“Arik wouldn’t knock,” Sage whispered, grabbing Xena’s collar when she started growling.
“Maybe it’s one of Arik’s neighbors,” Jade offered.
“Sage?” a man’s voice called out. “Honey, it’s me. Dad.”
They stared at the door, then at each other. “Dad?” Sage whispered.
“Honey, open the door. I know that you’re in trouble and I’m here to help.”
Jade shook her head, her eyes wide with worry. “Don’t do it,” she mouthed.
Sage’s eyes widened. “He wouldn’t…!”
“He would!” Jade hissed right back.
Sage knew that her sister was right. Their father had no paternal feelings for his daughters. But still, there was something about not following his order that caused a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Damn it, Sage! Open the fucking door!” he roared, pounding on the door with something harder than his fist.
Sage pulled back, startled by the fury in her father’s voice. “Well, that settles it,” she muttered, grabbing Jade’s hand while holding Xena back with the other. Jade held Minx in her arms, doing her best to calm the little dog.
Her father’s soothing voice came back. “Honey, I’m sorry. I just…you know me. I let my temper get the best of me, but you also know that I’ve never hurt you.”
Sage shook her head. “Not physically…yet,” she breathed, tightening her hand gripping Jade’s.
There was another bang, then his voice was low and furious. “Fine. If you won’t let me in, then I’m just going to find that asshole that you’ve been seeing and put a bullet in his head!”
“No!” she shrieked, rushing to the door. She swung it open, shaking in fear for Arik’s safety. She couldn’t let anything happen to him! Not if she could do something to stop it! “What do you want?” she demanded.
Her father’s laughter was her answer. He shoved past her, quickly followed by…Jerry!
“What are you doing here?” she spat, backing up and grabbing Xena’s collar again. Xena kept barking, her hackles raised.
“Put the dogs away, Sage. You know that I dislike…animals,” her father snapped, closing the door as Jerry stepped to the side, looking smug.
Jerry looked the same, although he’d put on a few pounds. It made him look weaker than she knew he was.
Herbert turned and looked at the sofa, his eyes lighting up when he saw Jade sitting on the couch. “Ah, good! We’re all here! Just one big, happy family!”
His mocking smile dropped, replaced by implacable fury. He pulled a gun from under his suit jacket. “Get rid of the dogs, Sage, or I’ll shoot them dead to shut them up.”
Sage cried out, hugging Xena. “Okay! Okay, just let me handle this,” she gasped, dragging Xena towards the bedroom. The protective dog didn’t want to go, her sweet lady more than willing to protect. But Sage couldn’t let her dogs get hurt!
Jade carried Minx, who was also snarling and struggling to get free. Finally, both dogs were safely behind the door, but their barking didn’t stop.
“Make them shut up!” Jerry bellowed, putting his hands on his hips. Unfortunately, that only drew attention to his weak chin and fleshy lips. The man really didn’t know how to scowl very well, Sage thought with surprise. She’d always been terrified of Jerry’s bad moods. But now, perhaps because she’d “killed him” in so many ways, or maybe because she’d worked through her fear of his temper via her writing, she wasn’t afraid of him.
Afraid of the gun her father held? Oh yeah!
“They are dogs,” Jade snapped. “They bark to raise the alarm. It’s what they do.” Her gaze dropped pointedly to the pistol in her father’s hands.
Herbert smirked and the sisters knew that was a bad sign. He swaggered over to Jade, just staring at her for a long moment. Then, without any warning, he backhanded her across the face.
Sage cried out, shocked. Never, in all of their years together, had he ever laid a finger on either of them. He’d demeaned them, nagged them until they did what he wanted, and maligned their personalities at every opportunity. But he’d never struck them.
Unfortunately, Jade dropped like a lead weight, crumpling onto the floor in front of the bedroom door.
“Jade!” Sage shrieked, trying to go to her sister. But Jerry was there. He grabbed her arms and held them tightly behind her back.
“Not so fast, little wifey!” he snarled.
“We’re not married anymore! I’m not your wife!”
“Oh, that is easily fixed.”
Sage froze, a new kind of terror bubbling up inside of her. “What?”
“I want you back, dearest,” he said, then ran his tongue up her neck and over her cheek. “I realized after you were gone that I kind of missed your adoration.”
Sage shuddered with revulsion, trying to wipe off his saliva. But he was stronger than he looked and he snickered at her weak attempts.
“Never!” she hissed. “We’re through!”
“Ah, but dearest, I know that you like to shop. And this new guy you’ve found,” Jerry sneered at the apartment which was filled with comfortable, inexpensive furniture, “isn’t nearly up to your standards. No, you’ll be better off with me.”
“I’m never coming back with you!”
“Honey,” he jerked her arms tighter behind her back, causing her shoulders to ache, “you were meant to be some man’s little toy. You were meant to be my wife!” Again, he jerked her arms, causing pain to shoot through her shoulders. “And I want you back!”
Sage didn’t answer. There was no way to make Jerry recognize that he was bat-shit crazy! He clearly couldn’t hear a word she said.
“What do you want?” she asked, thinking as fast as she could. A plan. She needed a plan!
“I just told you!” he hissed, his lips caressing her ear as she cringed. “I want you smiling
