of her. “Are you? A slut who likes it rough?” She didn’t lift her eyes as she shook her head. Her papa’s face reddened, and then he kicked her leg, spitting an enraged accusation at her. With a whimper, she dropped to the ground. A hot rush of irritation expanded inside me. I kicked Abram’s knee so hard a crack sounded, and as he fell, my boot slammed into his face, planting him on his back in the snow. He groaned, blood spurting from his nose. “Tf you do that to your daughter in front of me,” I growled, “I’d hate to see what you do to her behind closed doors.” “I don’t do nothing to the girl!” He’d just admitted his guilt with the double negative. I was growing a little more furious each second I continued to employ this man. I lowered to my haunches in front of the girl who sat on her knees in the snow. “Who gave you the poison?” Tears running down her cheeks, she flicked a frightful gaze to her papa for direction. She was terrified of him even now, with death on the horizon. Abram watched her with cruel eyes and a hand on his bleeding face. “I— did it alone,” she stammered. “See! I told you.” “Shut the fuck up,” Albert growled. After putting my gun in my waistband, I ripped the girl’s dress open. Buttons fell to the snow. She sobbed, probably with the belief she’d be gang-raped to death. Her lack of bra wasn’t the most obvious sight. An assortment of old and fresh bruises covered her torso. One of her ribs looked inflamed, most likely broken, and bite marks marred her small breasts, some deep enough to be open wounds. She might have been involved with the poisoning, but, clearly, she didn’t have much of a choice. Having been the underdog many, many years ago at my own mother’s hands, one could say I had a soft spot for the situation. “Go,” I told her. Her eyes lifted to mine, confusion within. After a second of staring at me, she stood, pulled her dress closed, and ran to the house. “What the fuck?” Abram snarled. “She did this!” I rose to my full height. “She’s a whore! A lying whore!”