Chapter 2 - The Sound of Iron Soles
The front door didn't just open; its heavy brass handle struck the dry-wall bumper with a thunderous crack.
Ethan’s dark grey henley shirt was damp with sweat at the collar as he lunged across the threshold.
His boots struck the oak floor in rapid, heavy thuds that made the brass wall sconces rattle.
"Get your hands off my daughter!"
The roar tore through the quiet hall, knocking the silence flat.
Before Clara’s fingers could slip away from the lock of hair, Ethan’s large, calloused hand clamped around her forearm.
His thumb pressed so hard into her wrist bone that her fingers snapped open instantly.
Ethan didn't pause to negotiate.
He swept his left arm under Maya’s small thighs, lifting her straight up against his collarbone in one violent, fluid motion.
Maya’s face buried itself into the coarse grey cotton of his shirt, her small body trembling like a wet bird.
With his right palm, Ethan slammed his hand flat against Clara’s shoulder, driving his weight forward.
Clara went airborne for half a second, her beige trousers catching air before her back crashed into the tall wooden console table.
A ceramic vase filled with dried eucalyptus whipped off the edge.
It struck the floor right beside a silver-framed photograph of Ethan’s late wife, shattering into a hundred sharp, pale grey shards.
The frame bounced twice, landing face down on the wood.
Clara slid down the wall, her white shirt untucking from her waistband as she gasped for air.
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Her perfect blonde bun collapsed, long yellow strands falling across her eyes like corn silk.
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