Chapter 6

I got out of the black sleek Audi not more than 3 feet before my house. The driver was the same heavy built man who was driving the truck the day I got abducted. Maybe he worked for Abductor. It felt strange being here before my house, and stranger as I wanted to hop back into the car and go back to the house-with-no-windows. But before I could fully convince myself the car sped off and I took a deep breath.

I walked up to the security post and the 'guard' came out. Funny its the first I've actually really looked at him. Studied his features; and sob caught in my throat. He looked like me, golden brown hair, hazel eyes (a bit more green than mine) and a few freckles. He immediately looked down as he saw what I was doing.

"Ms.Hudson. Welcome home. Where have you been? Its been-"

"Its ok dad," I said slowly, 'I know everything." He raised his head slowly, nothing but astonishment and horror on his face. He pushed the button and the huge gate creaked open. We stood staring. And then as if he'd waited all his life, he practically ran up to me and crushed me to him. It took me a time to absorb it all and then, with a tear involuntarily falling, i wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. My father. My real dad. This was really him, Abductor didn't make it up at all. I began sobbing. He pulled away and stroked my hair, staring down at me.

"I've waited for this moment for 16 years" he whispered, his voice a bit shaky, 'I never ever thought she'd tell you, I-"

"Oh no mom didn't tell me. A-a friend did" I could see he was about to question the statement but i interrupted him. "We need to talk,"I said wiping my eyes and becoming serious. "All of us."

His look was one or mortification now.

"No we cant. I can never approach her. Nor him. They'll think I told you. They'll never forgive me-"

"Forget what they think. They did this to us. We're the one who should be considering if we should forgive them or not.'

"You just got back. Its too soon. They'll..." he was shaking his head. What was he so afraid of?

"Its been sixteen years dad. I'd say its not too soon but way overdue." He paused for a bit, thinking, then with a sigh, nodded his head in agreement. And together, hand in hand, we headed up to the mansion.

On cue, my mom was just coming through the front door, navy blue suit on, files in hand, ready for work. She stood frozen when she saw me. When she saw us. And just as I saw shock it was immediately replaced with cool. And I was surprised that what she said next had nothing to do with the fact that I've been missing two weeks now.

"Pete. What are you doing?"

"I know everything," I said confidently. I could she was taken aback. "I know what you did OK. And I know Lloyd isn't my real father. Pete is."

She said nothing. Completely dumbfounded. Then suddenly she just lashed out. "I always knew you'd ruin this. You just couldn't keep your big mouth closed could-"

"Don't attack him like that," I said confronting her. I still saw her as my mom. The one I knew and loved all my life. But at this point respect was no longer between us. "You're the one who is to be blamed. You didn't give him a chance. To care for me, to love me-"

"I loved you enough! He was a disgrace in my family's eyes-"

"I don't care!" Angry tears streamed down, "I deserved a chance with him. He's my dad mom. How could you do that to us? How could you deny me the chance of knowing him"

"You do know your father sweetheart," she had the nerve to be all mushy, "he's inside waiting for you. We all were."

"You disgust me," her face became blurry in my vision as tears filled my eyes once more, "how can you stand there and say that. He is not my real father-"

"Yes I am."

It wasn't from mom or Pete. It was Lloyd. Stepping out now. He came and stood a few feet away from me. Between me and mom.

"I love you Kay-lee. I raised you as if you were my own because I felt apart of you inside me. You are my daughter. We only lied to protect you. Just please forgive us and-"

"Never," I whispered. I still saw him the same way too. Remembered his huge arms as he lifted me and all his smiles. But it wasn't all real was it? "You've always taught me of honesty and trust and loyalty. And yet you stand there, pretending that its right that my mom is paying you to be my dad." Both of theirs eyes widened. And I knew they defiantly thought Pete wouldn't reveal that part. But yet they still wouldn't back down.

"It wasn't all about the money. I felt you-"

"Oh cut the poetry bullshit. I'm not your daughter. Never was never will be. And if you actually 'loved me like your own or felt me as apart of you' then you wouldn't be taking the cash." My heart felt as if it would beat out of my chest. All the events from the time I waved to the truck driver to now at this moment looking at my supposed dad with the look of disgust I knew I had, in the middle of this confrontation, came rushing to me. I felt a pinch in my stomach and I swore at that instance I would faint. But I held it together. I tried to.

"You disgusting low life prick," he was addressing Pete now. "You did this I know you did. You took her away and filled her head with all this crap. Now look at what you've done."

I held his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. This was a moment of truth. And I know now that I got my timidness from him and not my mom. He just needed a nudge and an extreme circumstance to be bold like I had. He had the latter now for the nudge.

"Don't back down dad," I said without turning to him. I didn't want to take my eyes of Lloyd. "Don't let them walk over you. You've waited for this for 16 years. Now's your chance..."

"What do you have to say for yourself a*****e," Lloyd went again, " huh?!"

"You don't love her"

"What was that?"

"I said you don't love her and you know it. You're just in it for the money. You don't want her back, you just don't want your source of cash to vanish."

"You don't know what your saying," mom said deciding to step back in then.

"Do I really? I know what we had was a one night thing but I came and I was willing to take up my responsibility. I had nothing in my pocket and one suit of clothes on my back but I knew I had a heart filled with passion and love for you both. I would have worked it with you, to be there for her and find a way to provide for us. But no. You had to get him. You don't even know where he goes most days."

"And you do?" She snapped back.

"Of course I do Helena. I'm the security. I run all the cameras, the wires and switches in here and I've seen him sneaking away when he sees Kay-lee coming in form school. He doesn't care about her or you. Want to know the real reason why? He already has a kid. And a wife too." They both stared at him. Mom looking crazy confused.

"You do?" He voice was calmer now as she directed her question to Lloyd. He shrugged.

"Why are you straying from the fact that he told her everything and ruined us? Whether I have a family or not wasn't apart of our deal."

"It doesn't matter. Didn't you think I ought to have known?"

"I didn't think it was necessary. And neither is all of this. What's necessary is finding out where he took her. And go to the police and report him for kidnapping."

"I didn't kidnap her. Even if I wanted to tell her everything - which I didn't - I wouldn't go about it like that."

"You're lying-"

"No," I said, speaking up again. "He's not."

"Stop trying to stand up for him Kay!" Mom yelled at me sternly.

"I'm not trying to stand up for an-"

Suddenly, without so much of a warning, Lloyd leaped for my dad, both of them tumbling to the hard concrete with synchronizing groans. I stood frozen at the scene, flinching as Lloyd threw a hard punch across Pete's face. They rolled around on the floor, throwing punch after punch, kicks and elbows. At first I decided to just leave them and let them have it out, then as I saw blood dripping from the corner of Pete's mouth, I decided to intervene. I started off to go towards them but a pair of hands caught hold of my upper arms, restricting me.

"Let me go!" I screeched through gritted teeth.

"No," mom said locking me to her, "leave them to it, they need to resolver this." Wtf.

"Ugh. You're such...a B***H!" And in response to that she spun me around and rewarded me with a slap right across the cheek. And man did it stung like hell. Reminding myself that I was now free I quickly forgot about it and ran towards the two figures hurdling around on the floor a couple feet away.

Lloyd was feeding Pete a series of punches into his face and neck; more blood and groans resurfacing. Then as dad suddenly found control, he rolled over and pinned Lloyd beneath him. He grabbed a handful of his hair and twisted. Lloyd yelped. "She's not yours!!" Pete shouted as he raised Lloyd's head and slammed it so hard on the concrete, I swore I heard a cracking sound. I involuntarily stopped in my tracks as shock and excruciating horror rose goosebumps on my arms. Lloyd's body went limp and a pool of blood flowed from the horizon of his head and the ground. Pete looked up at me, horrified, and my breath caught in my throat...