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“But I sure as hell ain’t about to let anything happen to her.” I add, getting up and running my hands through my hair, I need to think straight about this.
“Nothing’s impossible, Nyx,” Maddy tells me, the dreamy smile on her face proving she doesn’t have a clue how brutal Jimmer Carson can be.
“Come on, let’s go save your girl.” She snaps her laptop shut and scoops up my truck keys. “We’ll tell Prez I was checking in on her, and that I came to you for confirmation that it was Tommy in the video. It’ll all be fine.”
Prez shakes with fury as he watches the CCTV footage. Maddy sets to work scanning through the cameras positioned outside the judge’s home, and taps into some more on campus. Sure enough, Tommy pops up in the distance often enough for it not to be a coincidence. Prez scrubs at his face, pacing the floor of the small bar room while he tries to figure out what he can do about it.
“Maddy, go out to the garage and get Jessie, he’s gonna have to take a ride out to pick Tommy up, at least we know where he will be. I figure we got about an hour before he’ll be back there watching her leave,” Prez orders
“Sure thing, Prez.” Maddy jumps to attention, rushing out to get Jessie and leaving us alone.
“I could call her, ask her to meet me somewhere. We should bring her in and keep her safe,” I suggest, hoping that Prez is on my level now. That he’ll let me take care of her the way I need to. Having her here is the only way I can guarantee she’s safe.
“The Bastards and now this.” Prez slams his fist hard onto the bar, making the optics behind it rattle. “Why? What could Tommy possibly want with her…”
He slumps down onto the bar stool and I watch all the color drain from his face. “Fuck,” he whispers.
I don’t like the sound of that fuck.
“Chop.” A chill slips over my skin when he says the name out loud, I never watched the video of what he did to Carly but we all know about it. He’s merciless and if he was capable of doing that to his own brother's wife…
“Let me go get her,” I stand up. “This is bigger than your old secrets, this is about making her safe. We can do that here. I can keep her safe. You trusted me before, trust me now,” I plead.
The door bursts open and Jessie strolls in still wearing his dirty overalls and wiping the oil off his hands with a dirty rag.
“We got eyes on Tommy,” Prez quickly brings him up to speed. “I want him brought back here, and I want to know what the hell he’s doing following my daughter.” I watch Jessie’s face tick with satisfaction.
“Nyx, go with him. And I don’t want a fucking scene, not like the last disaster you pulled.” Prez looks at me when he says that, making Jessie smirks. “You bring him back here quietly and once he’s here, Jessie can do his shit and get some answers,” he orders.
“What about Ella?” I protest.
“Don’t fuckin’ argue with me, boy. I know what’s best for my girl. Right now, that ain't you. I need someone I can rely on.” He looks back at Jessie. Have Screwy and Squealer tail her in one of the trucks. They are not to approach her unless it’s an emergency and I don’t want her out of their sight until she’s home.”
“Got it, Prez.” Jessie is already stepping out of his overalls, and Maddy takes them, passing him his cut.
“Gotta go to work, baby.” He raises his eyebrows at her, a dangerous glint in his blue eyes as he kisses her hard on the mouth.
“Come on, kid. Time to go catch us some rat,” turning to me he jerks his head towards the door. And I snarl as I follow him out, pissed that it’s the fuckin’ temper twins that are being sent to protect Ella, when it should be me.
I jump into the driver’s side of the truck and wait for Jessie to finish relaying Prez’s instructions to Screwy and Squealer, noting that he doesn’t explain to them who she is to Prez. When he hops into the passenger seat he reaches down to his ankle and pulls out his knife, twisting the handle in his palm.
“I’ve been waiting on this one,” he tells me, his lips twitching darkly.
“Yeah, well don’t think you're getting all the fun,” I warn him, starting up the engine and pulling out the yard.
I don’t go straight home after college. Instead, I drive to the bank.
This morning I tricked Mom into giving me my savings account book, I told her I’d been saving my allowance and wanted to deposit it. Knowing that she’s leaving for her woman’s retreat today, and won’t have time to deposit the money herself. I also lie when I tell her I want to treat myself to a visit to the salon in town. And she’s far too delighted at my eagerness to pick myself up, that she doesn’t even question handing it over to me.
I’ll have to withdraw the entire contents of my savings. Dad will do something to stop me from accessing the account once he realizes I’ve run away. He’ll think he can use money to control me, the same way he does Mom. But me and my mother are two very different people. Money is one power he can’t hold over me.
I explain to the clerk at the bank that I wanted to pay off a chunk of my college fees as a surprise to my parents and half an hour later, leave the bank clutching an envelope that contains my entire life savings.
I get home and head straight up to my room, quickly stuffing the money into the suitcase that’s packed ready to make my escape. I have everything planned out in my head and I can feel my nerves building as the time ticks closer. Thanks to Father’s tracking device I can only use my car to get me so far. I’ll drive to the nearest train station and dump my car there. Then I’ll get a taxi to a bus station a few miles away and head for the furthest destination I can reach.
I’m not stupid, I know the money won’t last me very long. I have no one I can depend on to help me. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t be in any more danger out there than I am staying here.
Satisfied that I have everything prepared, I hide my suitcase back in my wardrobe. I’llwait until Father is in bed before I make my escape, I just hope he doesn't take advantage of us being alone in the house together. My bedroom door taps and Mom lets herself in just as I’m closing my wardrobe doors.
