Chapter 7 - The Betrayal
My father's eyes were completely devoid of sanity.
He blamed my mother for Ethan's betrayal and his own downfall.
"If you had just let me handle Claire tonight, we would be perfectly fine," he snarled.
Daniel stepped forward, clutching his bleeding side.
"It is over, Richard, the police have the ledger and the cartel is in the building," Daniel said.
"Then I will take you all down with me!" my father yelled.
He pulled the trigger, aiming directly at my mother's chest.
Time seemed to slow down completely.
Daniel lunged forward, throwing his body in front of my mother.
The bullet struck Daniel in the chest, and he collapsed onto the linoleum floor.
"Daniel!" my mother screamed, dropping to her knees beside him.
I stared at the man who had given me life, now bleeding out on the floor.
A surge of pure, unadulterated rage flooded my veins.
I did not run away this time.
I charged at my father with everything I had.
I slammed my shoulder into his waist, catching him completely off guard.
The gun slipped from his fingers and clattered across the floor.
We crashed into a heavy medical cart, sending syringes and bandages flying everywhere.
My father recovered quickly and backhanded me across the face.
The force of the blow sent me sprawling onto the ground, my lip bursting open.
He stood over me, panting heavily, and reached into his boot.
He pulled out a tactical hunting knife, its blade gleaming under the emergency lights.
"You were always a mistake, Claire," he hissed, raising the blade.
I scrambled backward, but my back hit the solid wall.
There was nowhere left to run.
He swung the knife down toward my chest.
Suddenly, a deafening gunshot rang out from the end of the hallway.
My father froze, his eyes going wide with shock.
May you like
The knife dropped from his hand, and he slowly fell forward, crashing onto the floor.
Standing at the end of the hallway was Officer Davis, bleeding from his head wound, holding his backup weapon.
