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Ron was standing with his back to us, flipping strips of bacon on the long black griddle I’d once learned to make hash browns on.
“Stay back,” Justin muttered, dropping my hand.
Tunnel-visioned, he barreled into the kitchen like he owned the place, grabbed the back of Ron’s collar with one hand, and with the other, bent Ron’s arm behind his back.
Ron bellowed in pain, folding at the waist to release the tension in his shoulder. His face stopped inches above the sizzling-hot griddle. Instinctively, Ron slapped his free hand onto the griddle to attempt to push away. The scream that came out of him sent my hair standing on end.
I could smell his skin frying.
Someone screamed from the restaurant.
Snapping into action, I spun on my heel and rushed Velma, who was charging into the kitchen.
“Stop.” I grabbed her shoulders, blocking her entry.
Her eyes rounded in terror as she took in the barbaric scene behind me.
Words were being exchanged between Justin and Ron, and although I couldn’t make them out, based on Justin’s tone, he was none too pleased with the conversation.
“What the hell is going on?” Velma squealed, hives breaking out on her neck.
“Please, stop.” I pressed into her, forcing her backward. “Everything is okay. Just don’t go in there. I need you to be calm. You’re okay. And please don’t call the cops after we leave. I just need you to trust me on this.”
Just then, Eddie shot out the front door with the speed of a jungle cat, jumped into his truck, and peeled out.Smart man.
“What’s going on?” Velma demanded, spittle flying from her lips.
“I can’t tell you.”
“He’s hurting him!”
“I know.”
“Jesus, Sophia, he’s going to kill him!”
“I know you don’t understand, but please just stay back. I repeat, you are safe.Youare safe. You are not going to get hurt.”
“What aboutyou?” Her wild eyes met mine. “You came in with him—holy shit! Is that the same man who fought those two drunk hunters the other day?”
“Yes. I know him, and yes, I am safe.”
Velma’s attention shot over my shoulder, and she screamed.
I turned around to see Justin dragging Ron across the kitchen floor while Ron wailed, waving his burned hand in the air. It looked like it was melting off his arm.
Justin kicked open the door to the bathroom, threw Ron inside, and turned to me. His eyes were feral, crazy, and extremely disturbing.
“Sophia, I don’t want to do this in front of you. Go into the restaurant until I come back out.”
Swallowing the knot in my throat, I dipped my chin, turned on my heel, grabbed Velma, and pulled her into the restaurant with me.
As I was locking the front door, the horrific sounds coming out of the bathroom turned my blood to ice.
Velma had pressed herself into the far corner of the room and was muttering prayers while crossing herself.
As we stood there listening to what sounded like an animal being tortured to death, something snapped inside me.
I thought of all the people my father had made cry like that.
