Page 64 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“Yes, Boss.”

Em seemed shocked when I started cutting into my chicken.

“What?”

“You’re going to eat? He’s on his way. Aren’t you, like, going to prepare?”

I chuckled. “I’ll need my energy for Frazee.” I pointed my fork at his plate. “You need to eat too.”

He stared at me as if I had three heads, but eventually he started eating. The room was quiet, Uncle Andrew and Aunt Penelope whispering softly to each other. I’d already planned on asking my uncle to come with me to talk to Frazee. He had every right to ask Frazee anything he wanted, and I wouldn’t stop him.

Dafni was helping Maeve eat and while I was sure she had some choice words for Barrett, she didn’t step over into this part of the family. She knew I’d take care of things.

After dinner Dafni, my aunt, and a few others left. Em remained. If he wanted to come I’d let him; he had a right to make his own choices.

“Uncle Andrew, would you like to join us?”

“Absolutely.”

I nodded and looked at Em. “You’re welcome to come too. A lot of this affects you. It won’t be pretty but if at any time you want to leave, you can go. No one will stop you.”

He bit his lip. I could tell he was trying to decide, and I’d wait forever for his answer if I had to. It wasn’t like Barrett was going anywhere.

“I…can I come? I don’t know if I’ll stay.”

“Of course.”

When we walked through the house to get to the basement, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Penelope and Dafni had done it, likely some sort of magic those women wielded.

The door to the lower level was like any other—it opened, and there were stairs. But at the bottom was a far more secure door, and it was soundproof. Benny went down first, followed by Cosmo and my uncle Andrew.

“You stay behind me.”

Em nodded, and I descended the stairs. Mike would make sure the doors were shut behind us.

The room had six guys in it and Frazee. He was chained to the wall, not caged, and not on the cross. It wasn’t as if he could run anywhere.

I grinned at him and opened my arms. “Barrett Frazee, you son of a bitch, where the fuck have you been hiding?” I moved closer, balled up my fist, and punched him square in the nose.

CHAPTER THIRTY

“We can be our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.”

~ Tom Robbins

Em

I stepped back as soonas Saros punched Frazee. Not out of fear. I had seen and been a party to a lot of violence. No, I didn’t want to be in the way, and Saros needed to focus. Mike guided me to a stool, and I quietly sat on it.

“What the fuck, Saros?”

“Oh, did you think I brought you here to braid your hair? You know why you’re here, don’t you?”

“All I know is, I was going out and your idiots grabbed me.”

Saros tsked and wagged a finger at Frazee. “So disrespectful.” And he punched him again, this time in the stomach.

Frazee coughed and Saros stepped away, not even flexing his hand. His knuckles had to hurt since they hadn’t healed enough after he punched the wall.

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