I hadn’t been a hero when I’d killed him for hitting my mama. I’d just been a boy who’d hated that old son of a bitch.
It was hate and fear that drove me closer to my house now, just like it had been hate and fear and anger that drove me to pick up that iron skillet and beat my father to death.
This time, though, I wouldn’t lie about whatever happened. I wouldn’t run away. I would do whatever was necessary to make Haley and Carly safe, even if it meant being sent back to prison for the rest of my life.
I hadn’t even made it halfway up the stone path when the door opened. The pit of my stomach dropped out at the sight of the blonde child standing there.
For one moment, so beautiful it almost hurt, all I could see was her. I could see me and Leah there, see that all of the shit we’d gone through had been worth it just to bring this beautiful, perfect child into the world.
And then her lower lip trembled as Derrell Mitchell, Sr. reached out to stroke a hand down her hair. He held a gun in his hand. That gun touched my daughter.
I was going to kill him. Him and Ridley. Consequences be damned.
“Nice to see you decided to join us, Bobby.” He smiled, his lips peeling back to display teeth stained by too much tobacco. His face had whittled down to angles and hollows. He looked like he’d been living on cigarettes and hate and nothing else. When I didn’t say anything, he bent down and spoke to Haley. “You know who that guy is, sweetheart?”
Haley blinked at me and then scowled. “You said I’d see my dad soon.”
He laughed. It was a strong, booming laugh. It sounded wrong coming from his all but desiccated husk. He pointed a finger in my direction. “Girl, that is your dad.”
Her mouth fell open. She blinked, hard and fast, three times. Then she sucked in a breath and jerked up her chin, eyes sparkling. “Okay. So?”
A surge of pride went through me. Not pride for anything she’d gotten from me. No, that was pure nurture. Her real parents had taught her that, and I was proud of her for it.
Mitchell’s eyes narrowed. Then he grabbed her shoulder and jerked her inside by the arm, squeezing tight enough that it had to hurt, but she didn’t make a sound. It took everything I had not to attack him right there.
“Get in here.”
I started toward him.
Before I could clear the door, he jabbed the gun he held at me. It was a Sig P229 and he held it in a rock steady grip.
I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t want to end this before it started.
“Take off your clothes.” The smile on his face stopped at his mouth. His eyes were dead.
“What?” My heart thudded against my chest. I wasn’t scared of him killing me. I was scare that, without the protection, I wouldn’t be able to protect Haley.
“Yeah.” He smiled, displaying his tobacco-enhanced smile once more. “If you’re wired, we’re taking care of it here and now.”
I shot a look past him into the house. “If you think I’m stripping down with that kid watching, then your head isn’t screwed on right.”
His eyes narrowed. Then he waved the gun in a vague gesture. “Shirt. Jeans. Shoes. Jacket. Leave them outside. You can keep your...” He hesitated, looking back into the house. “Your shorts can stay on.”
“Considerate of you,” I said, baring my teeth. My mind was racing, trying to decide if I should attempt to hide the wire or let him see it.
Remembering that I still had a back-up, I decided to take the chance. Once I’d stripped off the sweater and t-shirt, I grabbed the wire and ripped it off, holding it out for him to see.
His eyes flared hot, and he lunged forward, grabbing it and throwing it down, driving his heel down on the mic until it shattered. “Did you think you could fuck with me like that?”
I held out my hands. “Hey, I’m doing what I’m told. The cops wired me up and told me to get my ass up here. I did what they said so I could get here.” I curled my lip and derisively added, “Not like I can say no, now can I?”
“That’s right.” He glared at me. “You’re just a waste of space, an ex-con. You never should have gotten out of jail to begin with.”
A cold wind whipped across the mountain side and I couldn’t keep from shivering. “Did you bring me up to make me freeze my ass off? If not...” I gestured at the clothes.
He shrugged.
I grabbed them, but as I came inside, he pointed to the fireplace. “Burn them. We’ll see if we can’t find something else for you to wear in front of the kid.”
I was still shivering as I hunkered down by the fire, but I took my time as I fed one thing after another in. That had been what Ryan had said they needed. Time.
Haley sat in a chair nearby, looking small and scared. Her eyes met mine and I wanted to tell her it would be okay. But I didn’t. I couldn’t show any more interest in her than I had to. Not in front of Mitchell. He had to think that she wasn’t as important to me as he’d thought.
“You never knew about your other daddy, did you?” Mitchell asked, sitting down on the table close to her, positioned so he could see us both.
Haley ignored him, so he slammed a fist down on the table. She jumped, her eyes going wide.
“Leave the kid alone,” I said, straightening up from my crouch.
“You don’t get to give the orders here.” Mitchell stayed where he was, smiling up at me.
“You wanted me here. I’m here. Now let her go.” Once Haley was safe, I’d find Carly.
“Let her go? But the fun’s just getting started!” He stood, moving with an uneasy, jerky sort of energy. He spread his arms wide as he spun around the room. “Ridley, bring in our other guest.”
As he turned away, I looked at Haley. She was staring at me. Her lips moved. “Is it...?”
The door on the far side of the room opened, cutting her off, and I felt a small measure of relief. I hated that she had to know at all, hated even more that it had happened this way. Carly came stumbling out, crashing into the doorframe before going to her knees.
“Get her fat ass over here,” Mitchell said.
I wanted to curl my hands around his neck and squeeze. Then Ridley emerged from the darkened room, and my knuckles went white as I made fists. His face was a mask.
“Did you hear me?” Mitchell took a step toward me.
If I hadn’t known Ridley so well, I would have missed the flinch. His voice was caustic, rude as ever when he said, “Give me a break, Mitchell. She’s still fighting off the drugs I had to give her to make her be quiet.”
Drugs.
I’d never enjoyed killing, never did it for pleasure or fun, but I was seriously considering making the two of them suffer before I ended them.
“Well, if you hadn’t let your dick do your thinking for you and brought her along, then it wouldn’t be an issue.” Mitchell gave Carly a look of acute disgust before he turned back to me.
In the next moment, Ridley took Carly’s arm. She tried to jerk away, but she was off-balance. Shit, yes. He had drugged her. I could see it in the overly-clumsy way she moved and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see it in her fogged gaze too.
“I wasn’t about to leave her behind,” he said. There was something almost pleading in his eyes when he looked at her, even though his voice stayed cold. “I set all this up to get rid of him. Why would I get him out of the way just to walk away from her?”
“Why would you want her after he touched her?” Mitchell pointed to the couch. “Put her by the kid. I want to see all three of them. In...” He went silent, head cocked.
I heard it in the next moment too, and my gut froze. Cars.
He whirled around, pointing the gun at Haley’s head for a moment before shifting it to Carly. “I told you no cops!”
“I didn’t bring any!” I shouted.
I meant it too. I hadn’t brought any – to the fucking door.
The gun pivoted between the two of them and I knew I couldn’t get to him fast enough to stop him. Couldn’t cover both of them. Ridley shifted, ever so slightly. His eyes moved to Haley and then back to me.