Page 46 of Broken Skulls

Jesse looks at me in the rearview mirror as she and Lily drive me over to Jacob’s house. Somehow she reads my mind.

“Why don’t you just start by dreaming of a world without that fucking piece of shit teacher in it?”

The thought floods my system with relief, but it’s short lived. My anxiety immediately returns when he enters my mind’s eye. “What if they don’t get him? He’ll know it was me.”

“They’ll get him.”

I can’t imagine what they are all going to think of me when they do.

“You know, no one can walk in our shoes,” she interrupts my racing thoughts. “We all have reasons for doing what we do. How we handle our shit, that’s our business. Own it.”

When we get to the junkyard, Lily hugs me before closing me into Jacob’s room. The drill rattles on the outside as they put the lock back on. A shiver slides down my spine, and I take a deep breath.

Slowly, I lower myself to the mattress, suddenly exhausted. That was more human interaction than I’ve had in a long time.

I reach under me, because there’s a lump on the bed. When I pull it out, I realize it’s a stuffed animal. It’s a stuffed puppy to be exact. I can’t see it, but I can feel his floppy ears.

My heart squeezes painfully. Jacob left this for me. Sobs begin to wrack my body, and for the first time in so long I’m able to allow myself the comfort of his kindness. I hug the dog to my chest, rolling onto my side. And that’s not all I do. I cautiously let myself begin to dream.

And the entire thing revolves around him.

Chapter Twenty

Jacob

Tank made the call to Danielle’s husband, Anthony, as soon as he heard Elizabeth suggested it.

“She wouldn’t have mentioned it if she didn’t think it was necessary to our success. She’s never been very fond of Anthony.”

“Why?”

“Because he was the only one who could see through her bullshit.”

I bite my tongue, letting him get on with making the call. Fuck him and his attitude. He fucked up. He didn’t see what was going on with his woman. Scratch that. My woman. Maybe that’s why he missed it. She had that shit buried deep. I roll my head on my shoulders. I’ll let it go … for now.

When he hangs up, he tells us that Anthony is already on it. Danielle made him do a deep dive on Mr. Baxter.

“He said he thinks he has his place booby trapped. Sounds like the place is set to blow. There’s something in there he doesn’t want anyone to see.”

“Jesus. She wasn’t joking when she said the fucker is dangerous,” Jackson says, shaking his head.

Tank kicks his leg over his bike. “Anthony says they’re getting close to disarming everything, but they’re going to wait for us before going in.”

“Let’s roll, boys.” Jackson pulls up next to me. He waits for me to look at him. He gives me a one finger salute when he sees I’m good. “We’ve got your girl, man.”

I watch as all my brothers hit the blacktop. Big Dan rides behind me to the left. I chuckle to myself. I’m sure his wife has him watching my back.

We push hard all day and most of the night, pulling into the parking lot of a rundown hotel just as the sun breaks the horizon. Three men in suits step from the lobby as we stretch and grab our gear. Tank heads over, shaking their hands before hugging them.

Slowly, everyone begins to gather round. Tank introduces me to Anthony.

“So, you’re the crazy bastard who’s taken on Lizzie.”

I shake his hand, my gaze narrowing on him. “Elizabeth,” I correct. Lizzie was who she had to be to survive.

He chuckles, dips his head in acquiescence. “Elizabeth,” he repeats. He looks at Tank. “I like him already.”

Jackson interrupts. “Fuck, I need to hit the hay. What time are we doing this?”

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