Page 54 of Broken Skulls

Elizabeth

“Let’s go. The guys should be there by now,” Jesse says, pulling me from the floor.

Her and Lily talk quietly outside the car before they join me inside.

“What Katie said about JD,” Jesse begins to say, pausing to light a cigarette, “I’m afraid it’s true. JD has lost his mind. The guys had to keep him tied up. I just wanted to prepare you.”

I focus on the dark road ahead of us.

“If they wouldn’t have, JD would have ripped that asshole to shreds with his bare hands,” Lily tells me, giving my knee a gentle squeeze.

Our lights shine over a tall chain link fence that surrounds an abandoned building. A couple of bikers wave us through the gate. My pulse picks up when I see Jacob sitting on the ground, his hands tied behind his back. He doesn’t look up as we pull to a stop near him.

Dirk and Dan hug their women as I stand awkwardly beside them, my gaze never leaving Jacob.

I know why it’s hard for him to look at me.

Jackson wraps his arm around my shoulder. “He’s inside. Do you want to see him?”

It’s then Jacob raises his head, his eyes locking on mine. Silently, a promise passes from him to me.

He has me.

“Untie him.” I point to Jacob, making sure Jackson understands I don’t mean the evil man inside.

“You sure? Because it took five of my toughest guys to control him. He’ll be inside and have that fucker dead in under thirty seconds, and that will be the end of it. You won’t get to see dear old Mr. Baxter alive.”

“I’m sure.”

Jacob’s gaze leaves mine briefly to pass over his friends. His jaw is working hard, and I know I’m asking a lot of him. He wants the man who hurt me dead, but I also trust him. He’ll let me lead.

When the ties are loosened, I walk over and take his hands in mine, running my thumbs over the torn skin along his wrists. He fought hard.

“Will you go in with me?” I ask softly.

He nods, unable to speak.

It’s quiet inside. Men are scattered about, some on their phones. All pause to nod at us as we pass. Anthony is standing outside a door, and I know that’s where he is. The man that stole everything from me … almost down to the last drop of my sanity, but Jacob saved it.

I stare at the doorknob. Anthony steps in front of me, blocking my view.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly.

Jacob grunts.

“No one has anything to be sorry for, except him.” I motion toward the door.

Anthony takes my face in his hands. “Danielle is on her way. She would like to see you.”

It’s then I notice the painting.

Jacob squeezes my hand.

Mr. Baxter painted it the first time he let me see where the blood he used to paint with came from.

I’m frozen in the doorway, staring at the girl’s hair hanging over the edge of a cold silver table. Is it Danielle? I can’t be certain, because she doesn’t have a face …

“Beautiful isn’t she,” Mr. Baxter says, pushing me from behind toward the dead girl.

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