When Alejo falls unconscious again, the metallic clink of something falling by my toe catches my attention. Instinctively, I look to what caused the sound. It's a piece of metal. When I pick it up, I see flowers decorating it. I have no idea what it is, but I tuck it in my bra because I want to feel close to him.

There's an eerie silence surrounding me. There's nothing but our faint breathing and a delicate twitch next to his jugular. I run my fingers over his neck and spot a leather strap – nearly the same colour as his skin – wrapped around it.

Curling my finger around the strap, I pull it from under his shirt. There's a cross with the phrase, 'God bless the MPD' stamped on the front. I remove it from him and wrap it around my wrist like a bracelet.

I lean close and promise to return it to him in an hour or two.

His items give me a sense of freedom.

I decide to confront my sisters and let them know how much what Lulu did bothered me. I want to let them know that somehow, fuck only knows how, I'm getting out of his madness. I also plan on telling them what our father is, even though I know they won't believe me.

Tucking Alejo's leather strap under the cuff of my shirt, I walk out of the guesthouse and make my way to the place that's kept me a prisoner since the day I was born.

There's an unGodly silence when I enter the house. The overpowering scent of my mother's horrid orchid perfume leading to the front door tells me she left not too long ago. It's her typical outside smell.

As I fan the stench away, Alejo's necklace slips out from its hiding place.

I do not notice my father is right by me until I feel the savage pain of him grabbing my wrist.

"Who does this belong to?"

My heart has fallen out of my chest and lies spasming at my feet.

I open my mouth but no sound comes out. I try to pull away but I am a sinking ship in a tidewater.

"This is a man's item --" his words trail off as he grabs the cross. When he lets out an almighty howl I understand he's read the inscription. "Where did you get this, you little fool?"

I want to tell him it's mine. But I know I'll get hit for telling such a lie.

When I fail to reply, my father slaps me so hard I see Orion.

"Is there anyone on the property?" His grip has moved to my shoulders and he shakes me until the stars look like they are falling all over me.

I swallow blood.

"No! There's no one. I found it." I lie and he sees right through it.

Tyrone rages. Sounds are ebbing from within him that belong to animals.

When I look at him, I see death in his eyes.

My father pushes me away and I fall to the ground.

I know which way he is heading when I scream NO. It's the direction of his gun cabinet.

I half crawl, half run until I am around his legs like a snake and try to stop him.

"Someone is here. The police are here. You fucking bitch you let them in!" He grabs fistfuls of hair, pulls me up, and drags me to the kitchen. I'm going to tie you to a chair then bring whoever is here and kill them in front of you." His breath comes out in chunks. I think of stones hitting me.

Tyrone sandwiches me between himself and the counter as he tugs open a drawer to get something to tie me up with.

"You're not killing anyone," I protest angrily.

"You think?" His hands are around my neck like a vice. When those stars return, I know he's not going to let go. I reach for something, anything, yet there's nothing on the counter that could save me.

My peripheral vision gets dark. I lower my hands and dig into the nearest drawer. When I find a meat tenderizer I pull it out, reach up, pray to a God I no longer believe in I don't miss, and whack him across the head as hard as I can.

Tyrone howls in pain and lets me go.

I am free.

Turning, I see blood gushing from a cut on his head. Without thinking, I raise my weapon and hit him again.

He falls to the floor. Dazed but far from dead.

"I hate you!" Straddling him, I raise the tenderizer again. I am shaking so much I can barely stand up. If I kill him, it's end game. If I let him live...well, maybe his punishment will be worse. I want worse. "I hate you so much that I'm not even going to kill you. I'm going to let the wolves have you." I drop the tenderizer and run out of the house as fast as I can.