“My father says he sees you,” I reply quietly.“He says he sees what you’re doing, and he doesn’t appreciate it.”
I don’t know what it means.They’re just words to me.But they must resonate with Dom because his eyes slide suddenly to the door, and when they come back to me there’s something new in them.Alarm.Fear.
Realization.
“I see you hear me loud and clear.He wants a response.I’m guessing you know what sort of response he wants.”
Because I don’t.I don’t have one clue what any of this means or what my father wants to hear back from Dom.All I know is that the faster I get through this, the faster I can get to Brooks and get her back home to safety.
She should be safe here.Her brother and cousin are upstairs, and Beau should have been down here making sure her father didn’t hurt her.
But they might know what Dom is doing.
I want to believe they don’t.I’ve always liked Beau, and if he knew his father was beating his sister, I’d like to think he’d be here ready to protect her.
He’s not, though.And honestly I’d rather be the one to do it, anyhow.
Dom still hasn’t answered and I grind the nose of the Glock into his forehead, fighting to maintain eye contact.Dom’s eyes are black as the devil and twice as evil, and fuck, I hope my father has something good on him.I hope my father’s planning on taking this asshole out and has for some reason decided to give him advance notice of it.
I hope I’m the one who gets to pull the trigger.
“I hear him,” Dom finally grinds out.“But this is none of his business.”
I doubt that’s what my father wants to hear, but I don’t have time to ask for anything better.I nod once and then step past him, keeping my gun on Dom as I move toward Brooks.I reach down for her hand and nearly smile in relief when she reaches up and takes it, letting me pull her up and to my side.I tuck the girl under my arm and give her a squeeze, hoping to God I’m not hurting her any worse than she’s already been hurt, then stare at Dom for a moment.
“I’m taking her,” I say quietly.“And if I ever hear you’ve put another hand on her–if I ever hear you’ve even thought about it–I’ll be back for you.And I won’t give you anything as quick as a bullet between the eyes.”
I tow her quickly toward the door, then, though I make sure my gun is still on her father.I don’t trust him.He has to be furious about the shit I’ve just pulled.Both the message from my father and the fact that I interrupted his beating.
God, my father is going to be angry.
He sent me to deliver a message only he understood, and though I did pass that one along, I’m leaving an entirely different message of my own.
Mess with Brooks Landry and Lucien Boudreaux will come for you.
And when he does, it won’t be pretty.
Some part of me knows that I’ve just sold a part of my soul to the tiny girl next to me...and that I’m going to spend the rest of my life holding up the promise I just made her.
The thing is...I don’t hate that.
Not even a little.
Brooks
The van goes skidding around the corner, tires squealing and metal grinding like we’re in the midst of a car chase, someone hot on our tail and about to catch us.
The truth is somewhat different, of course.
We aren’t in a car chase and no one is racing after us.The only people who might have come after us are another van, and they’re probably just as tied up as I am.
No, we’re not running from anyone, because this isn’t a chase.It’s a kidnapping.
And I’m getting really fucking tired of being in this situation.
The van hits another turn at that point–what are they doing, turning on every street they come across?–and Lucien and I go flying to the other side of the van, where we hit the wall with matching thuds.Lucien comes down first, then rolls to get underneath me–presumably to try to break my fall and protect me.
News flash: It doesn’t work.
