Page 115 of Icy Cold Death

They’d keep their shares, but they wouldn’t be allowed to work there. Julian was not playing.

Because Lianna was there, and Claire was not, he’d start there.

Julian focused on his sister.

“You said before they came in that your ex was a monster. It’s about time you tell us, Lianna. It’s about time you tell us what has been going on.”

Her brothers stood there.

It was so hard doing this in front of them. She’d betrayed her family, and here she was, leaning on them now. She’d been surprised that they took her in.

Lianna didn’t doubt it was because of the kids.

Wiping her eyes, she tried to find the words.

“It’s okay, Lianna,” Connor said. “We have you,” he added.

Tears dripped from her eyelashes.

Somehow, she got the words out.

“The abuse started right after I married him. It wasn’t bad at first, but then…it got worse. He’d hit me, or hurt me, and then tell me it was my fault.”

That did what everyone expected.

Connor growled, and clenched his fists.

If there was more of a ‘momma’ bear in the group, it was that man. He didn’t like men who put their hands on women, but that it was his sister?

Oh, the ex was a dead man walking if their paths ever crossed.

Lianna pushed on.

“It was always in places no one would see and that my clothes covered. It was never in front of the children. Then, he started cheating, and when I said something, it got bad. Honestly, he could have left me and the kids, and I wouldn’t have cared. Only, he didn’t. He kept cheating and made me watch it. In that moment, I knew how Claire felt.”

Julian sat there.

Of the two sisters, Lianna was the changed one. She’d played with fire and got burned.

BIG-TIME.

Yeah, this was difficult, but he knew that she needed to get it out, and then, he knew that he had to give Claire a view into the world that might have been hers had Lianna not done what she did.

Claire could have been the one with the abuse and fear.

Lianna pushed on.

“After I confronted him, he started leaving marks on my face, or where people could see it, and he didn’t care. He wanted to humiliate me, and he did. Everyone knew he was battering me, and I was trapped.”

This pissed off her brothers.

“Can I kill him?” Connor asked.

From beside him, Booth had his answer.

“I’ll alibi you. Leave your phone, and take an older car without GPS,” Booth said. “In fact, I’ll ride shotgun. Justin can be the alibi. We’re going on a hunting trip in the opposite direction.”

While he wasn’t shocked, Julian knew he had to get this done.

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