Page 56 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
“I have her.” The words rush out of Hank’s mouth in one breath, sounding almost irreverent. “I have Anna.”
There’s silence on the other line and for a second, I think I might be safe. It’s been so long that I’m sure my uncle won’t care. Why would he? The only reason I ever behaved was because he threatened Calantha, and without her, there’s no way I’ll do what he wants.
“You have Anna,” I hear my uncle repeat skeptically. “Right now?”
“Yes. It was easy, actually. I—”
“Never mind all that. Bring her home, Hank. I want my niece back where she belongs. There might be hope for you yet, son.” With that, the call goes dead.
My vision blurs as the words repeat in my head. Home. Back where I belong. The farm… He wants to trap me there again.
I close my eyelids, pressing them tight as if I can erase everything with enough force. But when I open them again, stars fading from my vision, I realize nothing’s changed. I can’t go back.
To my surprise, Hank falls silent. His back is to me so I can’t see his face, but the hand holding the knife trembles. The truth of my current situation registers in the back of my mind. I’ve been so scared of having to go back to the farm that I never even considered the fact that I might not make it there at all.
I’d rather die here, alone in this cabin with only the cool breeze and the rustle of the trees outside, than be stuck beneath my uncle’s heel. My mind flashes quickly to Aiden and Kaleb, the only men who ever made me feel truly loved. I wish I had done things differently. Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be staring death in the face.
When Hank turns around, I’m surprised to find his features drawn tight. He holds a candle in one hand, the hot wax dripping over his unprotected flesh while still holding the knife in his other one. The flame flickers in the breeze, illuminating the glint in his eyes and making the blood freeze in my veins.
I take a breath, then speak. “Well, you should be happy then. It sounds like you’re back in his good graces.”
He lets out a hollow laugh, stepping closer. “And it sounds like you never left them,” he mumbles under his breath. Louder, he says, “You know he banished me after what happened with Allegiance Medical? Do you have any idea what it’s like not to be allowed back to the place you grew up?”
As he grows closer, I move, shuffling to the side as fast as I can to get away from him. I try to stand, my limbs feeling numb as he continues speaking.
“No, but I guess you wouldn’t,” he sneers, his face turned down in disgust. “You left of your own accord, and even after you abandoned him all those years ago, he’ll still accept you with open arms. What makes you so fucking special?”
“Nothing. I’m not.” I try to placate him even though I know it’s useless. He’s not in his right mind anymore, and whatever anger he’s feeling right now, he should really direct it at my uncle. He’s the reason for all of this, not me. It hits me then, a sad fact I hadn’t considered before now. Hank and I are the same. Victims of my uncle’s abuse. The only difference is how we used it. All I wanted was to be free, to make a life for myself and Calantha somewhere we could be safe and loved with no stringsor demands. But Hank… He fell deeper into the games my uncle played, always believing there was love to gain.
“You’re right. All you are is a pretty piece of meat we used to curry favor.” Stepping forward, he stands in front of me, pointing the knife at my belly. I search behind me for anything I can use as a weapon, but all I find is the cold wood of the wall.
The sharp tip of the blade presses against my wet blouse, and I suck in a breath as Hank leans forward. “Why don’t we find out once and for all what all the fuss is about?”
Kaleb
Despite the late afternoon sun, it appears more like dusk beneath the dense crop of trees.
Aiden and I hadn’t passed a single vehicle in the mile or so since we’d turned onto the dirt path, so we had our driver stay with the car while we went ahead on foot. If Hank Stuart was as shitty a person as I expected, we’d want the element of surprise on our side. The last thing we wanted to do was spook him, not while he had Lily so close.
We just had to hope she was okay. If she’d been with him since yesterday, who knew what kind of shit he’d forced her to do? Rage simmered beneath my flesh, hot and fierce, until I’m sure steam will start billowing from my ears. After her reaction to Burt at the gala, I’m terrified. Was Hank a part of her past too, and if he was, had he hurt her just like Burt had?
“It should be just up ahead,” Aiden whispers before tucking his phone back into his pocket.
Instead of staying on the trail, we trek through the forest, slipping between trees while being careful to stay silent. Inhindsight, this might not have been the best move, but staying on the only noticeable path seemed like an even worse one.
We find a banged up jeep parked by the front deck of the cabin, and I consider slashing the tires, but the fear of what’s coming stops me. While I don’t want fucking Hank to get away, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I took away her chance to escape. If things go sideways…
It’s not a very large cabin and would have been beautiful once upon a time, but now it’s more of a rundown shack. Boards cover the front windows and the door looks like it’s barely hanging on. Definitely not the place I’d choose to go to unwind, but maybe roughing it is exactly what Hank likes.
Aiden signals that he’s going to check the perimeter before heading off to the left of the house while I make my way around the right side. The windows are boarded up here too, but just as I spot a broken board and what just might be the only view inside, I catch sight of Aiden.
I can’t help the hopeful look on my face, but he only shakes his head. Fuck. This hole might be our only chance of finding out what’s happened without being detected. Otherwise, I have no issues going in half cocked and ready to take down this son of a bitch.
I signal for him to be quiet, then point toward the window. We both step forward as quietly as possible, noticing it’s not just the board that’s broken but the glass too. What I see inside traps my breath in my lungs.
A man stands tall with a melting candle in one hand and a survival knife in the other. His hair is greasy, standing up on all sides, and he has dirt smeared on top of his five o’clock shadow like he’s been thinking, but it’s the look in his eyes that nearly has me risking the sharp glass to rush inside. He looks totally fucking crazed.
I hear Lily then, thank fuck, and it sounds like she’s close. “Well, you should be happy then. It sounds like you’re back in his good graces.”
