
in
m
anners.”

Re
m
e
m
b
ering
those
lesso
n
s,
Meeka
fu
m
bled
for
the
doorknob
and
pushed
it
open.
With
a quick
m
o
tion,
she
shoved
her
m
o
ther
through
it
and
pulled
the
door
closed,
locking
it
with
her
m
ind.
At
least
her
m
other
was
protected.

George
staggered
his
w
a
y
d
o
wn
the
hall
until
he
stood
nose
to
nose
with
M
eeka.
“
Y
ou stupid
litt
l
e
whore!
You’re
going
to
pay
for
tr
y
i
n
g
to
take
y
o
ur
m
other
a
w
a
y
from
m
e.”

“George,
I’m
w
arning
y
o
u
not
to
do
this.
Y
ou’ll
be
sor
r
y
.
You
need
help.
H
ow
m
a
n
y
others have
to
s
uffer
because
y
o
u
’re
an
alcoholic
?
”
Meeka
pleaded
desperate
l
y
.

He
had
pulled
his
clenched
fist
back
to
hit
her
when
a
large
hand
grabbed
his
wrist. “Touch
her,
and
I’ll
kill
y
o
u—slow
l
y
and
painful
l
y
,”
K
errigan
said
with
deadly
sinceri
t
y
. Shocked
to
the
core,
Meeka
dropped
the
s
uitcase
and
sat
down
upon
it.

“Precious!
Tell
m
e
y
o
u
’re
ok
a
y
,
” Kerrigan
said. She
nodded
her
head,
her
face
in
her
hands.

Kerrigan
hissed
as
he
spoke
to
George.
“You’re
not
fit to
live, and
if
it
wasn’t
for
Meeka,
I’d kill
y
ou
right now.”
He
advanced.
“
Y
ou
will seek
help for
this sickness
y
ou
have.
Y
ou will never hurt
another
being
a
s
long as
y
o
u live.
D
o
y
ou understand
m
e
?
”

Kerrigan
tossed
him
up
against
the
counter,
and
he
fell
to
the
floor. “What
the
hell
are
y
o
u
?
”
George
s
narled.

“You
don’t
want
to
kn
o
w
what
I
a
m
,
but
know
for
certain
if
y
o
u
do
not
do
what
I
have instructed,
the
pain
y
ou
feel
now
will
seem
a
j
o
y
ful
balm
in
the
face
of
what
I
will
do
to
y
o
u,” Kerrigan
swore.

He
dis
m
issed
the
w
retch
with
a
turn
of
his
heel,
and
stor
m
ed
d
o
wn
the
hall
to
retrieve Meeka.
K
neeling,
he
tentativ
el
y
w
rapped
his
ar
m
s
around
her
tr
e
m
bling
shoulders,
pulling
her hand
against
his
chest.
When
she
didn’t
resist,
he
buried
his
face
in
her
hair.

Meeka
looked up
at h
i
m
.
“H
o
w? H
o
w did
y
o
u
get here? How
did
y
ou
find
m
e?
Why
did
y
ou co
m
e
?
”