I turned and walked away, Bennett’s loud laugh ringing behind me. When we reached the river, my men suddenly shouted in shock.
Under the faint moonlight, a figure was curled up in the mud. It was my dad!
He was covered in blood, his clothes torn to pieces, his face bruised and swollen, almost impossible to recognize.
“Dad! Dad!” I screamed, my whole body turning cold. I slipped forward and pulled him into my arms.
His body was cold and his breathing was so weak it felt like it could stop at any moment.
"Dad! Please don't sleep! Look at me!" My voice shook as fear entered my heart.
He struggled to open his eyes. The eyes that once looked at me kindly were now red. His rough, cracked hand shook as he slowly reached out and gently touched my face.
I grabbed his hand and held it against my cheek, tears falling nonstop. “I’m sorry, Dad! I’m useless… I’ve hurt you!”
He shook his head weakly with the little strength he had left, a faint sound escaping his throat, as if to say, “I don’t blame you.”
My heart felt like it was breaking into pieces over and over, the pain making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly, his hand fell, his eyes closed and his head leaned to the side.
“No!” I looked up and screamed, with his body in my arms, becoming cold.
I held my father tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms.
Bennett Bradford. Talia Norwood.
I would make you pay for this blood debt, a hundred times over.
