“You’re shitting me.” I hear her mutter something. “Okay. Go and hurry. Be careful. They are gun nuts, and you’re not invincible.”
I tell her I love her and end the call. Preacher stomps to the back of the house. I press my ear to the door and hear a baby crying and the loud television.
“Just shut up!” a man yells, which makes the baby cry louder.
I also hear cries of an older kid, and I’m not sure if it’s Tim or Eva. I tilt my head to Preacher. He gets my meaning and puts the gun back in his waistband. I turn the knob, but the door is locked.
More crying follows, and I take my Glock out and put on the silencer. I wait until the crying gets loud before I shoot the doorknob.
Levar sees me first, followed by his mother. She’s a bleached blonde lady with gray strands. She’s in a floral housedress and has a cigarette sticking out of her mouth. Preacher slides in, takes two quick steps toward Philomena, and puts a gun to her temple.
The cigarette falls out of her mouth, and he steps on it. “There’s a kid here who has asthma. What kind of grandmother are you? For shame.” He shakes his head disapprovingly and escorts her to another room before the kids can see him.
Tim notices me, and despite his tears, he waves. Eva runs and hugs my legs, and I rub her back.
“Take your brothers and go outside,” I order. “Stay on the porch and wait for me. I’m taking you home.” She picks up the baby, who is in nothing but a stained onesie. Tim follows her out, and I close the door.
A door squeaks open, and I aim my Glock at Levar’s head. He puts both hands up and walks back, but I notice him eyeing a kitchen drawer.
“I’ll put a bullet in you and make sure they never find your body. Don’t even think about it.”
He swallows and looks back at me.
“Now,” I order, and Preacher takes out his phone and presses a button. “You come after these kids or harass their mother, she goes to jail.” I point my Glock at his mother, who has now gone ashen.
“You don’t have anything on my mother.” Levar does his best to sound confident, but I can tell he’s not. “And you can’t come in here and take my children.”
“I just did. How many counts, Preach?” I ask.
“Ten counts of credit card fraud,” he says. “At least. And you’re an accomplice.” He points his gun at Levar. “I have the names of all the victims. I’ll find them.” He tilts his head toward Levar’s mother. “Who’s the thief now?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Levar tosses out, but his eyes dart from me to his mother.
“Or you can kill them both, King,” Preacher says.
“That sounds good to me,” I add.
Levar blanches, and his mother starts to cry. Preacher cocks the gun at Philomena, and when she hears the click, she screams.
“Stop,” Levar says.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I say. “The kids are going back to their mother, and you’re going to play this divorce by the book. If not …” I don’t finish my words, but I shoot past his shoulder and hit an ugly vase.
His mother screams and practically falls on Preacher, who shoves her away.
“Only it’s going to go in your head.”
“And we’ll bury you both where no one will ever find you,” Preacher adds. “Those kids will be better off. Your son has asthma, man, and you brought him around this hag who smokes.”He puts his gun in his waist and punches Levar in the face. Blood gushes out of his nose.
“Since I can’t hit a woman,” Preacher announces.
Chapter 69
Eden
Cori pulls into the end of my parents’ driveway right behind Rip’s truck. The front door opens, and my sister runs out, followed by my mother. A tall man is holding Micah, who is screaming at the top of his lungs.
The man passes him off to Sylvie, and he sticks his head into his mother’s neck. Eva and Tim wrap their arms around their mom. My sister is caught off guard and starts to fall back, but our mom grabs her shoulders and stands her upright.
