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“Jack, you have to promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“Are you refusing to finish the job?”
“The job is finished. Every truck is loaded and ready for the morning.”
“That doesn’t mean the job is done. I need someone to stay and do inventory.”
I took a step back, shaking my head as I realized Rick left right after that. “No.”
“Jack—”
I spun on my heel and stormed over to the flight of stairs, shoving the door open so hard it bounced off the wall. I could hear Bruce yelling at me, telling me to stop, but all I could think about was finding Rick and making him pay. I was almost to my car when I was tackled to the ground.
Bruce rolled me over and pinned my arms to the ground. “You can’t go after him.”
“I did this!” I shouted, my voice cracking as a sharp pain lanced through my chest. “He fucking knew I would be at the warehouse. He knew I had to pick her up.”
“We know.”
“Tell me he’s in jail.”
“He was. His old man bailed him out.”
“Why? Why would you let him go after what he did to her?”
“Because we can’t place him at the scene, and your sister isn’t awake to tell us who did this to her.”
“I don’t understand?—”
“Someone said they saw him around that time right where we found Hannah, but he has an alibi. His father said he was at home already. We couldn’t hold him.”
I stopped struggling, knowing there was nothing I could do right now. I closed my eyes, remembering the first time she stopped by work to bring me dinner. I didn’t like how Rick looked at her then, but I never imagined he would do something like this. I should have been more careful.
Bruce got off me and held out his hand. I took it, realizing there was nothing I could do tonight. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t go after him. He had to pay for what he did to her. I just had to be smart about it.
“Jack, I know this hurts, but you have to play this smart. No one wants to see this guy pay more than you, but I promise I will not let him walk.”
“You can’t promise me that,” I murmured.
I knew all too well that if you had the right connections, you could get away with murder. It happened plenty of times in this town. Rick’s parents had enough money to fight his legal battles. And when the judge saw that the victim was the daughter of John and Linda Cox, he would turn Rick free. Pretty much everyone in this town saw us as the damaged offspring of two criminals. There would be no retribution for my sister.
I satin my pickup truck down the road from his house. It had been three days since my sister landed in the hospital and I hadn’t gone back to work yet. I stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake up. I slept by her bed and woke up every morning disappointed that she hadn’t regained consciousness. Then, this morning, the doctor told me I should start preparing myself for the worst.
I knew what would happen if I came over here. I couldn’t wait forthe police to take action. They had no evidence that Rick attacked my sister. That meant the only way for my sister to get justice was for me to go after him myself. It would mean prison for me, but my sister was worth it. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if Rick walked away.
At precisely ten o’clock, he pulled into his driveway. That was when his shift ended—the same time mine normally did. It would have been easier if I had just jumped him outside of work. There weren’t cameras in the loading area, and Matt was the only one who worked until ten with me. He was probably my one and only friend in this town, and I knew he wouldn’t rat me out.
There was no easy way for me to get to him at his parent’s house. His father still thought he was innocent, and if I charged in there, he would side with his kid. I would have to wait until tomorrow night to get him. But just as I was about to start my truck, Rick walked back out of the house and got in his car.
I followed him out of town, trying to keep my distance, but as soon as we were in the country, I hit the gas and slammed my truck into his bumper. He swerved, then hit the grass on the side of the road. His car fishtailed before veering across the road and crashing in the ditch. I got out and ran over to his car. Smoke floated out from under the bent hood, leaving an acrid taste in the air.
I yanked the car door open, grabbed him by the shirt, and threw him on the ground. Climbing over his body, I slammed my fist into his face three times before gripping his shirt and lifting him off the ground to meet my eyes.
“Why did you do it?”
“What are you talking about?” he cried out.
A car drove past, but I didn’t care. They could lock me up. Maybe it was the best considering how I let her down. I slammed my fist into his stomach. I knew I was losing control, and when that time came, I wouldn’t be able to hold back. “Tell me why! Why would you hurt her like that?”
