Page 86 of Scorch

“He won’t be returning.Get a good job, clean yourself up, and find a life out of this place.”

“What are you doing with him?”she cried.

I ignored her and headed for the door.

“The police will come looking for him,” she called out.

I had to give her credit for the balls to threaten me.I kept going.She wasn’t my concern.

“Be a waste of time, calling the cops,” Gage told her.“But you can try.”

I smirked at his response.

“I understand now,” Kenneth said, falling into step beside me.

“Yeah.This never is to be spoken of.I won’t betray her trust, but I can’t let those who hurt her live.”

Kenneth nodded.“Understood.”

Gage came out with the man thrown over his shoulder.His feet were bound at the ankles.I knew his wrists would also be tied and a gag would be put into his mouth.The only things that could be seen were his feet since Gage had wrapped him in a blanket before hauling him out like a sack of potatoes.

Bridge came bounding out of the house, swinging a gun.Her eyes were wild as she stood on the stoop.“I’ll shoot you all!Put him down!”she yelled.

Kenneth’s swift reaction reminded me of a time before the younger men had taken over this part.Back when it had been us handling the dirty work.His gun was pointed at the crazed woman and cocked, ready to fire.I knew he would pull the trigger without blinking an eye.

“You can drop the gun, go back inside, and live.OrI can put a bullet in your head.”Kenneth’s cool, unemotional threats were always powerful.He always delivered them as if the idea of killing someone didn’t affect him in the least.He could have just asked her about the weather with the way he stood, looking bored.

She lowered the gun and didn’t say anything as Gage tossed Billy in the back of the SUV.

“Go on.Drop it,” Kenneth told her.“I’m growing annoyed.”Although his tone didn’t have any infliction to show that fact.

She stared at him, and then the gun slipped from her fingers and landed on the ground at her feet.

Kenneth tucked his gun away and turned to walk to the SUV.

We climbed in, and Gage waved goodbye as if we had just shared a friendly visit before we drove away.

Forty

Garrett

Standing under the fall of water from the ceiling of my shower, I washed away the filth that felt as if it’d clung to me from standing in that trailer.Knowing that Fawn had lived there once, that she’d been a helpless girl with no one to protect her, had ripped me open inside.Once we were done here, I was sending Gage back, possibly Huck with him, to contain the situation and burn that shithole to the ground.It wasn’t going to be possible for me to accept that it still existed.It had to be taken out too.

The door to the shower opened behind me, and I turned to see Fawn step inside.

She smiled, lifting her face to the water.“I love this shower.It feels like you’re standing outside in a warm downpour.”

My eyes devoured her wet body.“I love you in this shower,” I replied.

She blinked as she looked at me.Her lashes had droplets of water clinging to them.“Hmm,” she purred, then closed the space between us.“That’s good.I was hurt when you decided to take one without me.”

I wrapped my arms around her and gazed into her eyes.I couldn’t tell her I had come in here to calm my rage over seeing the place where she’d been forced to live.Looking into the eyes of the bastard who had abused her.Some things I would never be able to tell her, and this was one of them.I hated keeping secrets from her, but it was to shelter her.Another form of protection.

Soon, I would be handing this title over to Blaise.He was ready.He had become exactly what I had known he could be.Perhaps he’d even be a better boss of the family.He had a center that I hadn’t.Madeline kept him focused, whereas I’d never had that—until now.

“You were at the pool with Gypsi,” I said, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Are you sure that’s the reason?Nothing is wrong, is it?You were gone before I woke up.Did business get … difficult?”

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