Page 100 of Not A Whisper

Every word from his mouth drips with contempt and poisons the air around us. The man is serious and determined. How often does he flex his strength and influence to get his way?

“You like to push people around, don’t you, Garry? God, you’re such a bully.”

Garry hums thoughtfully before he answers. “You walk a fine line, Miss Wilson. I’d be careful if I were you.”

“I’d worry about myself if I were you, given how you seem to be losing control of the people around you.” I shrug. “Speaking of people around you, how are the Nani’s doing these days? And Carlos? I know he’s getting stronger after the chemo treatment. Have you checked in on yourfriend?”

This strikes another nerve. Garry’s jaw clenches as his shoulders stiffen. A tint of red gathers in his cheeks, and his eyes? They turn flat as he pins me with a look that could make paint peel.

“You know, I haven’t.” He looks away from me, shaking his head with dismay. “It seems that myfriendshave let me down just as much as their kids have recently. I hope this is a temporary lapse in judgment on their end. They know how much I despise being disappointed. Learn from my mistakes, Miss Wilson. Clearly, the only place to put your trust is in yourself. Others will always let you down.”

I glare at him. “Trust is earned and isn’t easily regained once lost. Maybe it’s not them that’s the problem here.”

“And another thing, Miss Wilson,” Garry says, ignoring me with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I intend to fulfill my original promise. If I recall correctly, I believe Pianna was included in that as well.” Some of my bolster falters. Shit, he’s right. He doesn’t look at me as he continues to speak. “Think about it, if you walk away now, leave Groveton behind, you’ll at least have your friend. But if you don’t? Pianna, Jason, Trip, Grant… They’ll all know you’re the reason behind their misery.”

He glances at me, awaiting a response.

Rage and trepidation collide in my chest. My heart flutters rapidly. Beside me, my hands twitch to reach out and strangle the man. Something about his expression, however, makes me believe that he’s expecting a reaction. He and Grant are so alikeit’s scary. But because I know what he’s expecting, I can adjust before feeding into it. Rather than strangle Garry, I force myself to smile.

“If you’re going to threaten me, Mr. Gipson, I would rather you use my full name.” My teeth flash as my smile shifts into a cold grin. “You may call me Mrs. Briella Wilson-Gipson.”

All pretense of pleasantries disappear from Garry’s face. The way his brows smash together and his own teeth flash in a muted snarl feels like both a victory and a death sentence.

“You’re a liar! My son wouldn’t dare defile the Gipson line by marrying you.”

Huh, I guess Garry didn’t know about this yet. I snort. “Trust me, I was just as surprised as you when I found out about the name change but,” I shrug. “Here we are. Anyway, have a nice night.”

I force myself to casually turn my back to him and walk away.

“If you see Carlos, ask him how business is going!” Garry calls after me before letting out a cold laugh.

I ignore him as my blood turns cold. The guys told me that Garry has the power to influence Carlos’s business. Just because he can’t reach Trip’s father, doesn’t mean he can’t still affect his life or livelihood.

As I put distance between us, panic creeps in.

Fuck, fuck, fuck… I’m in so much trouble. What am I going to do? I can’t just leave Groveton. But I can’t let Garry try to ruin Pianna’s life either. And what of the guys? What else can Garry do to them? What happened to Grant’s mother and uncle comes to mind. I choke on a scream. No! I can’t let that happen. I press the back of my hand to my mouth to keep a sob from slipping out. What am I going to do?

I need to tell the guys about this run-in.

Twenty-Five

I’ve only been to the Baniker shop once before.

That was with Trip and Jason the day they closed on their ranch, but I’m vaguely familiar with the area. The shop is in an industrial park at the end of a long brick building, mostly made up of garage doors. When I drive down to the shop, I find two work trucks parked in front of the entrance. Neither one is the vehicle Trip drives. He uses his dad’s, which has a bumper sticker on the back with a smiley face on it. His motorcycle is here, however. It gleams in the fading light.

I park beside it and cut the engine.

The entire drive here consisted of me fretting. Garry’s threats play on repeat in my head. He doesn’t have access to the Nani’s and Carlos anymore. Moving them out of Garry’s reach was the smartest move the guys could’ve done. And them moving into my apartment? That was probably just as smart.

But I don’t think either option is going to stop Garry from doingsomething.If he can’t get to the guys, he still has Pianna. I lick my lips nervously and pull out my phone.

Me: Garry caught me after work, and we had a fun chat. He’s pissed off.

Me: I may have let it slip that he has a daughter-in-law

Hopefully someone will text back soon. I need reassurance that everything is going to be ok.

Leaning back in my seat, I stare at the large glass window with the Baniker logo on it. The little yellow guy, holding a hammer in one hand and wooden board in the other, needs to be repainted. The sunlight hitting it and the weather have caused it to fade and chip. Behind it, something moves. An employee?

---