Page 72 of Better Hide

I’ve broken him. And all it took was a punch to the face.

It should mean everything, but the victory is empty. Hollow. His submission is not what I want. I want Jo’s. In fact, I need it more than my next breath.

I snap to my feet.

“Please,” Ralph pleads. “She doesn’t know.”

What a puke. I whirl and land a punch on Ralph’s face. “Where is the kiddie porn?”

“What?” Ralph wails. “What are you talking about? If you want it, I don’t have it.”

“I don’t want your fucking filth.” Rage courses through me, and I don’t think before I throw another punch. “Did you touch Sam?”

“Sam?” Ralph screeches.

I go for another hit.

“Wait!” He screams. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Marian wanted to adopt Sam, and I said go ahead. It…looks good, you know? A happy family. Please, I’m just running a business.”

I stare at him.

Ralph sobs. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Why were you friends with Pat?”

Ralph sobs harder.

I lean down by his ear and chuckle as he flinches away. “Why?”

“We fucked, okay! We fucked.” Ralph cries fully now.

I freeze. That’s not the answer I expected.

Cole chuckles. “Does that make us Eskimo brothers?”

I snap a nasty glare at Cole, and he throws up his hands. “We’ve got it.” He shows me the computer screen, flipping to my wallet. The Bitcoin is showing live.

I turn on Ralph. A look of relief covers his teary face. “It worked!”

Suddenly, I have no more use for Ralph.

“You’re not going to say anything, are you?” I grab a decorative pillow.

Ralph gives a giddy laugh. “Never! I’d never. This stays between us. Thank you, thank you.”

“You’re right, it does.” I grab Ralph and shove him so his back hits the couch.

“What?” His eyes widen, but not in time.

I drop the pillow over Ralph’s face and put all my weight into it, dropping my knees on Ralph’s chest to push all the air out of him.

Ralph screams and panics, flailing his arms and legs. He gets a good hit in, which only pisses me off further. I lean my entire weight into him.

“Jesus, Jay,” Cole mutters.

“You want to run the risk he runs to the cops?”

“Course not,” Cole scoffs. “But try not to look so crazy, will you? This is just business.”

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