Frank’s eyes flickered to me and away. “Do it,” he said.
“Fuck you.”
Sapphire glared at me. I stepped back.
Mitch worked on Frank’s wound, but slower than he’d worked on Lyle. Less urgency. The bleeding had slowed on its own. Maybe the bullet had missed the major vessels. Or maybe Frank just had less blood left to lose.
“What happened to your hand, Frank?” Sapphire asked.
Frank lifted the wrapped stump. “Fuckin’ Wayne bit my finger off.”
“I hope that hurt,” Mitch growled.
“Is that why you killed him, Frank?” Sapphire asked before Frank could answer.
“Those bastards came to kill me, but I got ‘em first.” Frank coughed, and a bubble of blood spilled from the corner of his lip.
“Frank. Where did you bury Kat?” Sapphire asked.
“What?” he croaked.
“Kat. The young runaway you and Bob killed when you were teenagers.”
“Fuck me. How you know ‘bout her?” He turned his head, trying to get a better look at Sapphire.
I crouched, too, just out of Frank’s eyeline. I didn’t trust myself to be closer. “We read all your notes, you gutless prick.”
“Ahh, Christ, you weren’t meant to read ‘em ‘til I was dead.”
Mitch pressed a wad of cloth to Frank’s lower back and pressed hard. “We’ve already read them. And we’re gonna make sure you live long enough to pay for everything you’ve done.”
“For fuck’s sake. If you read ‘em, then ya know I’m dyin’. Just fuckin’ get it over with.”
“Fuck no.” Cassidy stepped forward and put her boot on Frank’s bloody hand. “Sapphire needs you alive.”
Frank howled.
Cassidy stepped back, then walked away, heading back toward Lyle.
I watched my sister go and felt prouder of her than I had any words for.
“So, where did you bury Kat?” Sapphire asked again.
“She’s under the damn drum. We’ve been cookin’ our sausages over her for decades.”
We all looked toward the rusty forty-gallon drum in the center of the cave.
“Jesus Christ. You sick fuck!” I lunged forward, ready to slam my boot into his head.
“Hey!” Sapphire jumped to her feet, raising her hands. “That’s what he wants.”
The cave went silent except for everyone breathing hard. Mitch’s hands were balled into fists at his sides. Rage burned in my gut.
“Stop. Look at me, Kayden. Look at me.”
I dragged my eyes off Frank.
“Think of what’s going to happen to him in prison, especially if he’s in a wheelchair. There’s nothing you can do to him that’s worse than what he’s got coming. Don’t give him an out.”
