"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Shadow Storm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

Shadow Storm


Mickey Zucker Reichert

Heroes often come from the most unexpected places under the most
extreme circumstances. Most children have their heroes, someone to look
up to, someone to turn to for strength.




Matthew Draybin lashed his hand across his six-year-old
step-daughter's face, the slap reverberating through the tiny bedroom. "
I'm your father, do you understand that?"

Pain lanced through Stacy's head, and her vision shattered in a white
flash of light. She cringed, and the next blow caught her across one ear.
Tears spilled forth, unbidden.

"I'm the one who feeds you." Another smack, "I'm the one who clothes
you." Draybin whipped his open hand across Stacy's head. "I'm the one
who has to take time off work when you're sick." His fingers entwined in
the sandy locks. He jerked them free, tearing several hairs out at the roots.
"Don't you ever call me anything but 'Dad' again."

Stacy sobbed, curled in a fetal position. Her cheek and ear felt on fire,
but she dared not move. She could still feel his slender body towering over
her, and the image of his drawn, angry features remained engraved on her
eyes no matter how hard she tried to lose it.

Draybin prodded his stepdaughter's forehead with his shoe. "And if I
ever hear you call Sean 'Dad' in front of me again, I'll kick you to death.
I'm your father. Do you understand that?"

Stacy said nothing. She remained tightly curled, waiting for the pain
and its source to go away. But the man remained, his presence like a lead
weight in the air around her.

"I said, do you understand?"

"IтАФundтАФerтАФstand," Stacy managed.

"WHAT?" His shout ached against her eardrums.

"IтАФunderтАФstand," she said again, louder, careful not to allow the
volume to sound disrespectful.

"Good." Draybin turned and stalked from the room, his footsteps loud
in the hallway, then thumping down the stairs.