The lack of affect in Denny’s tone was frightening, but my need for answers was too great so I barreled on and actually ended up stepping so close to Denny that I could have reached out to touch him.
“Denny, do you remember her name?”
“Layla,” Denny said. “She used to play that song all the time.”
“What about her last name? Was it Buckley?”
Denny shook his head. “Don’t think so.”
“So this is how you tie up loose ends?” I heard from behind me. I would have recognized who it was even if I hadn’t turned around. And the second I did, I regretted it because as my father stepped into the dark barn, I saw him pulling my son behind him, the puppy still clutched in his arms. Tears were streaking down Matty’s face.
“I couldn’t run fast enough, Daddy,” Matty cried.
I began striding towards Buck and Matty, not caring what the man did to me, but like Denny, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Matty and I stopped in my tracks.
“Hello, Son,” Buck sniped as he kept walking forward, forcing me back towards Denny.
“It’s okay, Matty. You did real good,” I said gently as Matty began to cry in earnest.
“Pops-” Denny began.
“Shut the fuck up,” Buck snapped and then he turned his attention on me as he walked around me until he was facing the doorway, presumably so he could see anyone coming. Even though it had been only minutes since I’d entered the barn looking for Matty, it had felt like hours. But I had no doubt that Hawke would be comingto check on us any minute now and I just needed to keep Buck and Denny talking until then.
But even before I finished the thought, I heard a gunshot ring through the air. A few seconds later, there was another one.
“You hear that?” Buck said with a smile. “That’s called a double-tap.”
Terror rolled through me as I realized the shots had come from the house.
“Now those Mexicans, they know something about how not to leave loose ends,” Buck said with a chuckle.
I felt tears stinging the backs of my eyes, but I forced myself not to think about Hawke.
“I’ll do anything you want,” I said to Buck. “Just let Matty go. He’s not a part of this.”
Buck laughed. “You think this is about you, you little faggot?”
My eyes fell to Matty and I shook my head. “He’s just a kid, Pops.” I hated referring to him in any way as my father, but I knew better than to piss him off by calling him Buck, a name I as his son wasn’t permitted to use since he considered it a display of disrespect.
“You want to know the ironic part?” Buck said, ignoring my plea. “I was all prepared to let you keep this little shit” – Buck jerked Matty back and forth several times – “Until you and your fudge packer boyfriend showed up in Lulling asking questions.”
“Who told you?” I asked, hoping to stall Buck long enough until I could figure out what to do. “The sheriff?”
“That lazy SOB always did like an easy payday. All he had to do was run your plates,” Buck responded and I realized he meant the license plates on Hawke’s truck which would have led to Hawke’s address. Buck’s eyes shifted to Denny. “Finish it,” he suddenly said and then motioned to me with his gun.
Denny was standing next to me, but his gun was hanging loosely by his side. “Pops, maybe we should just let ‘em go. The kid’s sick-”
“The kid wouldn’t be here if you’d just done what I told you to do two years ago.”
“He’s my son…” Denny said desperately and I almost felt a sliver of pity for him.
“He’s not yours,” I said to Denny as I flashed him a glance.
“What?” Denny asked.
“He’s not yours, Denny,” I said again, though I kept my eyes on Buck. “I’m thinking Pops here wanted you to tie uphisloose end, not yours.”
“No,” Denny whispered and I looked at him to see that his eyes were on Buck whose snide smile had disappeared. “You promised me,” Denny murmured. “You promised me you weren’t with Jenna like that.”
