Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
“I have you too, baby. But yeah. You can thank Lemon later. She’s the one who taught us we needed to open up and share more with each other so we could have each other’s backs.”
“I’ll most definitely do that.”
“You guys ready?” Leather looked from me to Evelyn and back.
Evelyn lifted her chin and put her shoulders back. Her hand found mine and held it tightly. “I am.”
I smiled at my brave little warrior. She might not be a fighter so much as a protector, but she would absolutely do whatever she had to do for her children. And I was certain she was doing this for them as much as herself, especially since I was pretty sure she knew Danny would die tonight. She needed to have something to tell her children when it was all over.
“Let’s do this.”
Chapter Twelve
Evelyn
I’d never been so nervous in my life. Not only did I have to face Danny in a room full of… not exactly strangers, but men I was embarrassed to look so stupid in front of. These men were Knox’s family. If he truly meant to keep me in his life like I intended to keep him, then they would soon be my family too. Lemon and Apple already felt like younger sisters.
We walked into the bunker. There was a half staircase leading down where they’d dug into and slightly underneath the small knoll to hide this place but left enough room to work in. One side was filled with what looked like stored boxes and canned goods, while the other side held a table, chairs, and various instruments that might have been torture devices. Might have been tools. I had no idea what they were used for, but it was questionable. The point was, Danny was eyeing them nervously. I didn’t blame him. He was tied to the chair he was sitting in. It was obvious he wasn’t here to have a pleasant chat.
Two men were already inside talking to Danny. I’d met them both when Knox moved things into the house. Piston and Rattler turned to look at us as we stepped inside the small room.
“Y’all ready for this?” Rattler’s smile was pure evil. Like he was going to enjoy whatever happened next and made no apologies for it.
Piston sat in a chair he’d turned around so he straddled the seat and rested his forearms on the back. Rattler leaned against the wall next to the table where the tools had been laid out in a neat row.
“Knox.” Danny looked scared as I’d ever seen him. He usually had a cunning look about him I’d misread in the past as him being absorbed in thought about his work. I guess he’d had to be cunning to juggle two women living in the same fucking apartment building.
Knox and Rocket exchanged a look until Rocket nodded. Permission for Knox to start? “Who told you Evelyn had been shot?”
“One of the neighbors. He heard the gunshots and --”
“Cut the shit, Danny! There were no neighbors. No one noticed enough to call the cops. No one but those of us near the house knew. So I’m asking you one more time. Who told you?”
“I can get it out of him if you want, Knox.” Rattler picked up a small saw blade, looking it over like the cheesy villain in a movie. “We can start with his toes and work our way up.”
“What the fuck? Knox! What the fuck?” Danny was panting now, looking from the small saw to Knox and back, not wanting to take his eyes off the threat. Then he turned his gaze on me. “Evie! Tell them I’d never hurt you. You know I wouldn’t.”
I had to literally bite my tongue to keep silent. At one time in my life, I might have solidly backed him up. Not now, though. He was a master at manipulating me. I’d chosen to let him by ignoring warning signs. Despite the fact he was the father of my children, despite the fact that my instinct was to support him, I absolutely would not take his side in this. These men would get the truth out of him because Knox said they would. I believed Knox because I’d trusted his father more than anyone else in my life, and he’d trusted Knox.
“Tell me what I want to know,” Knox insisted.
Danny shook his head. Knox stepped forward and punched him in the nose. Blood squished between his face and Knox’s knuckles, and Danny squealed like a pig, trying to get up from the chair but unable to because of his bonds. He probably thought he could run away, but that obviously wasn’t happening.
“No one else was supposed to get hurt.” His expression crumpled, and Danny started crying. “No one else, I swear.”
“Why Evelyn?” It was a demand, not a question. When Danny just started sobbing, Knox repeated himself. “Why. Evelyn.” There was an edge of violence about Knox I’d never seen before. It was like he was struggling to suppress his anger but was now losing the battle.