Stalemate gave a satisfied nod. “Good to know, but just in case someone is lying….”
The cloth came down over the screaming man’s mouth and nose.
Wolf filled the pitchers again. “We’ve got about five gallons left.”
“Might as well use it up.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE
Sabrina staredat the letter in Scrap’s hand. She noticed a fine shake to the innocent envelope. Plain white, printed address, canceled stamp from the post office—it appeared like any other piece of mail.
However, whatever was in this letter had the power to change both their lives irreversibly.
She’d spent the last two weeks recovering from the kidnapping and torture at the hands of the Sweet brothers. The bruising around her throat had almost faded completely, and her voice finally lost its hoarseness. The cuts were well on the way to healing and would fade with time.
Cam received a text while sitting by her bedside that first night. One word.
Wolf: Done.
She didn’t want to confirm what that meant, but she felt Specs and Billy would not be coming back. Cam stayed with her during her talk with Denny, holding her hand the entire time. She felt each of his reactions as she recounted her story. The flinches, jerks, and tightening told her he heard every word.
Sabrina’s own palms were sweating as she sat in Scrap’s pitiful little house. She’d insisted this morning that she could do this on her own and didn’t need Cam to be there. Holy shit, that was a mistake. Her heart pounded so hard she imagined her body jerking with each beat. Yeah, she could have used Cam’s steadiness right about now.
Scrap coughed and smacked his dry lips. “You sure you want to know?”
No, I’m not sure. I’m not sure at all.
“Do you want me to open it?” she asked.
Scrap’s hand shook more. “I can do it. Just give me a minute.”
The clock on the wall ticked away one minute. Then another. Then another.
“The light’s not gonna get any greener.” Sabrina sighed. “Treat it like a Band-Aid and just rip it off.”
Scrap let out a grunt, then in one movement tore open the envelope and pulled out the single paper inside. He flicked it open as he put a pair of readers on his face. His eyes squinted anyway, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
Sabrina stared at his face with intent as he read the letter. His lips thinned and pressed together. He dropped the paper to his lap. A moment later, he tore off the glasses and pressed the heel of his hand to his single eye.
“What does it say?” Sabrina held her breath. White noise filled her ears as she waited for whatever fate decided.
“You’re not my daughter.”
Her heart jumped in her chest. Conflicting emotions flooded her mind. Relief. Sorrow. Happiness. Regret. They circled in a war with one another until she was filled with confusion about what to think or feel. The news was both wanted and unwanted, and she had no words to say that seemed to fit.
Scrap appeared to be in the same state. He showed the paper to her, and she read the words herself.
Neither of them spoke for several moments.
Scrap refolded the letter and tucked it back into the envelope. He cleared his throat and coughed a few more times. “Well, I guess that’s it.”
Sabrina swallowed hard against the lump that suddenly formed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You okay?”
She could have lied and told him she was peachy as hell, but she had more respect for this man than that. “Honestly, no. No, I’m not okay. I still don’t know for sure if Ernie was my dad or not. Hell, from what I’ve learned, it could be some random guy Mom picked up at a truck stop when she made her way from Pennsylvania to Florida.” Her sinuses grew heavy with unshed tears. “I guess I’ll never really know, and I’ll have to accept that.”
