*Heath's POV*

The look on McKinley's face when she screeched her hatred for me and shoved me onto the floor was enough to raise the hair on the back of my neck and I was forced to turn away before she could see the tears about to overflow my eyelids.

I knew with absolute certainty that her horrified green eyes had seen me as Vincent. The truth was, I didn't blame her. If I had ever spoken up, McKinley would not have had to suffer as much as she had, and still does.

Yawning, I started to turn away from the harsh glare of sunlight entering the room from the window when a light weight on my chest added enough pressure to stop my efforts.

Opening my eyes against the stinging rays, disbelief crossed my features as my cheeks heated up. Long, dark eyelashes fanned over pale cheeks with blonde hair haphazardly strewn across her forehead as she breathed deeply.

McKinley Carter looked peaceful, locked away from the terrors of her waking life. I felt a need to wrap my arms around her and hold on tight as if I could protect her forever, but I refrained, knowing that I was one of the factors in the pain she suffered through.

As if my finger had a mind of its own, I watched as it drifted toward McKinley's forehead where it cleared the silky strands of hair dangling there, allowing them to filter between my thumb and pointer finger. 

McKinley stirred and I froze, holding my breath as she turned on her side, laying her cheek on my chest with her lips inches from my chin. I could feel the warm breath filtering through the gap of her mouth as I struggled to remain still without daring to breathe. Her arms circled my body, tightening as she buried her face in my neck, further immobilizing my frozen body.

A sudden buzz rattled the nightstand beside our heads, jarring my heart to my throat as my chest heaved in a gasp. I'd been deeply concentrated on not awakening the sleeping McKinley that the noise had caught me completely off guard.

McKinley yawned and sleepily opened her eyes, allowing her vision to adjust as she blankly focused on my face.

"Good morning?" I ended in a question, cringing at how lame that sounded even to my own ears. I could see the very moment when McKinley's brain processed what was going on; how she had fallen asleep on my chest and that she was still draped across my torso.

Cheeks flaming crimson, McKinley scrambled to the opposite side of the bed and hid behind the thick curtain of blonde hair sharply cutting herself off from me. Her reaction sent a pang to my chest and I reached a hand across the narrow space separating us, pausing when she visibly flinched as my hand closed the distance.

I sighed, wordlessly dropping my hand to grab my phone from the nightstand as McKinley climbed off the bed to lock herself in the bathroom.

The incessant buzzing lead me to the determine the reason my mother was frantically calling me was because she didn't want me to get lost or that she didn't agree with the trip and wanted me to return home immediately. I knew she'd repeatedly call me nonstop if I failed to answer after a few times. It wasn't fair to make her worry, so I picked up without checking the screen.

"I'm fine, Mom-"

"You won't be for much longer if you don't come home right now," a grave voice threatened, causing goosebumps to break out across every inch of my skin. Shivers ran up my spine as Vincent sent my heart pounding in just one sentence.

How did he get my number?

"H-How did you-"

"-please, no!" A second voice in the background interrupted me, becoming deathly silent after the unmistakably sickening sound of flesh against flesh ricocheted in my eardrum.

Finding my voice, I held the cell phone harder in my fist as I growled through clenched teeth, "Do not hurt her or God help me; I will kill you."

The foreign voice didn't even sound like mine. I became unrecognizable as the words filtered through my lips several octaves deeper and raspier than usual.

I felt terrible for leaving my mother alone. Vincent would take advantage of my absence to torture my mother on his own accord. I should have known better than to think he was out of our lives for good.

Vincent faked an exaggerated gasp, exclaiming in a phony tone, "Heath, my son! I would never lay a finger on my dear Iris. We have a child together."

"I am not your son," I denied furiously, "Leave my family alone."

I could hear the faint cries of an infant, instantly realizing it was Nick. Springing out of bed, I impatiently shoved all of my belongings into the suitcase and cursed, jabbing a finger to hang up the call. I needed to get home as soon as possible to save my mother and baby brother from the man terrorizing their lives.

Just as I was about to press end, Vincent whispered, "I knew you'd come back. Bring my daughter with you. I miss her." The line went dead and Vincent hung up before I had the chance to.

McKinley chose that moment to return from the bathroom, warily stepping out after gauging the look on my face. All I could do was shake my head as I instructed her to pack up as quickly as possible, explaining the situation to her as we tidied up our bags.

I'd been so engaged with getting everything set to leave that I hadn't noticed McKinley until she was standing directly in front of me. She was serious, lips drawn in a straight line as she gave me a determined nod.

"It's okay," she said, taking the initiative of touching me by squeezing my shoulder. She used her free hand to pull out a small object from her pocket, holding it out. The Batman figurine reflected in her clear, green eyes that never strayed from mine as she continued, "I won't let the people I love get hurt."

I opened my mouth to tell her that I wanted to protect her and that it was my selfish desire to go to Maine that had put my family, and possibly McKinley's, in danger. I didn't get the chance to speak my thoughts aloud when she added, "You included."

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Oops! I accidentally published this update earlier when it was not finished. Here is the completed chapter!