Burned Ones

Chapter 20

Annabeth.
15 years old.

I sprung at my dad with every intention of hurting him until he was a disaster on the floor. Unfortunately, I made it about five steps before arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I struggled against Jay, trying to get his grip to loosen and wiggle out from the top of the hold he had on me.

"Let me go," I screeched.

Jays' grip tightened.

My dad laughed and when I blinked, I saw Finn's bloody face.

"I think it's time we had a talk, Bethie," my dad said.

I was too busy thrashing in Jay's arms. He had me up high enough that my feet were off the ground which also meant my elbow was close enough to hit his face.

He stumbled to the side but didn't let me go. I kicked my feet and dug my nails into his forearms around my waist. He was struggling to keep his grip on me and at one point, let go of me with one arm to try to wrap around my arms but I wasn't making it easy for him.

"You have an anger issue that needs to be addressed. I don't know how many men I've had to take care of for you because you've mouthed off to them," my dad continued in the background.

Jay got his arm around one of mine, wrapping his hand against my side. I still had one free hand and he wasn't in a position to capture it unless he put me down and started all over again.

"Did you do this?" I yelled, trying to hit him with the back of my head.

"Ow," Jay complained when my nails went back to his arm. "I don't even know who this is."

My dad kept talking about my disasters. "And I heard about what happened at Darren's yesterday which is unacceptable. We send rookies to Darren and my own daughter can't handle it? He paid good money we won't have anymore."

"Then let me go," I warned Jay, kicking my legs and ignoring my dad.

"To have Scully kill me for letting you lose on him?" Jay nearly whispered in my ear in disbelief.

My dad had positioned himself behind Finn and grabbed Finn's hair, keeping his head upright and I tried my best to avoid looking in that direction.

"And you bring this man into our house, who you know nothing about and who knows nothing about us." My dad tsked. "We both know it will end with me disposing of him like all of the others, I don't know why you're playing with his heart."

My dad's words were going in my head, staying for about two seconds, and vanishing because I was too busy trying to pry Jay off of me. About halfway through my dad speaking, I comprehended the last thing Jay had said and realized how this must look to him.

He didn't know who Finn was, he admitted as much. And if Finn had been here yesterday while Jay and I were out at Darren's, there was no way that Jay could've helped my dad grab Finn. So Jay just saw me attacking my dad for no good reason. My dad who was his employer and had just pointed out how he had no problem getting rid of Caseys if he had to. Jay may have been my friend, but he also had self preservation and only one of the people in this room wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

"Jay," I breathed out while my dad was still talking about something I wasn't listening to. "Please."

By now, Jay had struggled so much to keep a grip on me that I was almost suspended perpendicular in the air. My feet touched the ground from Jay bending forward at the waist, both arms wrapped tightly around me so I didn't think he'd drop me for the fun of it-- only if I struggled enough and made him. I stopped my assault on him, which got his attention.