Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

I watched with a detached sort of curiosity as blood dripped from my brow and landed on the ground. I fought through the pain, waited a moment for my eyes to focus, and then looked up. I decided that if Rich was going to kill me, he was going to live the rest of his life as a eunuch. I tensed to lunge.

The house door swung open again.

Harold sized up the situation in an instant. “Richard, put the gun down.”

“Stand up,” Rich said to me.

“Fuck you, asshole.” I stood anyway and met his eyes. They were just like Christy’s, only hard and merciless.

“Put. The weapon. Down!” Harold barked. “Lieutenant!”

Rich finally looked away.

Rich was breathing hard, and I realized that I was too. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he lowered the pistol.

I wasn’t out of danger yet, and the monkey in the back of my brain told me to jump him and smash his skull while he was distracted.

Some rational part of me kept a firm grip on the instinct. I didn’t move.

“Now, Lieutenant.” Harold moved forward and physically took the gun from his son’s hand.

My vision expanded and I saw Anne behind him, with Christy behind her.

Anne’s hair was unbrushed and she wore a nightdress. For that matter, Harold was only wearing his striped pajamas, and the top wasn’t even buttoned. At least Christy had managed to grab her pajamas when she ran into the house, so she wasn’t standing there in her underwear.

“Jesus Christ,” Danny said softly.

Harold surveyed the tableau. “Go back inside,” he told his wife. “And take Birdy with you.

Blood dripped onto my chest. I ignored it and glared at Rich. He glared back.

“This little shit stain…,” Rich began. He couldn’t bring himself to say whatever he was thinking. Instead he gestured at the cot. “There! With Birdy!”

Harold glanced at me. His face hardened when I didn’t deny it, but he directed his immediate anger at his son. “Richard, go inside. Take Terry with you.” He glanced at his other son. “You too, Daniel. Now. All of you. That’s an order.”

Rich looked mutinous but did as he was told.

Harold seemed to relax once they’d gone, although I wasn’t off the hook yet. He tried to stare me down but I refused to be cowed.

“You’re bleeding,” he said at last.

He seemed to notice it himself. He thumbed on the safety and used the distraction to think through what had happened.

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

I stood there like a bump on a log.

“No, of course not,” I said at last. “Why would I do that?”

“Rich assaulted you.