Consumed

Chapter 17: Milan

"Mr. Voynovich?" I ask when he opens the door.

"What do you want?" He eyes me with disgust.

"Meri," I answer truthfully. "I came to get Meri."

"Well, too bad," he snaps. "She came back of her own free will, and she's my step-daughter. Until she turns eighteen, I have legal jurisdiction, and you're trespassing."

"Sir, please..."

"Oh, now it's sir, is it? If I recall correctly, you kicked me out of your house and punched me before that. Give me one good reason not to call the cops or be off my property in five seconds."

"I can't give you a reason... Please... I just want to hear from Meri that she wants to stay. If she does, I'll leave it be."

Petre narrows his eyes and stays quiet for a long moment. "Fine. Wait here."

He slams the door in my face.

"Is everyone in this place like this?" Min asks, as he hurries up the steps to my side.

I agreed to let him drive when I became too stressed out.

"I don't know about everyone. Petre is a snake, though. And he acts like it when he doesn't see a reason to trick people."

"Ah..." Min rubs his hands together and blows into them. "Is he getting Meri?"

"Yeah."

"You think she wants to stay?" Min asks.

"No."

"Sheesh, little bro... No need to be so sharp. I'm just asking."

"Whatever," I say, folding my arms as the door opens.

Meri stands there in a robe. Her eyes are puffy, and her makeup from last night is smeared. "Milan?" she asks, looking from me to Min.

"Meri, are you okay?" Concern floods through me, washing away my initial intention to just take her and go.

She looks back at Petre as he comes up behind her and then looks back at us, biting her lip. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Satisfied?" Petre asks.

"No. Are you coming back to school?"

She nods, looking away. There are obvious tear stains on her pale face, and her hair isn't even brushed. Meri never lets herself go like this.

"Do you want to stay here?"

Her eyes widen as she looks at me, and I see the haunted, terrified look in them. Then she seems to realize something, and she looks down at the porch, clenching her fists. "Yes." Her voice wobbles as she says it.

I step forward and take her hand in mine. "Meri... Is he hurting you? Has he touched you at all?"

She bites her lip and shakes her head quickly. A tear slips from between her lashes and drops down her cheek. "You should g-go..." she stammers, turning and fleeing into the house.

"Look what you've done," Petre growls. "You've gone and made her cry."

"Looks to me like she's been crying for hours now. What'd you do, you low-life rat?"

"Nothing. Do you want to be arrested for verbal harassment of my daughter?"

"Step-daughter," I snap. "She's your step-daughter. I swear, if you've touched her at all, I'm going to kill you. She's been through enough, you cold-hearted wretch. You put her through more, and I..."