Page 642 of The Tempted

Wolf pulled open his jacket and grabbed a pen from inside his pocket before he shoved it in my face.

“Get it signed and sealed and I’ll deliver the fucking sentence,” he grunted. I grabbed the pen and pushed open the door to the kid’s room. Lacey sat beside Brandon’s bed with his mother on one side of her and the father across from her.

She lifted her head and pinned me with a stare before turning to Brandon’s mother. “Thank you for helping him write this,” Lacey said, tapping her pen to the pad of paper and then she turned to Brandon. “Thank you for doing the right thing,” she offered.

“We’re sorry what happened,” the kid’s mother said. “And I know Brandon is too, isn’t that right?”

“What the hell is going on?” I hissed.

“Brandon is dropping the charges against Blackie,” she said, lifting the pad as my eyes zeroed in on the signature on the page.

“The cops will be here any minute to take his statement. I thought it would be best if we had this just in case someone should change their mind,” she said, diverting her eyes to the kid’s father.

“No one is changing their mind,” I said, walking up behind the man who used his son as payment plan. “Time for you and me to take a walk, buddy.”

“Dad,” Lacey started, but I shot her down with a glare.

“Go outside and wait with Wolf and Pipe,” I ordered. “Now.” Then I looked over at the Brandon’s mother. “You too lady, out.”

“Sir, my son--- ““Is lucky I need him alive,” I interrupted. “Now, I’d like a word with the guy who tried to rape my daughter and the man who put him in the position. If you want to stick around and watch that’s fine with me but I can guarantee you, you won’t like what you’ll hear,” I paused. “And not what you see either.”

I could feel Lacey’s eyes stare me down and under other circumstances I would’ve thought twice about talking like this in front of her. I’ve tried real hard not to unleash the bulldog in front of her but now I didn’t give a damn. Now, I knew she didn’t scare easily and wasn’t afraid of the life I tried to shield her from. Now, she chose it.

Both women turned around and made their way out of the room. I walked over to the door, peeked through the blinds and locked the door.

“Mr. Parrish,” the elder man started.

“Shut your fucking mouth!” I cut him off, walking around the edge of the bed to the run my hand over the buttons of the machine pumping air into Brandon’s lungs.

“The only one talking right now is me. Do you understand?” I asked.

“Yes, sir,” the father choked out.

I looked down at Brandon and watched as he stared back at me blankly.

“You fucked with the wrong girl,” I seethed. “Thank whatever God you pray to that Blackie was there to stop you. If you would’ve succeeded I would’ve cut your little dick off and fed it to that sweet woman who’s been sitting vigil over you.”

The father flinched at my crass words causing me to divert my eyes toward him.

“You got something you want to say old man? Because I’ve got a plan for you too.”

“The doctors say he’s permanently deaf,” he hoarsely informed me.

“How’s that feel?” I asked, pushing off the respirator and standing tall as I stared him down, confusion masking his features.

“How’s it feel to know you put your son in the middle of a situation only to save your own ass? Does your wife know you’re gambling degenerate that asked his son to step in when he couldn’t pay?”

“It wasn’t like that,” he argued. “I didn’t have a choice! I wouldn’t have done it if I knew Brandon would be hurt, or even if I knew he’d hurt your daughter. Boots told me he wanted him to get close to her, get a little information about that Blackie guy. He’d let the debt go but if I didn’t send Brandon in, he’d kill him.” He glanced down at his son. “I never wanted any of this. And now Boots is saying because Brandon did what he did— ““What’s the matter you can’t say it?” I ground out. “You can’t bring yourself to say the word can you? Say the fucking word! Be a man and say what you’re fucking son did to my daughter.”

He stared at me silently.

“SAY IT!” I demanded as I outstretched my hand, my fingers hovered over the plug.

“Rape,” he blurted. “He said because Brandon tried raping your girl that the deal was off the table and he owned me.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“I used to work for the club. I was their mechanic for a long time, seen a lot of stuff go down. I don’t want to be under his thumb. I won’t survive being in debt to him, neither will anyone in my family. I got a daughter man, just like you do, and I’ve already compromised one child.”

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