Face the Music

Chapter 23

There was absolute silence in the room. The only sound I could hear was the hitch of Ella's breath behind me, and the murmur of Gabe's panicked voice through Ella's phone, which still lay on the floor where she'd dropped it.

"Surprised?" Asked the sheriff, shattering the tense silence. "I knew the moment you walked through my door that you were planning something, although I do like how you used yourself to draw Daddy Joe out of hiding. I didn't peg you as such a brave little thing," he said to Ella.

"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my face as blank as I could. I fought the onslaught of memories that came as I stared at Loretto's face. I felt that same lack of control as I did the night he murdered Kelly, and I was struggling to keep it together.

"My daughter, of course," Loretto said. "We've been separated long enough, don't you think Taylor? Don't you want to live with dear old dad again?"

Ella didn't say anything, and I was too busy watching the four armed men in the room to look at her face. Apparently she looked horrified, because Loretto frowned at her reaction, and scolded her like a young child.

"Now, now. You'd best listen to daddy about this, young lady. I always hated it when you didn't listen to me."

"She's not going with you, Loretto. Not a chance in hell," Collins said. Loretto turned his lazy gaze onto him.

"She doesn't have a choice."

I felt Ella push me aside, moving out from behind Collins and me. She took one angry step forward.

"Or what?" She snapped. "What more could you do to me? You've already made my life a living hell! Are you going to kill me? Just to get me out of the picture?"

Loretto lazily pulled a gun from a holster hidden beneath his jacket. My stomach dropped and I reached out and pulled on Ella's arm.

"You think I'd kill you, Taylor? My own daughter?" He raised the gun and pointed it at her, answering his own question. I knew he'd kill her, but I wasn't sure she was convinced. She eyed the gun with speculation, but didn't shy away from it. Maybe she was still hoping that he really did love her, but I could see that there was nothing but evil in his cold blue eyes.

"You would." I answered. The corner of his mouth turned up into a gloating smirk.

"Not yet," he said.

"Why wait?" Ella asked, like she was daring him. I ground my teeth. She was being reckless, trying to provoke a psychopath of a man. "Why not finish it all right now? What's stopping you?"

"Ella..." I forced out through my teeth.

"I need you to answer a few questions."

"Go to hell. I'm not telling you anything."

He smiled at her, and I watched as the barrel of the gun turned to point at me.

"I thought you might say that. I'm happy you said that, actually, because there's nothing I'd like more than to give you a little incentive to cooperate. Especially because your friend Mr. Aimes over there has made my life significantly more difficult over the past few years."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Ella was frozen in place, staring in horror at her father. My gaze, however, was trained neither on Loretto, nor at the gun, but at the trigger, and his finger which hovered dangerously over it. I was watching it so intently, waiting for the twitch that would end my life, that I didn't notice Joel take one step forward to deliver a crippling blow to the side of my head with the butt of his pistol.

"No!" Ella yelled as I crumpled to the floor. My ears were ringing, and I felt a trail of blood begin to flow down my cheek. Despite my best efforts to hold it in, I heard myself groan as I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain. Collins jerked forward at Joel, but he was restrained by the Sheriff. He put up a fight, but Collins wasn't a large man, and Tomlinson had Joel's build. Short but huge around the shoulders. He wrestled Collins to the ground without trouble.