Page 124 of Under an Endless Moon

The happy-go-lucky guy who didn’t take a whole lot seriously was completely missing.

And in his place was something…terrifying.

Menacing.

Predatory.

Sinister.

“Is this that Tanner cocksucker? Motherfucker is dead,” Otto hissed.

River growled beside him, and grunts went up all around the rest of my family as if they were tossing out their votes and judgement had just been cast.

Thoughts churned through my mind. Everything Tanner had said. The things he’d done.

Intuition pushed against it, and I shook my head. “No. It doesn’t track. He’s kind of an arrogant asshole. But to come here…and…and shoot Otto?”

I attempted to swallow around the dread that thickened my throat. “There’s no way. That would be insane. Besides, whoever was on the footage both here and at the stop doesn’t match. Tanner is way bigger than that guy.”

“Then who?” It was caution that filled my brother’s voice. Warning me of what they would do to whoever they found was responsible.

But it was venom that dripped off Otto’s tongue that sent a rash of chills streaking through me. “No one gets to fuck with you, Raven. Not on my watch.”

“Yeah, any asshole who thinks he can come around here messing with you? Then takes a shot at Otto here? He should already know things aren’t gonna end so well for him.” Theo’s voice was a blade.

Kane laughed a morbid sound. “Poor fucker picked the wrong people to get brave with.”

“Pff,” Theo grunted. “Brave? Spray painting threats on a woman’s windows and taking shots while he’s runnin’? Pussy bitch is gonna be screaming when we come for him.”

“Who’s got a grudge against you, Raven?” River’s question was close to a demand, though it was soft. A prodding that warned we didn’t have time to waste.

I tried to process through the disorder, and I shook my head to make sense of the chaos. “I have no idea.”

River straightened to his full height, and the tattoos on his neck writhed. “Believe me when I tell you that we’ll find out who it is.”

I wanted to tap back into the casualness I’d used at the store when we’d found what had been painted on the window. Play it off. But this? I shifted my attention to Otto who looked like he was going to snap.

Barely holding himself together.

There was no playing this off.

But I wanted to. I wanted to pretend like this wasn’t happening.

I wanted to be free.

For once in my life, I wanted to be free.

Wholly and completely.

Without the fear that had chased me down for my entire life. Without the chains that had kept me bound.

Pain splintered through the middle of me at the realization of how serious this could have been.

Otto could have been killed.

Gulping, I struggled to breathe.

“Until we find out who is responsible, I don’t want you out of my sight. Get your things.” River’s voice was close to a snarl.

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