Happy tried to jump in my face, which slowed me down as I tried to crawl away. Tears stung my eyes as my hair was yanked once again, pulling me back so that I landed on my ass with a loud cry. My father’s arm clamped around my throat, the curve of his elbow completely blocking any air from making it past his choke hold. I clawed ineffectively at his arm, the stiff fabric of his wool coat keeping his skin protected from the only weapon I had at my disposal. He growled poison at me and spit venom in my ear as he continued to hold me down while I struggled to breathe and escape.

“That bleeding-heart lawman took one look at your mother and told me if she didn’t get help he was calling adult protective services. Your mother has always had a roof over her head, food in her belly, and a man of God in her bed. She has nothing to complain about and that’s what she told that policeman, but he still came around.” The arm around my throat tightened even more and Happy jumped up and started pawing at my dad’s legs. I was worried the little guy was going to get hurt. When Oliver showed up to do the exact same thing to me that my father was doing now, he’d kicked Salem’s puppy so hard that the poor thing limped for weeks, but my dad seemed to have a single-minded focus and that was to make me pay. He didn’t even seem to notice the dog. “The last time he showed up at the house with some of the women from my church. They said they were worried about her, that they were concerned for her well-being. Seems your sister reached out to some people she thought might take an interest in your mother’s health, meddling like she always does. They convinced your mother that she needed to leave, both the house and me. It was humiliating. First, I have to suffer the embarrassment of daughters bathed in sin and immorality and then I have to explain to my congregation why the police are questioning me and why your mother is no longer in her rightful place. You ruined everything, you and your sister. I’m going to show you both what happens when you disobey and go against God.” Not only was he mean and violent, but apparently he’d crossed the line into delusion as well. “I never, not once, raised a hand to any of you, even when you so rightly deserved it. Do you see what you’ve driven me to, Poppy? Do you understand that this is the only way you will ever learn?”

God, I loved my sister. She didn’t give two shits about Mom or what was going on in our childhood home. She left it all behind and never looked back. But she loved me and she knew I was worried, knew it was under my skin that I couldn’t do anything to help our mom without going toe-to-toe with dad. She did what she always did and intervened. She got involved, pulled strings, played on sympathies, manipulated and coerced until she got me what I wanted … my mother away from my father. She was the best sister ever and she was going to lose her ever-loving mind if my dad managed to do any more damage to me than he already had. If he didn’t end up in jail for killing me, he was going to end up in a shallow grave when she was done with him.

My entire body bent back as he cranked his arm even tighter around my throat. I gasped and blinked rapidly as starbursts started to shoot off behind my eyelids. Everything around me was fading into a narrow pinpoint, blackening out around the edges, and I could hear the rush of my blood through my head as my brain scrambled for the oxygen it so desperately needed. The chill that was soaking into my knees and shins had more to do with my limbs going numb than it did with the cold. My father’s breath was warm on my cheek and lashed across my skin like a razor blade when he snarled, “That baby was lucky it didn’t make it into this world. You saved it from having someone like you as a mother, you stupid, useless girl. Your mother should have given me sons—strong, loyal, obedient sons. She’s just as worthless as you and your sister.”

I couldn’t see anymore. I could hardly hear, but I could feel that my entire face was wet with blood. I could smell the coppery scent of it and taste the salty wash of it on my lips, which were open, trying to suck in any kind of air and failing.

“Hey! What are you doing to that woman?” I vaguely heard Happy let out a yip and the creak of the front door to my apartment building.

My dad loosened his hold just enough that I managed to inhale a massive gasp of air. More afraid of dying and leaving Wheeler all alone again than I was of the man that had done his best to destroy me, I threw back an elbow with as much force as I could muster and heard a satisfying grunt of pain when it connected with my father’s soft belly. The arm dropped from around my neck as hurried footsteps pounded toward us and multiple voices demanded that my dad move away from me.

“Get away from her!”

“Take your hands off her!”

“I’m calling the cops!”

All of it was a blur and a swirl of things that made no sense as I pitched forward, no longer able to keep myself upright. I was expecting a faceful of concrete … what I got was gentle hands that wrapped around my upper arms to keep me from falling. I blinked and tried to bring the face in front of mine into focus. It looked vaguely familiar, but considering I was bleeding profusely, probably had a concussion, and had been choked out, I couldn’t place it right away.

I heard sirens wailing off in the distance and closed my eyes as tears of relief started to burn in my eyes and leak out over my lashes. Considering the blood all over my face, I was sure I looked like something out of a horror movie.

“She’s my child, my daughter, you have no right to interfere! I’m a man of God!” My father was wailing at the top of his lungs. “Let me go!” I looked over at him and saw that two other men that also looked slightly familiar were holding on to each of his arms as he strained and struggled to get free.

“Not a chance in hell, Pops. We’re staying right here until the cops show up so we can tell them you were trying to kill her right out in the open.” I wanted to hug the guy that was keeping me propped up but I was covered in all manner of gross things and there was a good chance I might puke on him. I felt my stomach rolling hard.

“She needs to be punished. She never learns her lesson, never.” My dad sounded crazy, just as crazy as Oliver did the entire time he held me captive.

The sound of an angry and powerful motor and big tires coming to a sudden stop had everyone’s attention turning to the big truck that came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. The passenger door flew open and Wheeler hit the ground running before the vehicle fully stopped.

“Poppy!” My name ripped from him, terror and fury making the word vibrate with enough force that my rescuer wisely let me go so my man could get to me.