“Then explain this.”
He’s not looking at us, so I take the opportunity to whisper “Go” to Goldie as I turn her around and push her toward the stairs. Without hesitation, she listens, tearing away from me and running.
“Bitch,” he thunders, lunging past the body and straight for her, but I’ve already anticipated him and throw my body between them.
The feeling of hot iron seers my skin directly across my left bicep. I groan but swing a right hook, hearing the crack against his fucking jaw before I cover my hand over the already-bleeding wound.
“Fuck,” he yells as his body twists and the knife goes flying, skidding across the floor.
I turn and run, flying down the stairs as I hear her yell my name.
“Noah. Over here.”
Goldie’s waiting by the doors as I make it to her. I glance back and see Billy standing on the stage with his knife back in his hand before we run out into the night.
I am going to kill him tonight, but first I’m getting her the fuck out of here.
Everything’s happening quickly. I’m barking directions, telling her how to get to the van as she rushes out, “Oh my god, Noah. You’re bleeding.”
Chase’s van comes into view just as he and Evie come running toward us.
“She wouldn’t leave until she found G,” Chase yells as an explanation for why the van hasn’t already been started.
“What is happening?” Evie yells, grabbing her sister by the shoulders to ensure she’s unharmed.
“Holy fuck, Noah,” Chase thunders. “You’re fucking cut.” He looks at Evie and points to the Dracula cape she’s wearing. “Gimme that thing.”
She takes it off, but I’m trying to talk over them, saying we need to get the fuck out of here, but nobody is listening. Chase rips the material before wrapping it around my arm and tying it, making me groan deeply.
“Did Billy do this?” he whispers, and I nod.
“We have to go. Now.”
Evie points at me. “Fuck you and your daddy issues. This is your fault. You should stay.”
Goldie shakes her head, but I ignore Evie’s words because Billy may not be my daddy issue anymore, but I absolutely plan to stay.
I’m ushering Goldie toward the van as Chase winces. “Sorry, I told her. She’s kinda scary when she wants info.”
I look around to try to see if Billy’s coming as we get to the van doors, but Goldie makes everyone stop in their place. “Billy’s my dad ... my biological one.”
Evie’s eyes grow wide. “What the heck are you talking about, Golds?”
I shake my head. “We can talk about it in the van. Let’s go. Come on.”
Chase bursts into action by pulling the handle and sliding open the door, but the girls are just staring at each other.
“Get in,” Chase presses, pushing Evie, but she pushes him back. “Okay ... I’m trying to keep you alive. Work with me?”
“I’ll explain later,” Goldie reassures her. “But none of this is Noah’s fault.”
We all hurry into the van and lock the doors before Chase looks at me and nods in acknowledgment of the plan. I nod back as he throws it into reverse.
A loud succession of thuds accompanies the bouncing of the van.
Fuck,I think as Chase says it aloud. He looks at me. “He cut the tires. The fucking tires are flat.”
“Shit.” I smack the dash as Evie begins to cry. Goldie’s rubbing her back, telling her everything’s going to be okay, but I’m not so sure anymore.
