got out of line, or neat little teeth that nibbled at her lip as she was about to explode around him.
Okay, maybe she’d have that last bit. But he hoped some other guy -- or girl -- knew about it. Instead of him.
“Buying for breakfast, or for dessert?”
“Breakfast,” he said, and then, for the first time since he was just a kid, he added, “with my new girlfriend. And I’m not really sure what she’d like.”
The girl grinned. “How about I put together a sample box for you, with some of our most popular items? There’s bound tobe something that she likes then.”
“That sounds wonderful,” he said, and settled back to wait while she got the box together.
***
Sarah didn’t move; Danni didn’t even see a sign that she’d heard. Ryan growled her name, and she still didn’t move. He crossed the floor in two quick steps and slapped her hard. Her hand went to her cheek, and her eyes woke up just a touch. “You hit me,” she said, astonishment in her voice as Cole started to cry behind her. She blinked twice, her eyes slowly waking up. There was something there, something that Danni’d never seen on Sarah’s face before. “You hit me in front of my friends. In front of a child.”
Ryan looked shocked that she was even speaking. “You surprised? You never complained before.” The boasting gloat in his voice turned Danni’s stomach, but she saw Sarah’s chin firm up again, and she looked straight into Ryan’s eyes.
“So the part where I screamed for you to stop? That was confusing for you?” And then things happened so quickly. Sarah’s hands tightened into fists, and Danni was almost sure that she was going to try and hit Ryan. Instead, she went for the gun hand, pulling wildly, trying to pry his fingers off it. Danni screamed for Cole, but he was frozen in place, eyes saucer wide, and there was a spreading wet spot on the front of his pajama pants.
Ryan shoved Sarah off easily enough, but the force of pushing her off sent him stumbling back, and his hand slammed into the corner of the kitchen counter. He shouted in pain, clutching at his hand, the gun tumbling to the floor. Sarah scrambled for it, but Ryan shoved her away; he didn’t go for the weapon himself, just shoved her down onto the floor and hit her, hard, his fist closed and his eyes dead.
Danni vaulted over the couch and grabbed Cole, picking him up and thrusting him toward her room. “Get Mommy’s phone,” she said. “Dial 9-1-1, just like you learned in school.”
He tried to cling to her, and she kissed him fiercely on top of his head. Behind her, Sarah was screaming, and Ryan was silent other than animal grunts and the sounds of his fists on her flesh. “Go,” she whispered to him. “Be brave.”
He ran into the room. He’d call or he wouldn’t, but he was out of the way, and that was what mattered most. She wanted to follow him, hide with him. She turned back, back towards the screams, and ran towards them. The gun was between her and Ryan; she kicked it under the couch. He’d take it away from her in a heartbeat if she tried to hold him with it, and she had no idea how to use it anyway. She launched herself at his back, wrapping her legs around him and clawing at his face with her fingernails. He roared in pain and threw himself backwards, his hands prying her fingers free. His weight slammed into her, knocking the air out of her lungs, and sparking pain all along the back of her body. Her head cracked against the floor, and her vision tunneled as she tried to focus on being awake. Everything was far away and distant, and she stared as an avenging angel descended, scrawny and focused, slamming a...frying pan?...into Derek’s head. He fell backwards, and the angel was leaning over Danni, staring into her eyes for a moment, then turning to Sarah.
Danni’s vision cleared slowly, and the angel -- Mrs. Clark from upstairs -- was helping Sarah sit up. Ryan was
Okay, maybe she’d have that last bit. But he hoped some other guy -- or girl -- knew about it. Instead of him.
“Buying for breakfast, or for dessert?”
“Breakfast,” he said, and then, for the first time since he was just a kid, he added, “with my new girlfriend. And I’m not really sure what she’d like.”
The girl grinned. “How about I put together a sample box for you, with some of our most popular items? There’s bound tobe something that she likes then.”
“That sounds wonderful,” he said, and settled back to wait while she got the box together.
***
Sarah didn’t move; Danni didn’t even see a sign that she’d heard. Ryan growled her name, and she still didn’t move. He crossed the floor in two quick steps and slapped her hard. Her hand went to her cheek, and her eyes woke up just a touch. “You hit me,” she said, astonishment in her voice as Cole started to cry behind her. She blinked twice, her eyes slowly waking up. There was something there, something that Danni’d never seen on Sarah’s face before. “You hit me in front of my friends. In front of a child.”
Ryan looked shocked that she was even speaking. “You surprised? You never complained before.” The boasting gloat in his voice turned Danni’s stomach, but she saw Sarah’s chin firm up again, and she looked straight into Ryan’s eyes.
“So the part where I screamed for you to stop? That was confusing for you?” And then things happened so quickly. Sarah’s hands tightened into fists, and Danni was almost sure that she was going to try and hit Ryan. Instead, she went for the gun hand, pulling wildly, trying to pry his fingers off it. Danni screamed for Cole, but he was frozen in place, eyes saucer wide, and there was a spreading wet spot on the front of his pajama pants.
Ryan shoved Sarah off easily enough, but the force of pushing her off sent him stumbling back, and his hand slammed into the corner of the kitchen counter. He shouted in pain, clutching at his hand, the gun tumbling to the floor. Sarah scrambled for it, but Ryan shoved her away; he didn’t go for the weapon himself, just shoved her down onto the floor and hit her, hard, his fist closed and his eyes dead.
Danni vaulted over the couch and grabbed Cole, picking him up and thrusting him toward her room. “Get Mommy’s phone,” she said. “Dial 9-1-1, just like you learned in school.”
He tried to cling to her, and she kissed him fiercely on top of his head. Behind her, Sarah was screaming, and Ryan was silent other than animal grunts and the sounds of his fists on her flesh. “Go,” she whispered to him. “Be brave.”
He ran into the room. He’d call or he wouldn’t, but he was out of the way, and that was what mattered most. She wanted to follow him, hide with him. She turned back, back towards the screams, and ran towards them. The gun was between her and Ryan; she kicked it under the couch. He’d take it away from her in a heartbeat if she tried to hold him with it, and she had no idea how to use it anyway. She launched herself at his back, wrapping her legs around him and clawing at his face with her fingernails. He roared in pain and threw himself backwards, his hands prying her fingers free. His weight slammed into her, knocking the air out of her lungs, and sparking pain all along the back of her body. Her head cracked against the floor, and her vision tunneled as she tried to focus on being awake. Everything was far away and distant, and she stared as an avenging angel descended, scrawny and focused, slamming a...frying pan?...into Derek’s head. He fell backwards, and the angel was leaning over Danni, staring into her eyes for a moment, then turning to Sarah.
Danni’s vision cleared slowly, and the angel -- Mrs. Clark from upstairs -- was helping Sarah sit up. Ryan was
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