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“Tell me,” Brent demands immediately.
“No. I tell you, then there’s nothing stopping you from shooting me. I’ll take you.”
“Hey now,” Vaughn starts to protest.
“Marilee needs the first aid supplies,” I interject, tone genuinely pleading. “I’ll take Brent to MacManus and Leilani. You save Marilee.”
Vaughn pins his stare on Brent.
“Works for me,” Brent responds.
“Fine,” Vaughn clips out.
Brent grabs my arm, twists me against him as a human shield. Slowly he steps away from Vaughn. I have no choice but to stagger back with him.
“Don’t be stupid,” he calls out to Vaughn.
“Likewise.”
I will myself to remain calm, go with the flow. Step by step we retreat from Vaughn, back onto the main path.
“Which way?” Brent growls in my ear.
Another steadying breath. “Follow me.”
BRENT FORCES ME to walk in front of him, pistol dug into the small of my back. It’s not particularly comfortable. I’m in charge of illuminating our path with the flashlight, doing my best to dodge scattering hermit crabs and threatening coconut crabs. I shouldn’t mind the coconut crabs so much anymore. They have nothing on the evil humans.
“So,” I start conversationally, as we stumble along, “tell me about Noodles the cat.”
“Noodles the cat? What the hell?”
“Noodles. Leilani’s favorite kitten when she was little? I thought you two were close.”
“You’re making that up.”
“I’m not. Seriously. Keahi told me all about it, and Leilani confirmed Noodles when I spoke to her earlier. Doesn’t Lea talk to you about her childhood?”
“She prefers not to dwell on the past. You can’t blame her. Everyone knows what a monster her father was.”
Yes, the man who produced one serial killer and one stone-cold psychopath. People always wonder, is evil a function of nature or nurture? In the Pierson family, I have a feeling it’s n squared.
“Does she remember him?”
“Abusive son of a bitch. Liked to get drunk, pound on his wife and kids.”
“Keahi claims she took the brunt of it; she went out of her way to protect Leilani any way she could.”
I sense his shrug behind me.
“What does Lea say about her sister?” I prod, searching for any information I can use.
“She doesn’t.”
“Come on, she’s the one who brought her sister into this. Mentioned Keahi would be the perfect predator—and patsy—for eliminating Mac. She must’ve said something.”
“She said her sister was terrifying. Her father was callous and cruel. But her sister was worse. Her father lashed out in anger. Her sister hurt others for sport.”
“And you still agreed to break her out of prison?”
