AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 8
Fox
Now
Bennett stares across the dining room table at me with his arms tightly crossed. This hostile reaction to my homecoming isn’t the least bit surprising. He and I never exactly threw the old pigskin around together.
My mother sits on the opposite end facing him with a stack of used tissues in front of her. Dani is across from me. Just like our old family dinners with the obvious exception of the middle-aged ex-cop lingering in the doorway behind me.
“How is this possible?” Bennett asks me.
“It’s a long story,” I answer.
“Better be a good one…”
Dani’s eyes twitch in his direction, but she says nothing to argue with it. I don’t blame her.
Bennett exhales. “Well, let’s hear it.”
I look at Dani again, my eyes falling to the bandage covering her cheek. Snake Eyes could be on their way here right now. They could even be out front, wolves in paparazzi clothing. If that’s the case, it’s possible they recognized me outside.
“I’m sorry,” I say, “but it can wait.”
“Like hell, it can wait, Fox,” Bennett says. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put your mother through?”
“I can imagine,” I say. “Right now, Dani is in danger.”
She blinks. “What do you mean?”
I point to her cheek. “The men who killed Senator Lamb,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “I have a history with them.”
Bennett scoffs. “What kind of history?”
I keep my eyes on Dani’s. “They’ll come back for you.”
“Fox,” he continues, his voice growing louder, “what are you talking about?”
“And they’ll kill you.”
She stares back at me with wide, fearful eyes. Scaring her is the last thing I want to do, but it’s the only card I have. She’s stared into Mercer’s eyes. I know she’ll believe me when I say he’s dangerous.
“I don’t have time to explain everything,” I say. “The best thing to do right now is to get you somewhere safe.”
“She’s not going anywhere.” He points a finger at me. “Especially not with you.”
“Bennett,”my mother scolds. “We should listen to what he has to say.”
“Why? Go on, Fox. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t toss you out on your ass.”
“What’s gotten into you?” she whispers. “This is my son!”
“Exactly, Cora. He’s your son. A son who let you believe he was dead for years. Every birthday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day. Isn’t that right, Fox?”
“Well, surely, there must have been some reason why he couldn’t contact us.” She looks down the table at me. “Right?”
I can barely meet her eyes. “No,” I answer.
She sits back in her chair as even more silent tears fall. Even Dani leans back in disappointment.
