One For All

Chapter Thirty: ...And One For All

            “And you’ll go to jail. We aren’t scared of you,” Noah replied and Aiden’s dad turned to look at Aiden.

            “Tell them son, tell them I’m not fooling around,” he spoke softly and somehow it was that softness in his voice that unnerved Aiden more than his yelling. He shut his eyes for a second as flashes of all the times he’d been helpless as his father beat his mother filled his head. The yelling, the hits, the threats…Aiden knew his dad wasn’t right in the head and he had to figure out a way to stop him before he hurt anyone. His eyes flickered to his mom on the ground and he tried to hold back the tears. He was terrified and he felt like a little kid again.

            “He’s serious you guys,” he mumbled and he had to look away because he couldn’t handle seeing his friends’ faces.

            “I want you to go and get your sisters to open the door. We’re leaving tonight. Your mother wants to be a whore that’s fine but she won’t have you anymore. I’m getting my children back,” his father spoke and he nodded.

            “What!? Aiden no! Don’t listen to him!” Noah exclaimed Aiden’s father lifted the gun and pointed in the direction of Benjamin.

            “No! Stop! I’m doing what you want damn it! Leave them alone!” he yelled and his dad looked at him again.

            “I told you not to raise your voice at me again!” he barked and grabbed Aiden’s shirt collar and slammed him back against the wall.

            “Now!” Mason yelled and Noah grabbed the vase that had been on the coffee table and threw it at the back of Aiden’s dad’s head. Aiden felt the wind leave his body as his father’s fist slammed into his gut and he fell to the floor. Through blurry eyes he saw Owen and Declan grab Benjamin and rush out into the hallway while Mason and Noah ran towards his father.

            Mason head butted him and caused him to drop the gun and it slid towards Aiden. His father staggered as he grabbed Mason by the neck and began choking him.

            “Get the gun Aiden!” Noah yelled and ran towards Mason who was thrown into Noah and Aiden reached for the gun as he saw his father reach out for Mason and angrily grabbed Mason by the shirt and flung him onto the glass coffee table that shattered and then his father focused his attention on Noah who was trying to get back up. Aiden saw his dad angrily shove Noah down to the ground and he began kicking Noah in the stomach. Aiden leaned on the wall and tried to stand up. His head was throbbing but he pointed the gun at his father and blurted out one word.

            “Stop,” he spoke it loud enough for his father to hear who turned and looked at him.

            “Shoot me,” his dad replied and Aiden realized he couldn’t shoot. He hated his father but he didn’t have the strength to shoot. “Just as I thought. You’re weak and useless.”

            Aiden looked at Mason who was unconscious and Noah who was coughing up blood and then at his father who looked at him with an intense hatred that killed Aiden on the inside. He couldn’t understand how his own father could look at him with those eyes.

            “I can’t shoot my own dad,” he whispered and felt the tears fall down his face.

            “What a pussy. I’m ashamed to be your father,” his dad spoke and before he knew he felt the punch in his face and the gun was out of his hands and in his father’s again. “I’ll show you that a true man knows how to pull the trigger.”