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“No violence,” I said. “From either of you. I mean it.”
That only pissed him off more. “Vanessa—”
“I wouldn’t have brought him here unless I had any other choice.” The tears coated my eyes and started to streak down my cheeks. “I tried forgetting him. I tried dating someone else. But this is the man I love…and he loves me too. I know you love me, Father. Please just talk to him for a few minutes. Just try…for me.”
He took a deep breath, his chest rising high until it came down again. His hand rested on the table, and it was tight in a fist. The veins on his knuckles and forearms were strained and corded.
“Please,” I whispered through my tears. “Just give it a chance. Talk to him for five minutes…that’s all I ask.”
“I don’t like this,” Uncle Cane said. “This could be a setup.”
“It’s not,” I said. “I would never put you in danger.”
“Knowingly,” my father said. “He could be tricking you.”
“He’s not.” I shook my head. “He loves me…he would die for me…he would never hurt you.”
My father remained rigid, his eyes wide open and hostile.
Uncle Cane stared at me too, so similar to my father there was no doubt they were brothers.
“I’m going to get him now…” I rose out of my chair. “No violence. Just talking.” I turned my back on them and walked out of the room. The second I crossed the threshold, I heard their whispers.
I walked out to the truck and approached the driver’s door, tears streaming down my face.
Bones opened the door and stepped out, his eyes narrowing in sadness when he saw my suffering. His eyes softened, and he cupped my face with both hands before he kissed my tears away. “I’ll do my best, baby.” He pulled the handcuffs out and handed me a shotgun.
“What’s this for?”
“Aim the gun at me when I walk in there. Then hand it to them when you handcuff me.”
“No—”
“Just do it. If it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be…that’s what we need to do.”
I took the shotgun, feeling the weight in my hands.
He walked in front of me, the handcuffs in his back pocket. He stayed in front of me and walked into the house.
“To the right.” I guided him through the house until we reached the dining room.
My father and uncle immediately stared at him, their eyes flicking to the gun I carried.
Bones walked perfectly straight, holding his posture like the most powerful man in the room. He didn’t flinch at their hostility as he sank into the chair.
I placed the shotgun in front of my father before I took the handcuffs and clasped Bones’s hands behind his back and locked him into the wooden bars of the chair. He could probably break through the chair if he wanted to, but his hands would still be secured.
My father immediately popped the shotgun open and looked at the ammo loaded in the barrel. He closed it again, keeping it on the table beside him so he could grab it easily if he needed to.
Then there was silence.
Silence so loud it shattered my eardrums.
I didn’t know where to sit because I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking sides, so I sat at the head of the table, between them.
My father and uncle stared at Bones, looking at his tattoos, muscles, and crystal-blue eyes.
Bones stared back, his eyes locked on my father’s. He wasn’t afraid, even though any other man would be. He’d surrendered himself completely, making himself vulnerable to his biggest enemy. These were the men he’d wanted to kill, but now he dropped all protection—for me. “Search my truck if you want. There’s nothing there. There’s no backup coming to the house. Vanessa has secured me to this chair, and I’ve given you a loaded shotgun so you can kill me right now if you want. I don’t expect you to trust me, but I hope this is a start.”
My father was silent.
Uncle Cane didn’t speak either.
Bones was the kind of man who liked to be a smartass, even in the tensest situations. But he left his bullshit at the door because he knew this was serious. He was doing this for me—because it was important to me. “I know I’m the worst possible man you’d want for your daughter. I don’t blame you. I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m an innocent man who hasn’t done criminal things. But I’m always honest. And when I say I love your daughter, I really mean it. I’d take a bullet for her. I’d die to protect her. I’d do anything to make her happy. When she’s with me, she invincible. I don’t want to be here just as much as you. But I’m here for her. Meet me halfway.”
