Page 100 of Legacy of Lies
Cold had long since permeated her bones until every inch of her body felt like solid ice. Shivering hurt her shoulders too much, so she tried to suppress the urge. When she tried to wiggle her toes, she no longer could tell if they moved or not.
Hank came to a halt directly in front of her and grabbed her chin.
“It’s been two hours since he left. You think that little boy is still alive?” he sneered.
Her jaw ached beneath his pincer grip. “Damn you, Hank.” Her tears created tracks of heat on her cold cheeks.
“Big question is: will lover boy find us before you die, too?” The pressure on her face increased. “My opinion? No one knows where we are. No one knows you’re missing. No one cares. And you told Romeo to take a hike.” Hank snickered. “Maybe when you don’t make it to work tomorrow, someone will realize you’re gone. Even then, they might just think you’re a slacker.”
“Why are you doing this, Hank?” Maybe she could keep him talking. Stall for time.
But it only delayed the inevitable.
He shoved her face back, and she lost her footing, which yanked at her upraised shoulders. She bit her lip, refusing to scream. Refusing to give him the satisfaction.
“Why am I doing this, lover? For so many reasons. Garrison had what should have been mine. Something wonderful. I finally took it from him, but it was already spoiled.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You wouldn’t.” He patted her hip, and she flinched. Hank chuckled. “I’ve hated him for as long as I can remember. He’s always had the best of everything: land, luck, women. I’m sick and tired of being second place to Garrison Taggart.”
“Second place?”
“Yeah, but now we have the upper hand. Not only have I ruined his life, but now I have the power to destroy his family. All of the rats in that nest. I’ve been given a mission, you see.” He glanced around, eyes bulging. “Sh, don’t tell.” He grinned like he’d half-cracked. “Don’t tell. Now that’s funny. Like you’ll survive to tell anyone. I’m mining for something special. Something that will make me powerful for the Great One.”
“What are you talking about?”
He snapped his hand up, and she braced for the slap that didn’t come. Opening one eye, she saw that he’d frozen right before contact.
He blinked and frowned; a flash of the old, normal Hank flitted over his features, then disappeared again. “Can’t tell you. Only we need the Taggart ranch property. Any way we can get it. And if it hurts Garrison Taggart, even better. That’s part of the mission.”
“Hurt Garrison?”
“Oh, yes. Hurt all of them. Hurt the legacy.”
What in the world? “But how does this involve Zach and me?”
“Well, see, I’ve asked very nicely for old Austin Taggart and his kids to sell the ranch. Many times. And they keep saying no.”
“Okay ...”
“No. Not okay. If they’re not going to help me get what I want, I’ll have to destroy what the Taggarts have and take what I need.” Spittle formed at the corner of his mouth.
“That’s crazy,” she whispered.
The crack on her cheek made her see stars. Her face throbbed like a hot iron pressed into it.
His face hovered inches from hers as he screamed, “Not crazy. Not crazy. No one is crazy. You don’t even know half of what I’ve done and what I’m capable of doing. The Great One has given me a calling. No one messes with us.”
Holy mother of Christ. Apparently he had obtained an all-consuming, deity-based, destroy-the-Taggarts ideology. Not good.
Trying to hold her ground, such as it was, she said, “So. The barn?”
He pointed a thumb at himself. “Yep, that was me.”
“The dead animal?”
“Guilty.” He chuckled.
