“No, son. I’m assmart as a whip and I snap even harder.”
“I swear if youhurt her, I’ll rain hell down on you.”
“Big talk from abig man,” Mama said. “I told you. You can’t touch me, but y’all already know Ican touch you.”
“Sorry to breakthe news, but I’m kinda stepping on your whole kidnapping thing here.”
“I’m not justtalking about her. I’m talking about the junkie,” Mama said, and my blood rancold.
“What the fuckdid you say?”
“That’s right,”Mama said. “It was easy to make it look like an overdose. Denny here may notlook bright, but he knows all about chemistry. One little poke in the neck madethe man compliant, and his veins were nice and ready for that fatal dose.Puddin’ didn’t know what hit him.” She sneered. “But don’t worry, we sent himoffrealhappy.”
Melody’s eyeswelled up with tears and my heart broke for her.
“Why?” I asked,fighting the urge to pull the trigger.
“Because I wantedto hurt Melody the way she hurt my little angel when she dragged the love ofher life through the mud. But now that she knows what we’re capable of, she’sgoing to set everything right, or I’ll start going after her sisters.”
I was standingjust inside the house, my body blocking the view outside from where Denny andMama were. I could hear the faintest sounds of people moving behind me anddeduced that Chip, Doom, and the others had arrived and were approaching thehouse.
“I’m gonna countto five and you’d better put that gun down on the floor or I swear I’ll killher,” Denny said, and I believed him.
From my vantagepoint I could see Chip through an open window, located diagonally behind Dennyand Mama.
“Okay,” I said.“I’m gonna put my gun down, but when I do, you take your gun off her and pointit at me, okay?”
“Gladly,” Dennyseethed.
Melody tried toobject behind the duct tape, her words muffled.
“It’s okay,baby. They’re calling the shots,” I said, making eye contact with Chip, andslowly began lowering my gun, repeating, “They’re calling the shots.Callingthe shots!”
Chip took my cuejust as Denny raised his gun at me. Chip’s bullet hit Denny directly in theback of the head, dropping him instantly.
“Don’t fuckingmove,” I said, pointing my gun at Mama.
The young girlscreamed, and I looked to see her covered in blood and tissue. At first, Ifeared she’d been hit in the crossfire, but it was all Denny’s.
Chip ran in andcovered Mama while I freed Melody. Doom swept the house as sirens howled in thedistance.
“It’s okay,sweetie. Look at me,” Melody said to the girl as soon as I cut her loose. “Justfocus on me. Everything’s gonna be okay.” After everything that happened to hertonight, her only concern was for the well-being of this child.
“You shot myboy! You’re gonna pay!” Mama screeched.
“He got offeasy. You’re gonna die in jail. I’m gonna make sure of it, after what you didto Puddin’,” I said.
“The Beast willmake sure I don’t,” she said.
“You knowsomething, lady? I’m about ready to rip the Beast’s fuckin head off and shitdown her neck,” I growled.
“A-fuckin’-men.”Doom said.
“I’ll walk, justyou wait and see,” Mama said.
“If you do,it’ll be with a limp. Simon says, take a knee,” I said, firing a single shotthrough her left kneecap, sending Mama toppling to the ground, screaming, andwrithing in agony. “That’s for Puddin’, bitch.”
I slid my gunback in its holster, rushing back to Melody, and wrapping my arms around her.“Let’s get you the fuck outta here.”
