Page 14 of Truths

“I sure hope no one decides to get retaliation,” Undertaker says.

“You'd hurt my wife?”

Venom laughs and cracks his neck. “Be careful. I hear there are a lot of electrical issues in these old houses causing crazy fires no one notices.”

The men all walk outside, and Hanson runs out after them. “Are you going to do that? Are you going after my wife?”

No one acknowledges him again. Even though Dax knows none of them would ever touch his wife, but Hanson doesn't know that. And after what he did, Dax wants him scared.

“We talking to the others?” Venom asks.

Dax shakes his head. “No, I'm not expecting a different story. And I know Hanson's gonna go running to them with what happened. They'll probably move soon.”

They drive back to his house, and he turns to the three men who showed up in record time to help him. Colt holds a hand up. “Don't.”

“But-”

“Family, Dax,” Venom says. “You want their houses set on fire, just let me know. I can be in and out of there without anyone seeing a fucking thing.”

“I kind of want to flip their cars upside down,” Undertaker says. “But that would probably be hard to conceal.”

Colt nods. “Yeah, probably. But imagine the looks on their faces. I also want to see those small ass cops arrest your ass. It'd look like trying to handcuff Godzilla or something.”

Sighing, he nods to these men and walks inside. “You can go, guys.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I need time in the house with my wife, even if we're in separate rooms.”

Sitting down at the kitchen table, he rests his head in his hands. The Kingsmen have the cops in their pockets. He's fucked. He's actually royally fucked. But why do they want Dani? Why keep her alive all this time and never tell him? What the fuck are they doing?

Chapter Six

Summerville

Kara

Kara's heart pounds against her chest as she steps up to the clubhouse door she hasn't stepped through since she stormed out months ago. Worse, she doesn't know if she'll be welcomed or beaten within an inch of life.

Lex called to tell her that Dani's safe. She's out, but she doesn't know much else besides how traumatized she seems. That she's a shell of her former self, but with that much time locked in basements with God only knowing what was being done to her, it's not that surprising. It makes Kara's stomach flip to think about what those monsters did to her. She knows what she had to endure to prove her worth, but nothing was outwardly forced.

The moment she steps inside, all eyes land on her, and she knows it was a mistake. But she's here, and she has to know. She scans the room and finds the curly blonde sitting with Colt, and she walks over to her while the rest of the room remains quiet. At least Lex doesn't look ready to murder her.

“Where's Dani?”

“She's at Dax's house,” Lex says. “I guess, her house, too?”

Letting out a sigh, Kara feels like she can finally breathe. “But she's okay? She's alive?”

“She's as okay as I think she can be, all things considered. We don't know what they did to her, but she was... different than I remember. Are you safe?”

“I don't know,” she admits with a humorless chuckle and sags her shoulders. “I'm going to guess they've figured out I was only trying to get in there to find her.”

Finnegan steps towards her. “So, it's true? You knew Dani was alive?”

“I saw her in a basement window like Lex did, only it was in a house over on Sheyenne. By the time I made it there without being heavily watched, she wasn't there anymore.”

“Why the fuck didn't you tell us?” Cannon shouts, slamming his hand on the bar top. “We could have gone and ransacked the place months ago!”