Deep (Heavy Hearts Book 2) by Sarah Duncan (red seas under red skies txt) 📗

“Ruth. No more fucking games. Tell me where the file is!” My dad booms at my mum, and in response, she laughs.

It’s a foreign sound to hear my mum laugh. It’s not just any laugh either. It’s the kind of laugh that says torturing you is too much fun.

“Who’s Ruth?” Muz whispers behind me.

“My mum,” I answer before stepping closer to my dad. I can feel Muz follow close behind.

“Max. Honey. The answer is the same as every other time you have asked. I don’t know where it is.” My mum sounds good. Almost too good. Is it even her on the other end?

“Bullshit Ruth. Just tell me where it is, or I’ll rip this fucking house apart.” Spittle flies from my dad's mouth as he speaks, his face almost purple with anger.

“Go for it, honey. Tear that house to pieces all you want. You’ll never find it.”

“See, you do fucking know where it is! Tell me, or I’ll be visiting your bed tonight to fucking squeeze the life out of you.”

“The fuck you will!” I scream and storm towards my dad. His eyes widen, and he darts around the kitchen island before Muz snatches my hand and pulls me back.

“Let’s see how this plays out, pretty girl,” Muz whispers in my ear as my mum laughs through the speaker.

“A lot of good that will do, Max. Killing me will ensure you will never get your hands on the file! I’m afraid you will need me alive if you ever want to see it again.”

What the fuck is in this file?

“Fine, Ruth. How about I finish what Mike started with Alexis? I’ll be sure to call you so you can hear her take her last breath.”

Muz releases me and storms around the island bench, taking my dad off guard and shoving the barrel of the gun against his temple. He whimpers.

It should scare me, right? That’s my dad that Muz is holding a gun to. It takes me a moment to realise that my breathing has sped up, and my pulse is out of control. I’m not scared. I’m fucking furious. The words, pull the trigger, is on the tip of my tongue, but I hold them in because what the actual fuck, Lexi! Wanting people’s heads blown off isn’t me. Is it?

“Always such a drama queen Max. Unfortunately for you, if you kill Lexi, you have the same problem. You need her to access the file.” Ruth laughs down the line, none the wiser that her husband has a gun pressed against his head and that her daughter is letting it happen.

“When did you become such a bitch?” My dad hisses, tears springing to his eyes when Muz pushes harder against the gun, digging the barrel into his skin.

“Maybe when you started sticking your dick in all of your assistants.” Venom drips from my mum's words. I’ve never heard her so strong.

“Better than your shrivelled up hole!” My dad gets those vile words out before Muz kicks his legs from under him, sending him to his knees. With a grunt, he rights himself, glaring up at Muz from the floor.

“You’ll never find it, Max. It isn’t even in the house, you moron.” My mum's laugh cuts off when she ends the call, leaving my dad yelling in frustration at the top of his lungs.

He tosses his phone across the kitchen, and it smashes against the cupboard before falling into pieces to the floor.

Ragged breathing fills the room, coming from both my dad and me. His, in frustration from the conversation he just had with my mum. Mine, from the anger and fury that has been hovering near the surface since I left Melbourne. It wants to leap free and unleash on my dad.

Sirens sound in the distance gaining all of our attention. If they are on their way here, it means that either Officer Zimora heard my message or Val called the cops.

“I need to go.” My dad leaps up from the floor before stilling when Muz shoves the gun in his face.

“What do you wanna do, pretty girl?” Muz asks, keeping his eyes locked on my dad.

If I make Muz hold him here, then he’s going to get caught by the cops too. We live in Australia. Handguns are illegal unless you have a special licence to own one. He’s a criminal, I know that, but he also protected me here today, despite acting like a dick.

“Let him go. The cops will catch up with him soon enough.” I say, defeated and annoyed that he’s going to get away again.

Muz nods, and the moment he lowers his gun, my dad runs out of the room. Moments later, I hear the garage door opening and his car start.

“You should go too,” I tell Muz, looking around at the mess strewn about by my dad.

“You sure you don’t want to turn me over to the cops?” He asks, and I turn to him.

“I mean, I can if you want?” I shrug, and he chuckles.

“Hard pass. See ya, pretty girl.” Muz slips the gun back into the front of his jeans and walks towards the backdoor.

“Muz!” He stops when he hears my voice, turning back to me. “Thank you.”

A big smile spreads across his face, reminding me he’s not such a scary guy, especially when he’s not holding a gun.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I spend a couple of hours answering questions after the police arrive at my house. Val had called them, and Officer Zimora turned up a few minutes after the patrol car in plain clothes because it was his day off. Once again, they take the evidence they need, including my dad’s smashed phone, and then Officer Zimora drills me for information about the file my dad had been looking for. I couldn’t tell them much since I don’t know what this file is, but like them, I sure want to know since it’s sending my dad over the edge, and my mum is using