Page 133 of For the Birds

Fear rushed through my blood like a January arctic wind, chilling me to the core, but I tried not to let it show. Still, he must have seen the flicker of fear because his grin spread. “You should be afraid. Part of tonight is about teachin’ Skeeter Malcolm a lesson about loyalty and consequences, and a good part of that means hittin’ him where it hurts him themost.”

Hitting James where it hurt the most didn’t mean actually hitting him, although I was sure Merv had that in mindtoo.

I had the gun—I could feel it strapped to my leg—but I panicked anyway, lunging between the two front seats for the front passengerdoor.

A man was walking from the convenience store to his car parked at the gas pump, and I banged on the window and started screaming, “Help! Helpme!”

The man startled and stood in place, clearly torn between helping and running.

Merv wrestled me down to the seat before punching me again. He’d intended to hit me in the face, but I turned my head at the last minute, and the blow hit the side of my head. My vision darkened and I heard a gunshot before I passedout.

* * *

When I came to,my head was pounding and Merv was hauling me out of the backseat. He jerked me to my feet, but I was still unsteady and my legs started to buckle. Holding me up with one hand, he pointed a gun to my temple with the other and dragged me around the back of thecar.

“Sorry, I don’t have your brother,” Merv said. “But I brought someone else you seem to be fondof.”

I heard James before I saw him. “Rose.”

We were in the same warehouse in Louisiana where I’d been taken before, but this time James was standing in the middle of the space. The three wooden chairs arranged to his right were a new addition since my last visit. James had his gun trained on Merv, and he looked furious.

“I’m gonna kill you with my bare hands, Chapman,” Skeeter said in a voice so deadly it scared evenme.

Merv laughed. “That’s not gonna happen, but I’ll let you think so for now if it makes you feel better. And you might as well put that gun away. We both know if you shoot me, I’ll shoot hertoo.”

“Where’s Scooter?” James asked, still holding his gun on Merv. “You said you’d foundhim.”

“He didn’t have to find him,” I said. “He was one of the men who took him. He’s conniving with someone in Buck Reynolds’ camp. But Buck’s not in onit.”

James’ eyes hardened. “What’s your endgame, Merv?”

“We both know.” He took several steps forward, dragging me withhim.

I heard a car engine in the distance, and Merv’s hold on my arm tightened.

A car pulled through the wide-open warehouse doors and parked next to Merv’s sedan. Paul Chapman got out of the driver’s door—I recognized him from his photo and Jeanne’s vision—then opened the back door and pulled out a man whose face was covered with faded and fresh bruises. One eye was nearly swollen shut. Still, I could see a resemblance to James, although Scooter Malcolm was shorter and heavier.

“Skeeter,” the man said when he saw James. “Why’d you come, youfool?”

His words shocked me, but then I remembered he came from the same stock as James. Of course he talked tough.

James remained silent, his gun still trained onMerv.

“Brothers versus brothers,” Merv said. “Only, we have the upper hand thistime.”

“Scooter never wanted any part of this,” James said. “And you know I kicked him out five yearsago.”

“And her?” Merv gave me a shake. “You sure wanted her. And if you dare deny it, I’ll shoot her where she stands.”

Regret momentarily filled James’ eyes, but he didn’t deny the truth. His expression hardened, and he snarled, “Cut to the chase, Merv. You were never one for theatrics, so tell me how this is supposed to playout.”

“We’re waitin’ for one more player,” Merv said. “And maybe I’ve warmed up to the idea of ashow.”

It was the show that worried me. I knew Merv had manhandled Neely Kate just last week. I was certain he’d do the same to me—he already had—but I had no idea how far he’d go. James was going to lose hismind.

And that was exactly what Merv wanted.

He dragged me toward the chairs, turning us to face James as he walked. When we reached them, he said, “Grab one of the chairs, Lady.” He said the name with even more disgust than before. “You’re gonna drag it until I saystop.”

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