Page 104 of Fracture

“Does this all make it right, though?” She shakes her head, urgency filling her eyes. “Levi, we could just go. The three of us, just leave. Go somewhere, and forget about all of this.”

“You think those bullets in the letterboxes are going to stop if we just leave?”

Her eyes widen. “How do you know about that?”

“I find out what I need to in order to keep you safe.”

“This is insane, Levi.” She jerks her hand out of my grasp. “This isn’t right. You have to stop.”

I set my jaw, shaking my head. “Not gonna happen.”

“You think they’ll stop if you go around killing everyone?” She gets to her feet, bracing her fingers against her temples. “These people are powerful. You think they’re not going to know it’s you and Dylan? You think they won’t take it out on me when they can?”

I rise and yank her against me. “Do not say that. I will not let them hurt you.”

“You can’t watch me every second of every day.” She reaches up and strokes my cheek. “Levi, you just talked about having a family. Imagine that? Imagine them finding out where we live? Where our kids go to school? Imagine them seeing our daughter at the park?” Fresh tears well in her eyes, and my stomach drops at the very thought of a little girl with Stella’s big amber eyes and Dylan’s brown skin,our daughter, being hurt like Stella was.

“I’m not going to let that happen. We’re sending a message to these people.” I clutch her face in my hands. “They will know not to fuck with us. They will know that. And they will never hurt you, or Dylan, or me, or anyone else we care about. And if they do, I will rain fucking hell down on them.”

CHAPTER 24

STELLA

The bookstore is busierthan usual, and the banter of the groups around me does nothing to soothe the headache that I’ve been nursing all morning. Dylan and Levi left for the garage just after dawn, and my leave has continued on now for over a month.

I’m bored out of my brain, and have spent way too much time wandering around downtown Bellford Heights buying books and drinking enough coffee to give me the jitters.

I miss my fucking job.

The FBI gave the office the all-clear to reopen a week after the threat had been called in. Clark kindly told me that I should stay away a little longer, and so now I find myself with an armful of books, a thumping headache and a cramping belly because my stupid period is due. And Gloria Fenton-Langford’s interview airs this weekend.

Happy fucking Thursday to me.

I round the towering shelves to head to the counter, and almost drop my books.

Oswald Perlmann is standing by the door, dressed in the three piece suit he seems to live in. The chain of a pocket watch dangles from his waistcoat, and he looks so out of place in thebright and cheery bookstore, looming in the doorway like a bad dream.

His thin lips lift into a smile as I edge closer to him.

“Hello, dear.” He gestures to the counter. “I told them to charge whatever you buy to me. I’m sure I’ve missed enough birthdays to owe you a gift by now.”

“I don’t need a gift from you.”

The young woman at the register looks from Oswald to me and back again. “Is everything alright here?”

Oswald smiles at her sweetly, running a hand over his thinning white hair. “It certainly is. My granddaughter and I haven’t seen each other in far too long, I think she’s just surprised.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” I place the books on the counter and try to give the young woman a reassuring smile. “I’m sorry, I changed my mind, can I leave these with you?”

“Uh, sure I guess, I mean-”

“Thanks!” I stride past Oswald and out onto the sunny street, desperate to get as much distance between me and him as I can.

“Stella, could you give me a moment?”

How the fuck is an old man this fast?

“No, I can’t.” I snap over my shoulder, heading for my car.

---