Page 69 of Manik

“But we checked them out, they gave nothing away.”

“They had ten years to plan.”

I’ve spent months wanting to know names. I would’ve given everything I had to know. But after everything Lexi and I have been through, it doesn’t feel right now.

“I know that look on your face, but, brother, this needs to be done. We won’t rest till they’re taken care of.”

“She’s begged us to let it go…”

“Hence why she won’t ever know. Once this is done, you’ll slip back into bed, and in the morning, you’ll tell her about the trouble back home, that you’re needed, and you have to leave tomorrow night.”

What the fuck?

“Psy, I moved to Eastford because this is her home. She won’t leave you, Evie, and the kids.”

“Her home is you, she will move for you.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“She can’t ever know what we’re about to do. If there’s any fallback from this, she needs to be as far from here as possible. It’s on you to make that happen.”

I’m so fucking conflicted. On one hand, I want to drain the life from both of the fuckers who laid hands on her, but on the other, I want to respect her wishes. I get her side and I get Psycho’s. Fuck.

The car slows to a stop outside an abandoned factory and Psycho passes me a pair of black leather gloves. He’s first to climb out of the car and walk around to the boot. He lifts two holdalls and passes me one.

“What’s in this?”

“Matt’s bones.”

Without another word, he heads for the factory and after a minute, I catch up to him.

“Why the fuck did you dig him up?” I dare to ask.

“We’re gonna reunite father and son.”

“You’re a sick fuck, you do know that, yeah?”

His smirk says it all.

Inside, the two men I’m guessing to be the father and brother are tied to tables. I slow my pace and take in the scene.

“How long have you been at this?” I asked, dumping the holdall on the floor.

He shrugs. “A week or so but I picked them up tonight.”

He flips a catch and brings them to a standing position though they’re still tied to the table.

“This is Manik. He’ll be the second last face you see.”

Psycho collects the holdall I brought in and lays both at the father’s feet. He unzips them both and rips them wide open.

“I thought you’d wanna see your son before you meet him on the other side.”

He mumbles something around his gag and tears fall from his eyes as Psycho lifts bone after bone for him to see.

“The kicker is, he’s been with you the whole time. I buried him in your garden, down by the gate.”

The father appears to be sick, and I step back, not knowing how it will come out around his gag. Psy turns on the brother and tells him, “I would’ve brought Beth with me, but her body floated down the river, never to be seen again.”

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