Page 68 of Born to Scar

“What are they?”

Ken’s eyes find Jay’s, then Cam’s, and he nods. “I have other connections that could”—he pauses for a moment, eyes darting around the room—“end this right now.”

I sit silently in his words for a moment. My chest swells in understanding. He can kill him.

“Kill him?”

He nods. “It would look like an accident, and he’d be gone. It would be over.”

“The other options?”

“We found someone who can help shed light on all of this. Makes it all legal. Every bit of information I have will be released. This would implicate more than Ricky Halloway. The doctors. Burt Dolton—the Chief of Police. And any other individuals mentioned in those reports would be drawn into this. You would have to testify on behalf of yourself, your sister, and your mother.”

He pauses, then adds, “Cam and I both like this option, because he will undoubtedly be thrown in prison with all the evidence we have, and you will get your justice in front of everyone who let you down. He will likely still die. Being in prison as a child rapist is hard enough, but being a filthy fucking rapist cop is certain death.”

“I don’t know if I have the strength to do that,” I murmur weakly. I’m so tired. My heart and head hurt. “I have nothing left to give him.”

My phone rings, startling me. “It’s Lain. I need to take this.” I answer on speaker. “Hey, Lainy. You’re on speaker. What’s up?” I steady my voice, so she doesn’t notice I’m completely falling apart, but it was a waste.

“Hey, Indy, are you okay? You sound…off.”

A strangled laugh burst from my lips. “I’ll be fine, Lain. Thanks.”

She’s quiet for a second, then clicks her tongue. “Uh, well…not to add to whatever you have going on, but your father showed back up here. He just left.” The phone crashes to the counter as it slips from my fingers. “What was that?” Lain’s voice comes through the other end.

“She dropped her phone,” Jay explains after picking it up.

“Jay, he said he’s not going to stop coming back until she talks to him. I don’t know what’s going on, but he doesn’t seem like he’s joking.”

“We know, Lain. We are working on getting this problem solved right now,” Cam responds.

“Okay, guys. I wanted to let you know. It scared me a little bit.”

“He wasn’t threatening to you, was he?” I ask. He can do anything he wants. That’s what scares me.

“No, not at all. It was only toward you.”

A mirthless laugh leaves my throat. “Thanks, Lain.”

“Yeah.”

The line goes dead, then Ken speaks. “I don’t want to rush you into a decision, but it certainly looks like this is becoming a problem.”

“I don’t care about me. I want—” I’m cut off by three protesting men.

“We fucking care, Indy,” Cam roars over the other two.

“Cam,” Jay whispers, putting his hand on his forearm. “We’re not the only ones, Indy,” he adds much more gently.

“And I care about those around me, too, but you all will get hurt. If he can kill his own daughter, what the fuck do you think he’ll do to you, to Mik, to Lain and Kia, Felipe? To Ken.” I fling my hand in his direction. “If he finds out he has anything to do with me? To anyone else around me? Bik and Ray!”

I can’t breathe. Everything in me is telling me to leave. To get out. Even though I know it’s too dangerous for me to go anywhere by myself. Everything in my soul is screaming for me to run. I need something, anything to take this pain away. Jay notices. He shakes his head but looks at Cam.

“Take her for a ride,” Jay says, squeezing Cam’s arm. I snort a surprised laugh, and Cam quirks his brow with amusement on his face. “On your bike, Cam. She’s looking for an outlet,” Jay clarifies with a chuckle.

“We’ll be back. Ken, stay if you can,” Cam says.

Ken nods before we pick our helmets off the table in the living room by the door.