Travis’s mouth trembles.
Earl just nods too fast.
I lean in one inch closer.
“She is my woman now.”
The room goes dead quiet around the words.
Julie stills against me.
The blood is still wet on the floor.
My threat hangs over all of it.
And I mean every goddamn syllable.
When I straighten, Julie does not look at Earl or Travis again.
She looks at the kitchen once. The house once. The two men tied up in the middle of the life that broke her.
Then she says, “I have what I need. Forget about them.”
That is it.
No speech.
No tears.
Nothing for them to hold onto after this.
Perfect.
I nod toward the door. “Then we go.”
Ghost moves first, checking the yard.
Viper follows him out, still keyed up and muttering to himself.
Shadow pauses just long enough at the doorway to sweep the room one last time, then steps out after them.
And Julie walks out of that house without looking back.
