All That He Gives by J.J. Harlequin at Inkitt

ONE

Sanem

I turned my head to the small clock on the wall. The hour hand hovered over the 2 while the second hand clicked quickly. He's been gone too long…

I huff throwing the couch pillows back onto the sofa.

It was 2 am and my father wasn't back yet. I knew what he was doing. He was doing what he does best. He gets higher than a kite every damn day.

I wanted to leave; I did. But I didn't want to leave him. He is the only living relative I have left. I couldn't just do that to him. But I should. My guilty conscience would overtake me, and I would turn back to feeling bad. That’s how it was with me and him. I would threaten to leave and then he would make me feel guilty for trying to leave him all alone. Even if I didn’t want to, I still loved my father. I just hated what he did to me and himself. I hate how he let himself go after my mom's death.

The door bangs open and him swaying in. He looked terrible. He was a tall thin man. But he was sickly thin, like he could drop at any minute.

"The fuck you looking at?" He said to me, wiping his nose with a rag.

"Nothing," I roll my eyes.

"Get up.”

"What, why?”

"Going to see a friend. He wants to meet you," he points to the door. I shake my head. He was out of his mind if he thought I was going to meet his ‘friend’. Over my dead body.

"I'm not meeting anyone right now. Do you know what time it is?" He pulls me up off the couch and yanks me to the door. "We don't have to go far. Just right downstairs," he dragged me out of the apartment and down the stairs.

"Dad, let go of me!" I snatched my hand away.

"Here she is. Where's that money you were talking about?" he starts talking. Who the fuck is he talking to? What money?

I turn around. A group of men stood huddled in a semicircle. They all looked the same, dark haired, tattoos, and...guns? What is happening right now?

"Hold your horse's old man," the one in the middle stepped forward. He walked around me, eyeing me like he was looking for something. "What's she good at?" He asked.

"Oh everything. Cooking, cleaning. Babysitting even," I heard my dad say. I looked back at my father who refused to look at me.

"Dad, what the fuck?"

"Oh, she's got a mouth too," the man smiles slyly.

"What is going on? Who are these guys, dad?" My voice wavered.

"These guys are going to take good care of you San. You'll be fine. They promised you'd be safe," he nods.

"Dad, no-" I shake my head.

"What's your name?"

"I'm not telling you my name…" I swallow hard. What the fuck is going on.

"Cool name. Let's go, we don't want to keep the boss man waiting," he pulled on my arm. I planted my feet.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Get off me!" I try peeling his fingers off my arm.

"Dad, what is this? Come on!" I feel a ball form in my throat.

"It seems like your father has an agenda. One that requires a large sum of money," the man says. I look at my dad. He was handed a large bag of money. My eyes widened.

"You sold me?" I raise my voice, "How could you? How could you do that to me? Dad!"

"Don't you love me?" I squeaked out. His eyes shot up to mine. He didn't say anything. His face was blank. Wow…"Dad please!" I cry. I get shoved into the side of a van and the door slams shut.

"Don't cry. You shouldn't cry for a man like that. He doesn't deserve your tears," the man says softly as he sits next to me.

I know we always didn't get along. And yeah, he was high, majority of the time. But he was my father. I still loved him no matter what. But to see that look on his face when I asked if he loved me, it broke me. He didn't even flinch when I called for him. Crackhead mentality, I guess.

But after this? I felt numb when I thought of him. He didn't care for his only daughter. Why should I care about him?

As the driver pulled off, I tried to stop the stars from falling. Where the fuck are we going? Who is this boss they were referring to?

~

"Wake up sunshine."

I open my eyes slowly, looking around. I was still in the van. The man sitting to my left was leaning on the arm rest. It seemed to be daylight. We must have been driving for a while.

"Come on. We're home," he opens his door and hops out. I sit up and pull my door open. In front of me was this huge house. It was like the size of a small stadium. It was beautiful. Home? Wherever this is, it isn't my home.

Some guys pulled me out of the van and put me on my feet. These guys were scary looking. I turned to see if there was a way out of here. But this place was locked up good.

"Let's go. All workers enter through the annex," I follow him out to the driveway and to the side of the house. I couldn't stop gawking at it. Who lives here?

We walked to the back of the house; it was just as beautiful as the front. A tennis court, a pool, and a basketball court. Whoever this guy is, he's loaded.

We got to the entrance that was on a different wing from the rest of the house.

"This is where all the workers live. Maids, cooks, mostly," he nods, "there's not many of them so the boss has them stay on call at all times."

The inside was very nice. It was a tan and marble floor. Sconces were on the walls dimly lighting the surroundings.

"Alex, could you get that door for me darlin'?" She was an older woman, but she was strong for holding all those plates.

"Sure," he steps to a door and opens it wide. She rushes through and he follows her. I peek in before stepping through. I stood in a huge kitchen.

"Who's this Alex?" I hear the woman say. I avert my attention back to her.

"This is... " he pushes me closer to the woman.

“Sanem…” I say just above a whisper.

"Hi sugar. Name's Carolyn. But everyone calls me Lyn. Nice to meet ya," she gives me a strong handshake. I nod shyly.

"Shy little thing aren't ya?" She puts her hands on her hips.

"Nah, she has a mouth like you," he says referring to my f bombs I had dropped when we first met.

"Get out of the kitchen before you get popped, boy," she picks up a wooden spoon swatted at him but misses.

"Take care of her, Lyn," he walks out of the kitchen and leaves me with Lyn.

“Why am I here?” I look around for a way out. There weren't many options. I was stuck. I can’t believe I am here right now.

“Sugar, I ask myself the same question every day. We don’t question what the boss does. We just go along, and everyone gets to keep their heads,” wait what?

"So, what can you do?" She leans on the counter.

"I um. I can cook pretty well, I guess," I say softly. She nods.

"Good. I need a sous chef. I think you'll do just fine," she smiles. She gives me grandmother vibes. I can imagine my grandmother would have been something like her.

"Grab an apron, wash up. We have to make breakfast."