Page 28 of Refuge for Flora

Barrett grinned. “Yeah, but I can tell you one thing. If he hasanythingto do with the influx or raising of illegal animals in this area and I get my hands on him, that’ll be the end of it.” Barrett took another swallow of tea. “About ready to go? We’ll go get your car.”

“Yeah. Let’s.” She watched as he glanced at the check the server had brought with their refills, added a tip, and signed it, then put his card away. He was out of his chair and behind her faster than she thought possible, and he helped her up from her seat and followed her closely as they stepped outside.

But the minute they were both in the truck, he turned to her, his right knee drawn up on the seat and an arm resting on the seat’s back. “Okay. What were you about to tell me in there when you stopped?”

“Barrett, I…” A white-hot spike of panic speared her chest, and she sat there, terrified. What would happen when he found out?

“Flora, you have to tell me. I need to know who I’m dealing with here.”

It took everything she had to start. “So he and Velma got into?”

“Who’s Velma?”

“Bradley’s girlfriend. Bradley’s his business partner. Velma was Bradley’s girlfriend. I didn’t like her much. She was loud and obnoxious, and very opinionated, but she made a mean venison stew that all the guys liked. She told me one time that if I didn’t start fixing myself up, she was gonna start fucking Darryl because I looked like such a hag.”

“Sounds like a real charmer.”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t dare tell her to go right ahead, but I wanted to. If he was fucking her, he’d leave me alone, and I didn’t want anything to do with him. Anyway, Velma popped off to him one night when Bradley wasn’t around. That was a huge mistake on her part. He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her up against the wall, told her he’d had all he’d take of her mouth. Her eyes were bulging, and she knew… Anyway, he gutted her. I ran to the bedroom and slammed the door shut. I couldn’t stand it. He gutted her alive, Barrett, alive and screaming, begging for help. When he’d finally had all of her screaming he wanted, he slit her throat. And he made me help him take her to the barn. He cut her up with the chainsaw and fed her to the alligators.”

Barrett hadn’t said a word, and she figured he was about to shove her out of the truck. How had she been there for all that and told no one? What kind of person did that make her? To her astonishment, Barrett asked, “Did he do anything to you that night?”

She nodded as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Grabbed me by the throat just like he had her. Slammed me up against the wall and told me to keep my damn mouth shut and help him. Told me how I might as well get used to feeding those gators because they were going to make us a lot of money. I threw up three or four times. Barrett, I swear to god, I didn’t hurt Velma. I didn’t like her, but I never would’ve hurt her. I know her family’s wondering where she is, and it’s killing me, but I don’t know what to do about it.” There was no more strength left in Flora’s body, and she dissolved into sobs.

But she felt herself being pulled across the truck’s seat, and a big, warm body pressed up against hers, his arms wrapping tightly around her. “Oh, honey, he’s not gonna do a damn thing to you. I won’t let that happen, you hear me?” Flora nodded against his chest. “It’s gonna be okay. You feared for your life, so you’re not an accessory. I’m just glad you got away from him, and I hope like hell that whoever is doing this down in this end of the state, it’s not him.”

“Me too. I’m almost scared to go anywhere or do anything now that I know…”

“Don’t go anywhere or do anything without me, you hear me? It’s not safe, not until we find out what’s going on and who’s involved. Tell me you hear me, Flora. Tell me you understand.”

“I do. I understand. But that’s not fair to you.”

He pressed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. “You let me decide what’s fair to me, okay?”

All she could do was nod. If anything happened to Barrett because of her… And what about Mrs.Murphy? “Oh, shit. I don’t want anything to happen to Mrs.Murphy…”

“It won’t. I’m telling you, that old woman is tough as nails. And I bet she’s an eagle eye with a shotgun.”

That made Flora chuckle. “You’re probably right! I wouldn’t want to bet my life on her missing. I have a feeling she could probably do some real damage with that thirty aught.”

“Most likely. So let’s go get your car and I’ll follow you home. It’s all gonna be fine.”

“Uh, I have some shopping to do.”

“Then I’ll do your shopping with you.”

“For clothes.”

He shrugged. “How bad can it be?”

“I need underwear and bras.”

“Again… How bad can it be?” he asked with a grin.

“You sure about that?”

“Yep. Let’s go. You can go back there, pay for the car, and get your keys, then do your shopping. I can help! I know a thing or two about fashion!” he said as he turned the key and started the big truck.

“Yeah? What do you know about fashion?”

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