AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was self-defense and defense of another. He was armed, and he trespassed on my property. Besides, all I did was pistol whip him. That blow to the head could not have caused his death.”
“That’s for the medical examiners to determine.”
“There’s still self-defense,” I say.
She shakes her head. “At the moment, I’m more concerned about your parole violation. You know they can revoke your parole, don’t you?”
I say nothing.
“Was it worth it to go back to prison?” she asks.
I run my hands through my hair and sigh. “You don’t know the whole story. Yeah, I missed some appointments, but I had a damned good reason. I was protecting someone.”
“Who?”
“It’s a long story, Lola.”
She takes a sip of coffee. “Then you’d better start talking, because I can’t help you if I don’t know.”
16
SAVANNAH
The basement is dark and dank. It’s not finished, and the floors are concrete, the walls bare wood, with insulation tucked in between the two-by-fours.
A water heater and furnace stand in the corner, the furnace gyrating to make the air-conditioning unit go.
But no air-conditioning is needed in this basement. I rub my arms against the chill.
My brother stands next to me, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
His full beard covers his handsome face, and it makes him look older, wiser.
And I imagine, after seventeen years in Europe on his own, he’s gained some wisdom that I don’t have.
On the other hand? Being here with my family? I’ve gained some wisdom he doesn’t have.
And it’s probably about time that we compared notes.
Besides, it’ll give me something to do to keep my mind off what’s happening with the police upstairs.
Because I already know why they’re here.
And it’s going to kill me when they take Falcon away.
It crossed my mind more than once while we were at the safe house for two weeks. Falcon is supposed to be going to parole meetings with his new parole officer.
I didn’t mention it to him, because frankly I was afraid of him leaving me.
I should’ve mentioned it to him.
I should’ve seen that he did what he needed to do. I should’ve seen that he kept himself out of prison.
That’s the reason I made the deal with that asshole Miles McAllister in the first place.
“Tell me what’s going on, Sav,” Vinnie says.
I pace the basement. “You know as much as I do. Falcon and I were in the safe house for two weeks. He and Leif rescued me from right under Miles McAllister’s clutches. I don’t know how they got into the house, but Leif seems to be able to do pretty much anything. They call him Phoenix. He always rises from the ashes. Gets out of scrapes, apparently.”
