Page 61 of Psycho

“I don’t want your protection.”

After her father died, she didn’t come around anymore. Her mother never brought her to see us, even when my mother all but begged to see her.

I look at my mother and raise my hands in defense.

“I didn’t kill her, which was my plan. I did not know she was Hadley, but it doesn’t change what she did.”

My abnormally quiet brother speaks up, and we all turn to him.

“I wasn’t happy that Psycho took it upon himself to capture the fucking assistant district attorney, but now that he has, I don’t see any solution, other than ending her life. She is a threat, and if Psycho lets her go, all kinds of trouble will end up at our door. Sure, we’ll probably get out of it, but I’m not interested in dealing with unnecessary situations.”

“No,” I answer in a clipped tone.

Bones arches an eyebrow and repeats my word.

“No?”

I don’t respond, because I said no the first fucking time, and it does not need to be repeated. My answer is final.

“Fine. One of us will take care of it.”

He glances at my mother’s horrified expression.

“Mama, I’m sorry, but Bonettis come first. All threats must be eliminated.”

When I speak again, they all stare at me, with almost identical faces of shock.

“That would be a bad idea. She’s under my protection.”

The large room is so silent, you could hear a pin drop, until Kage roars with laughter. I flash him a pointed glare, and his laughter instantly subsides.

My mother takes my hand in hers.

“I want to see her, figlio. Right now.”

I stare at each of my brothers, and issue a warning.

“If you’re coming, that’s fine, but you’ll be in my house. Hadley is under my protection.”

I am the only man that gets to hurt her. She belongs to me, and I don’t want to fight with my brothers, but I will.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

PSYCHO

My mother gets into my SUV, and my brothers drive separately. I don’t know how long they’ll be, but Bones didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. When my mom urged that we had to go, and go now, his dry reply was, ‘Where’s the fire?’

She sits in the passenger seat, tapping her foot anxiously.

I reach over, and grab her hand while I drive, to attempt to calm her. She looks over at me with a teary gaze.

“When your father told me how her life had been, the sadness consumed me. I begged to see her then, but she declined.”

With her free hand, she wipes a tear that falls down her cheek.

“How does she look? Is she healthy?”

I nod slowly as I turn onto the highway.

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