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“I don’t want any damn –”
“It’ll give you something to do with your hands while you listen to me,” she interrupted tartly. “Now sit.”
I sat.
It wasn’t long before I’d picked up a cookie, breaking little pieces off systematically as I stared at the scratched wooden table top.
“I loved Cal. He was my brother.”
I wanted to stop her but I knew better than to interrupt.
“He’d always been one for trouble but he was my big brother. The apple of Daddy’s eye. I just learned to look the other way.” Her lips compressed. “Then he killed your daddy and it wasn’t so easy anymore.”
My gaze came up, hearing something in her voice I’d never heard before….hatred.
“Cal was sorry it happened, that was what he always said at least. He helped us out….paid the bills when I didn’t have enough, fixed things around the house.” She chewed her lower lip as her jaw worked. “Then he thought he should discipline you.” Blood welled when she bit down too hard and she licked it away. “He didn’t listen when I told him it wasn’t necessary.” She looked at me then, her expression bitter. “He didn’t listen to me when I told him if he ever raised a hand against you again, I’d kill him.”
“Mom,” I murmured, the word barely audible to me, much less her, but she reached for my hand, gripping it tightly.
“Seeing your black eye, knowing it was Cal,” she paused, her face contorting as blood oozed from her cut lip. “I did what should have been done a long time ago.”
She patted my hand. “I thought about destroying the gun. You know what your grandfather always said about evidence.”
“No evidence, no conviction,” I answered by rote.
“Exactly, but I had a feeling you might need it.”
I swallowed hard. “If it wasn’t Cadence….” I trailed off.
“I don’t want you to think differently of me, sweetie. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.” She stood up and then looked down at me. “You know as well as I do, he wouldn’t have stopped until he’d destroyed her.” I nodded, the movement automatic as I tried to process what she’d just told me. “I’ll be right back.”
She left the kitchen as I stared at the crumbled mess of cookies on the table in front of me. In a million years, I never would have thought my mother capable of killing her brother, my uncle. She was the only person I knew who loved the bastard.
I shoved the chair back, the legs making a screeching sound and swept the cookie crumbles in my palm, throwing them away. I walked to the sink, gripping the porcelain edge hard enough it should have cracked. Something vibrated against my leg and it took me a second to realize it was my phone.
I looked at the screen, not recognizing the number but I answered it anyway.
“Hello?”
“Deputy…I mean, Chief,” a young voice stammered. “There’s someone at your house.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about at first, then it dawned on me who was calling. “Riley.”
“Yes, sir. You told me to let you know when someone showed up at your place.”
“I did,” I replied, rubbing my face as I remembered I’d never bothered to let Riley know it wasn’t necessary anymore. “You said someone is at my house?”
“Well, the RV,” he corrected himself. “One guy now, but there were four SUVS and eight guys.” I could tell he was nervous and trying hard to speak slowly and clearly, giving me as much detail possible.
“That’s good information, Riley,” I encouraged. “So they left someone behind at the RV?”
“Yes, sir. That’s what I think, but I don’t know where Crew and the blonde woman went,” he continued and my blood turned to ice.
“Woman?” I questioned carefully, sinking against the counter. “There was a woman?”
“Yes, yes, sir. They came first. I recognized Crew and, and the woman was the one you brought out to the sal-salvage yard,” he stammered.
“Cadence.” Intense fear rushed through me and I doubled over. The air in my lungs burned until I was forced to exhale, and I sucked in fresh air, using the moment to force a calm I didn’t feel. “You don’t think the men in the SUV took them when they left?”
“No. No, I’m positive they didn’t.”
“Okay, I want you to stay put. I’m on my way, but if anything changes, call me immediately, alright? Can you do that for me?”
“Yes. Yes, I will.”
“Riley, stay out of sight,” I ordered, racing out of the house.
“I will.”
“And Riley?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Thank you.”
I hung up the phone as I ran to the car.
“Noah?” Mom called, standing in the door, looking worried.
“It’s Cadence,” I shouted, starting the car. “Get that to Johnny,” I added, seeing something wrapped in her hands. “He’ll take care of it.”
My fear hardened into resolve as I drove, flying through the town, and it wasn’t long before a motorcycle was riding my ass. I didn’t bother to slow down, anticipating they could keep up with me. I pulled over when I got close, not wanting to tip off whoever was still there to my presence.
