They both fall, screaming in agony. He waits a beat, and then shoots their calves. And then, their knees.
Always Dane first, and then Liam. I don’t know if he’s learned something while I was in the cabin, or if he knows instinctively Liam’s fault is greater. Or maybe the choice is random. But it’s a double punishment for Liam to see what Dane is enduring moments before he has to endure it himself.
He shoots up their legs, slowly, as they writhe and scream in agony, crumpled on the ground. I gently press Piper’s head between my knees, trying to block out the sound as much as possible, my hands covering her eyes.
“Don’t look,” I tell Josh. “Keep your eyes averted.”
It’s a strange world when I’m finally getting the revenge I crave—albeit vicariously—but my first thought is for Piper, and my second, for Josh. Still, I’m not so hopelessly soft that my third thought isn’t for revenge, and I feel a beautiful sort of satisfaction to watch Logan direct his gun toward every part of their bodies, apparently knowing exactly where to shoot so that they don’t die immediately, giving them the kind of slow andpainful death they deserve.
Nowhere near as slow and painful as what I’d had in mind, but it’ll have to do, under the circumstances.
When he reaches their dicks, he pauses, his gun angled in such a way that they know exactly what he’s about to do. Despite their bullet-riddled limbs, I can hear their muffled pleas and shrieks of agony. Logan pauses long enough to savor their screams before shooting them each multiple times in the crotch.
Then he turns, walking back toward us, a grim look of satisfaction on his face that probably matches my own.
“They’ll bleed out in less than an hour,” he comments, slamming the door shut behind him and throwing the AK-47 haphazardly on the backseat, ignoring Josh’s muffled squeak of terror.
The minute he’s turned on the ignition and is driving away, I pull up Piper and cradle her once more in my arms.
“Quill,” she shudders, as I squeeze her to me, so overwhelmed by my emotions that I can’t even speak. “Quill, Quill, Quill…”
She could give me a run for my money in the repeating-things-endlessly department. I guess we really do complete each other. I sink back in my seat, my thoughts on nothing but her, on the feel of her in my arms.
Both of us fall into a deep, happy silence as we hold each other. Josh seems to sense we need to be left alone for a while, because he’s quelled his first instinct to hug her, and hangs back, watching quietly. And even Logan, for all his sarcastic smugness, keeps his eyes firmly glued to the road, seeming to accept that he comes second.
At last, Josh pierces through the silence by asking, “What now?”
“What now?” echoes Logan thoughtfully. “Well, the first thing is to bring those idiot lovebirds back to Oregon, which they should never have left.”
I hear the words, but I’m not listening, too focused on the girl in my arms. I don’t care where we go, anyway. Just as long as I’m with Piper. Just as long as she’s happy. And I know she loved Oregon. Which means I love it too.
“But with the threat of the mafia gone—” protests Josh.
“Not gone,” corrects Logan. “Never gone. It’s only a matter of time before those loyal to Coltello and Moretti build up enough strength to fuck with us again. And if it’s not them, it’ll be someone else. Where there’s power, there’s threat.” He pauses. “Still, I guess that for the moment, it’s relatively safe back in Astley. Damien has quit Devil, though I don’t think it’s permanent. Still, I doubt he’d follow through on his vague intention to kill her. Besides, he has other things on his mind right now. He’s searching for Seraphina, and I’m helping him. Which gives me a good coverup to fix things with the lot of you. And I doubt either you, Quill, or you, Piper, particularly want to return to Astley. So I’ll be dropping you back off in Oregon, and this time, hopefully, you can just sit tight and behave yourselves. I never realized having a stepdaughter would take up so much of my time.”
“How about me?” questions Josh uncertainly.
“You? Well, I guess I can bring you back to your house in Carlton. You were never on anyone’s radar except for the people who are dead now.”
“Oh.” Josh sounds surprisingly disappointed. “I guess Iwouldlike to see my family again. I’m going to miss Piper, though. And, uhm, you too, Quill.”
“Or you can stay in Oregon with them,” shrugs Logan. “I don’t actually care.”
“Oh,” says Josh again, clearing his throat. “Yeah, well… I guess I shouldn’t. I guess I should give you guys some space, right?”
Piper doesn’t answer, and I doubt she’s even heard a word of the conversation. She’s snuggled up against me, and I’m notsure if she’s asleep or just nearly. I’m fully focused on her, yet I manage to tear my thoughts away for a moment as Josh clears his throat again insistently.
“Yes, I guess I’ll go back to Carlton. I don’t want to intrude. I know I’m kind of a third wheel, and a pretty annoying one at that, so—”
“It’s fine, Josh,” I cut in begrudgingly. “Room enough for us all. You can stay.”
“Really?” Josh’s face brightens. But it clouds over just as abruptly as he adds, “I guess you’re just being polite. I shouldn’t—”
I click my tongue impatiently. “I don’t do polite. If I say you can stay, I mean it. You’re Piper’s friend, and I know she wants you to stay. Besides…” I pause, hesitating.
“Besides?” echoes Josh.
“Besides, you’re my friend too,” I finish in a grunt.
