My older sister is being a complete asshole and I feel like smacking her, BUUUUUUT I will resist the temptation for as long as I can, lol. I've been wanting to post this chapter all day! TARA! George died!

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The next day, Dad was going to come over and try to get me to come shopping with him. The shopping part is fun, the going out part isn't. But with Daddy, it's impossible to talk him out of stuff. Especially when it's stuff like this.

It was almost two when there was a knock at my door. Daddy had a key, so I knew it wasn't him. I got up and unlocked the door leaving the chain locked so I could only open it a few inches. I saw four men and a woman. "Can I help you?" I asked shakily.

"We're looking for this man. Have you seen him around here?" the first man asked me handing me a sheet of paper with a photo on it.

"Wanted? What is he wanted for?" My heart began pounding. The man was wanted and he lives around here. I felt my fear rising.

"Bail jumping." I sucked in a sharp breath.

"What was the original charge?" My heart was pounding and my fear was continuing to rise.

"Assault in the second degree."

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to calm myself, force myself to believe that I am not afraid. My attempts failed and I realized I hadn't answered the man's question yet. "Um, no, I don't think I've seen him around here."

"He was seen entering your apartment. We need to search."

"Why? He's never been here before. Me and my parents are the only people who have a key and I never let anyone else in."

"You're hiding him."

My jaw dropped with disbelief. My heart is racing even faster now. "No!"

"Then why won't you let us search?" another man asked. For some reason this man didn't frighten me as much. It was something about his eyes.

"I'm not hiding anyone," I said, hoping it was said in a firm tone. "I don't even know him."

"Open the door or it's coming down," The first man said.

This made my fear rise. I thought of all the things they could do to me before Dad arrived. I began to push the door shut, but the man held it open. I was trapped. Either way they would com in my apartment. I had nothing to hide, but what if this whole thing was a plan to trap me?

I prayed Dad would come earlier than he said, before I was forced to open the door or they kicked it down.

I quickly glanced over the first man. He had no weapon, just a mace gun, but maybe he thought he could find whatever in my apartment.

"Open the door," a third said. This one was quieter, he wasn't yelling like the others. Maybe he saw my fear or maybe he just had more manners.

"I'm not hiding anything," I repeat, this time I met eyes with the third man. It seemed as if he was ready to believe me.

"Then you won't have a problem letting us search," the first man said impatiently.

"Actually, I do. I'm not going to let any complete stranger into my apartment."

The first showed me a badge and I smiled. "Not working. It's going to take a lot more than that to get me to let you in. So you'd better go home and think it over. Bye." I started shutting the door again, but it was pushed open. "Please, I'm not hiding anything!" This time my voice was trembling but none of them seemed to notice.

The first man exploded. "You're a fucking liar!" he yelled pointing at me.

This angered me more than anything. I wasn't lying at all. "I never let any one in my apartment besides my parents and my older brother," I said quietly looking at the ground.

"You bitch!" the woman yelled at me.

"Fine, he's your brother then," the second man said.

"Right. Well, first of all, he's Mexican. Do I look Mexican to you?" I asked annoyed. It was true. I had dark hair, but I was pale and I have blue eyes.

The man started to push on my door more. I wasn't lying and I had nothing to hide. I was about to scream or threaten to call the police, whichever came out first when I heard Dad's voice calling my name. I saw him walking fast to my door. He pushed past these men and I unlocked the chain. Dad grabbed me and pushed me back inside. He wasn't as gentle as I would've liked, but I didn't expect him to be.

"What is all this?" Daddy asked the men. He was now between us and there was no way they could get past him, at least that's what I had wished.

"She's hiding this man and won't let us search her apartment," the first man said showing Dad the picture.

Dad pulled me into a hug and felt me shaking. "She's hiding no one."

"She's a liar!" the first yelled again. Dad yelled back and soon their yells were mixed together and I couldn't understand anything.

Finally, I had had enough. "Wait!" I yelled raising my hands as if to surrender. "If I let you in, will you just search and leave?"

"That's all we ever asked," the man said in an annoyed tone.

I raised an eyebrow. I saw the third man trying to hide a smile. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. The words that I wanted to say wouldn't come up. I sighed and took a moment to collect myself. I opened my eyes to see Daddy looking at me with a worried expression. He reached for my arm as if to support me. At that moment, I need this support. My knees felt weak, my head was spinning with thoughts. "I'll let ONE of you in and that's it," I said quietly.

"Why not all of us?" The woman asked. I could see the annoyed expression on her face so I decided to meet it.

"The offer is only up for a few minutes," I said hotly. "Take it or leave it."

They all exchanged glances and the first sent the third man in with me. He had more of a polite manner. I saw Daddy glaring at the others and occasionally looking at me as if to see if I was still there.

I stood in the kitchen quietly. The man must have been pretty thorough. He took quite a while for such a small apartment. When he came out of the bedroom I was still shaking, but not as violently. I was pouring a glass of wine. He looked at my hand and saw I was shaking. "I'm sorry about all this. We were wrong."

I looked up at him. "It's fine," I said quietly. "Please leave."

The man nodded, turned and left. I heard him tell the others that there was no way he could have been there. There was no way to get in or out of the windows and there wasn't even a fire escape.

I stared at the counter until I heard a bang. I jumped and saw the first man walking angrily over to me. My heart began racing again. "What are you doing?" I asked almost in a whisper.

"Have you seen him around here?"

I closed my eyes and thought back as far as I could. "Um…" I started. "I think I might have seen him a few weeks ago down in the lobby. He was on the phone, but I'm not sure it was him." Dad ran over to me and hugged me to his chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he felt me shaking.

I nodded. "Fine." I think this is when the first man began to see my fear.

I pulled away from Dad and took a sip of wine. "That's the only time I've seen him, IF that was him," I said quietly.

The man nodded. I saw the sympathy in his eyes, the sympathy I didn't want. I hate it, but I still get it.

"I'm sorry about the name calling," he said quietly. He reached out to touch my hand, but I moved it.

"Please leave," Daddy said. "You've done enough damage here already."

The man seemed confused and looked at me. He saw me holding a wine glass; he saw how my hands were shaking. He nodded and left. Dad went and locked the door behind him. When he returned I was sitting at the kitchen table sobbing. He pulled me into a hug. "Did they touch you at all?" he asked me. He seemed as if he was angry at ME, but I knew he was just worried.

"No, I'm fine." Physically, that was true, but I'm not so sure about emotionally.

I was finally able to calm myself. I felt safer when I was in Dad's embrace, but the feeling of safety rarely lasted long.

"Are you up to going out?" he asked quietly. I felt his breath on my scalp. I knew he wanted me to go with him so I found the last bit of bravery left in my heart and nodded. I knew he was smiling; I knew he was proud of me.

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That night I was almost a normal girl again. Dad got me everything I wanted. After shopping, he walked me back to my apartment and then left. I locked the door behind him and sighed. I was alone for the rest of the night. I closed my eyes a moment and then walked to the living room. My thoughts dwelled on those men, especially the third. He was the one that didn't frighten me. I sat down and turned on the TV. I flipped through the channels until I found something good on. I soon fell asleep, there on the couch.

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There it is. I'm all mad right now because I'm stuck babysitting until my mother gets home which probably won't be for a while.