Fatherly Love

Chapter 16

Miranda's pov

I wake up when the door opens. I hear a horrified gasp. I glare hard at him. "That's right, jerk, she's gone." He glares down at me and kicks me in the stomach. He grabs my shirt and punches me in the face. "Where is she?" I spit blood. "You'll.... Never catch.... Her." I struggle to say. He ties rope to my hands and ties the other ends to pipes to where I was suspended in midair. "You better start talking or things are gonna start getting dirty. I squint through my nonswollen eye. He removes his belt and my shirt! "W-What-" He whips me with the belt. My chest sears with pain. "Just kill me!" I beg, sobbing. He grabs my chin forcing me to look at him. "By the time I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead."

Jason's pov

"STOP!" I scream jumping out of my truck. "SIERRA!" "D-DADDY!" She screeches, running into my arms. I fall to my knees, holding her tightly. "Baby girl, where's Miranda?!" She's sobbing and shaking. She turns around and points a trembling hand at a building down the road. I pick her up. She buries her head in my neck, sobbing hard. I try to hand her to Mike but she screams in fear. I set her on the seat. "Baby I've gotta go get your sister. Uncle Mike is gonna take you home. I promise no one or nothin' will hurt you again!" "It.... Daddy.... W-Was.... Th-There." Her father. My God. That prick. I hug her. "Get on home baby girl." I grab my shotgun and switchblade. I run to the building she pointed to and heard screams from the third floor window. I throw my gun on my back with the strap and put the hilt of the knife in my mouth so I could climb. Don't worry sweetheart, daddy's comin'. Her screams get more desperate. I put a hand on the windowsill and peek over the side. I see her tied up suspended in the air by rope. Bloody marks all over her chest and face. I feel nauseous. I haul myself in and bare the knife. I cut her down. She curls into a ball, crying. "Poor baby." I shakily pick her up. "It's alright, baby girl. Daddy's here." I whisper. I try the door but as I figured it was locked. "Ow!" She cries. I resituate her. God she's been beaten. I guess we're doing this the hard way. She's unconscious now, having trouble breathing. I ram the door open. I pull my shotgun out and ready. The shithead walks out of a room, his eyes get huge. "You!" I growl furious. I point the gun at his stomach and shoot him. He slams into the wall, screaming. I shoot him in the chest. "You're gonna regret the day you laid a damned hand on an Aldean girl." I shoot him in the head and run out the door. I text Mike and tell him to get everyone and meet me at the hospital. Luckily it was really close to here so I ran as fast and as carefully as I could.

*later*

A doctor walks out. Rachel stands up. I hug her. "How's she doin' doc?" "A lot of minor injuries but the good news no permanent damage. She'll make a full recovery although she will be sore for a while." "What's the injuries?" I ask, nervously. "She's got a broken nose, contusions on her chest and stomach, a few broken ribs, a concussion, some internal bleeding and a busted kneecap, along with lots of bruises and lacerations." Oh my God! Rachel bursts into tears. "How'd all this happen?" The doctor asks. I shakily sit back down, horrified. "A.... She.... Someone kidnapped her.... F-From s-school. I... Found her and ran here." "She's going to be okay." He says, giving me a sympathetic smile. "Can we see her doc?" Jack asks. "And who might you be kiddo?" "She's my girlfriend!" He gasps impatiently. I smile despite what I was just told. That little ten year old loves my daughter. "She's unconscious right now in the intensive care unit. I'm not supposed to let anyone but family back there." I stand up. "Jack and Mike are family. Maybe not by blood, but they're family and that girl will wanna see them when she wakes up." He sighs and smiles. "I'll make an exception this time. Follow me."

Miranda's pov

I painfully open my eyes, the splotchy shapes confusing me. A light flashes in my eyes, making me groan. "Sweety, open your eyes." The woman comes into focus. "Where am I?" I croak. She hands me a drink which I drink down. "You've got a bunch of eager folks to see you." "I... I do?" I mumble, having trouble thinking. My head hurts. The door opens and the woman stands up. First thing I see is Jack! "Jack!" I cry, shaking. He runs to the bed and sits beside me. "How ya doin'?" He asks. "Everything hurts." I whimper, tears filling my eyes.

Jason's pov

"It hurts so bad, Jack." I fight back my own tears and walk in with Mike, Sierra, and Rachel. "Mom! Dad!" I set Sierra down on the bed beside Jack. "And to think we were only worried about fractions earlier." Sierra mumbles, holding her hand. "D-Daddy w-when can I go home?" "When you heal up baby girl." The kids hop down and I sit beside her. "It hurts so much dad." She whimpers, crying. "I'm so sorry baby." I brush a tear from her cheek. "What hurts the most?" She taps her chest. "It... It hurts... To breathe." She's having trouble breathing! I call the doctor in. "She said it hurts to breathe!" "It's from the broken ribs. They're gonna make it harder to breathe until she heals up. Since she's so small, I'll put her on oxygen til it heals." "How long?" She squeaks from the bed then coughs. "A few weeks sweet girl. You sure are a trooper." She forces a weak smile. "Ok there's too many people in here at once. Only two people at a time." Mike takes Jack and Sierra. The doctor gives her oxygen through a tube in her nose. "Am... Am I staying here for all the weeks?" "Yes baby girl. Me and mama are gonna be up here everyday. Don't worry." "B-But... What about school?" "You'll go when you're better." The doctor checked everything else then left. "Daddy, I'm sorry... I... I didn't want... To go with him... But he... He woulda shot.... Sierra." Oh man. "Sweetheart, you don't ever apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm so proud of how brave you were." Rachel goes to get Sierra. She smiles. "You're my best friend." She says, hugging her. "Sisters by chance, friends by choice." I don't know where they got that from but I love it. I leave Rachel with the girls and find the doctor. "I'm sure you ran the test.... Was there.... Any evidence.... Of sexual abuse?" I struggle to ask, worried of what the answer will be. "No. Neither of them were raped." He says, making me sigh with relief. "That took a huge weight off my shoulders." He smiles. "Your little girl is really brave. She's gonna make a full recovery and come back twice as strong." I smile. "Thanks." I walk back to her room. "I wouldn't let him touch Sierra. When he went for her, I taunted him so he'd go after me instead." I shakily open the door. "Dad!" She says. I sit beside her again. "I love you daddy." "I love you too baby." I say, smiling proudly. She's my tough as nails, don't take no crap daughter. And I wouldn't want it any other way.