“Of course,” she says, rolling her eyes. “And you have fun playing with your little brother.”
Sick of her attitude, I leave, slamming the door behind me.
Two security goons are still stationed at the front entrance. “No one is allowed in tonight, understand?”
They look at me like they’re made out of clay, not acknowledging my words. I guess they’re holding a grudge for that little beat-down I gave them. Whatever.
Chuck is standing next to the dusty pickup truck I borrowed from Jim. He’s got a shotgun in his hand. I give him a nod, and he nods back, then we climb into the pickup and head down the hill. Driving the pickup is a good idea. Delilah sticks out, and the old truck blends in.
I’m not sure what I expect to happen tonight, I just know that I can’t sit around waiting for Brent to put into action whatever machinations he’s got in mind. He’s had the advantage for far too long. It’s time to get the upper hand on this sneaky motherfucker.
I’m going to bring him down, for my family and for me.
Brent won’t know what hit him.
58
Sabrina
We’re on our second cartoon movie when Lex gets antsy. “When is Daddy coming back?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
She frowns. “If he doesn’t come back, are they going to kick us out?”
My brow furrows. “I doubt it, honey, but don’t you want to go home?”
Lex shrugs. “We don’t have a pool at home.”
I laugh, then tell her to watch the movie. It’s only a couple minutes later when she starts fidgeting again, so I offer to make us some popcorn. Making her promise to stay put, I leave the bedroom and head toward the door to the hallway.
Luke is there, seated on a chair outside the door. “What’s up?” he says, lifting his head from a book. It’s unexpected, to see the hunky and tattooed bodyguard reading.
“Just going to the kitchen to make some popcorn for our movie night.”
“I can get that for you, Sabrina,” he says, closing his book and starting to rise.
“No need,” I reply, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up. “It only takes two minutes in that fancy microwave. I’ll be back up here in less than five.”
“Ax told me you guys were to stay in your rooms.”
Rolling my eyes, I let out a groan. “I don’t give a damn what Ax told you. That man does not dictate my actions, and someday he’s going to get that into his thick Neanderthal head.”
Luke chuckles. “We men are slow learners.”
“No shit,” I mutter, then skip to the stairs. The popcorn takes less than two minutes, and I’m back at my door in four and a half.
Except there’s no Luke.
Strange. His book is still here. So where is he?
I go into the room, assuming my bodyguard needed a bathroom break. Lex falls on the popcorn like a starving child, but she soon loses interest in favor of a big yawn. Her eyes are starting to droop, so I tell her I’m going to give the rest of our popcorn supplies to Luke.
When I open the door to the hallway, I’m surprised to find him still gone. He wouldn’t abandon his post, would he? Luke doesn’t seem the type. I haven’t known him for long, but he’s never given me a reason to distrust him yet. Deciding it’s better to be safe than sorry, I resolve to investigate the matter further.
This part of the house consists of one long hallway, running from the front of the house toward the back where there’s a door that opens out onto the terrace. The rooms Lex and I have been using are close to the front of the house, while doors further down belong to rooms occupied by Luke, Ax, and Mr. and Mrs. Craven.
Only one door is cracked, and it’s at the end of the hall. The Cravens’ room. Assuming Luke isn’t in there, I move to the room that’s his. I knock lightly and get no response, so I try the knob. The room is dark and empty.
Closing the door behind me, I wander closer to the Cravens’ room. I still know Luke isn’t in there, so I figure maybe he’s in the bathroom. I know there’s one off the hall on the left, so I move that way, but as I pass the Cravens’ door, I hear a commotion. There’s a thump, and someone lets out a grunt.
I pause, unable to help myself. With the Cravens, I’ve learned to take nothing for granted. I position myself beside the crack, my body pressed to the wall, and peer inside.
Leigh is picking herself up off the floor, a strange smile on her face. “Okay,” she says. “I guess that’s the way you want to play it.”
Standing over her is Luke. His fists are clenched, and he seems to be breathing heavily. “This isn’t a game,” he says, his voice like steel.
Leigh slinks closer, her eyes narrowed but her voice full of false sweetness. “Come on. I know how you biker guys are. A hole is a hole, it doesn’t matter who it belongs to. Since when did you grow some morals?”
“Since the hole in front of me made me want to vomit.”
My mouth drops open. Holy crap. I can’t believe the conversation I’m hearing. And where is Mr. Craven? How is he not losing his shit right now?
Leigh links her hands behind his neck, draping her body against him. “I always get what I want, one way or another. It’s much more fun if you go along. I promise you, I don’t disappoint.”
“Get the fuck off of me,” Luke growls, pulling her hands away. “I told you, I’m not going to fuck you. Not a fucking chance.”
Leigh’s face screws up, and in a flash she lashes out, her nails raking Luke’s face. He dodges backward, but not before four bloody lines decorate the right side of his face.
“Spoiled bitch.” He spits at her. “You said your husband was hurt, or I would have never come down here. Instead, you just doped him up so you could whore yourself out to the hired help. Well, you don’t pay my bills, and you couldn’t get my dick hard even with the help of medical science. It’s. Never. Gonna. Happen.”
“Fuck you,” she says, turning away.
“Anything interesting going on in there?”
I jump at the voice at my shoulder, then lose it when I realize who’s there. Brent Craven is smiling at me, his grin tinged with evil intent.
How did you get in here? I open my mouth to ask, but before I can, he grabs my arm and starts dragging me down the hallway. Slapping his hand over my mouth, he muzzles me before I can get over my surprise and make a noise.
“You’re always where you shouldn’t be. Have you noticed that?”
I pull back, trying to get away, but Brent isn’t having it. He hauls me to a door, then opens it and locks it behind him.
At last he lets me go, so I lunge toward the door, but he catches me and throws me into the closest chair. I open my mouth to shout but barely get a peep out before Brent slaps me across the face.
“Knock it off,” he says, disgruntled. “We’re way past that.”
Brent heads behind a large desk, and I realize we’re in an office. “You and I are going to come to an understanding. I won’t hurt you, but you’ll have to behave while I finish up my business without your interference.”
“And just what is your business? You got fired.” Saying the words might be like shouting at the Devil, but it makes me feel good. Brent has his hands in fucking up my life currently, so I’m going to take every opportunity to show my appreciation.
Brent lets out an amused chuckle. “Not quite, sweetheart. And trust me, it’s only temporary.”
“You know what? I don’t care,” I say, my temper getting the better of me. “You Cravens can do whatever the fuck you want. Just leave my daughter and me out of it.”
“Your daughter? You mean the little Craven you’re raising?”
“She’s not a part of this. I won’t let her be part of this dysfunctional mess.”
“Huh,” he says, affecting a puzzled expression. “And yet, you’re here in Craven Central. Isn’t that odd?”
“Your brother is forcing us to stay here!”
“Ah yes, my precious
older brother. Don’t worry, he won’t be a problem for much longer.”
My heart freezes in my chest. “What do you mean?”
Brent doesn’t bother to respond, and fear covers me, trying to pull me under the waves of panic. Instead, he opens a drawer and pulls something out, tossing it on the desk.
“Okay,” he says, grabbing a pen. “Name your price.”
“What?”
His eyes have a steely glint. “How much do you want to fuck off and never bother us again?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I don’t kid about money, sister.” His grin resembles a shark’s. “What’s it going to take to get you out of my hair permanently?”
I shake my head, not sure how to answer that question. Brent is trying to buy me off, to run me out of town. But why?
“Look, let’s get something straight,” he says, standing up and coming around the front of the desk to lean against its surface. “We can do this two ways. Either you can take this check and get the hell out of Cape Craven, or I can get those guys downstairs, the ones with the guns at the front door, to take you out of town and make sure you never come back.”
Swallowing heavily, I try to respond. My voice croaks like a frog as the words tumble out. “I’ll go. Just let me get my daughter, and I’ll leave right now.”
He comes closer, putting his hands on the arms on either side of the chair. “No, sweetheart. That’s not good enough. You’re going to take this check, or you’re picking option two. I don’t want you coming back, acting like butter won’t melt in your mouth, making trouble for me, telling folks I tried to bribe you.”
He moves closer until his face is only inches from mine. “You’re going to be complicit. You’re going to be the woman who cashed in on her baby. And the way your friends and neighbors would look at you is enough to keep you out of town. Understand?”
Brent is so much worse than even I thought he could be. “You’re a fucking asshole.”
He straightens. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He returns to the desk and picks up his phone. “Let me just call the guys downstairs and let them know I have a job for them.”
“Wait!”
He looks at me expectantly, and I feel nauseous enough to look for a trash can, just in case. Brent will have those security guards, the ones who were hired to keep him out, take my daughter and me out of town, and well, I don’t know. Something horrible.
“Write your check out for whatever amount you want,” I say, defeated. “Just give me the damn thing and let me get out of here.”
“You’ve made a wise choice,” he says, sitting down again and opening the checkbook. As his pen scratches out a mystery amount, he pauses to look at me. “You know it would never work between you and my brother. He’s headed back to Tabor, at least until I can get him in the electric chair.”
My eyes widen. I’m terrified, for myself and my daughter, for Ax. I need to get out of this room and warn him.
Brent finishes writing and rips the check out of the book. He stands and comes closer, holding the check out to me. When I grasp it, he doesn’t let go right away. “You’re going to leave Cape Craven permanently, tonight. You will not take interviews, nor will you disclose anything that’s happened these past couple weeks. If you do, I’ll release the video of you and my brother’s little sexscapade in the kitchen the other day.”
He’s got us having sex on tape, and he’s not afraid to use it. Oh, Lord, how did everything get turned upside down so quickly?
Brent grins at me. “I had the house wired for security purposes after my dear brother committed armed robbery. Imagine my surprise when I was reviewing the footage and stumbled upon a little X-rated action.”
“I don’t believe you.” No one could be that depraved.
Brent chuckles, then opens the laptop sitting on his desk. He makes a few clicks, then turns the laptop to face me.
And there we are, in full color.
“Delete it,” I demand, my stomach roiling.
“Not a chance. This is my leverage, sweetheart.”
“You make me sick.”
“Likewise.” There’s the sound of a car coming up the driveway, and we both turn toward the window where we see red and blue flashes take turns lighting up the night.
Brent lets go of the check and moves away from my chair. “There’s one more thing I’ll need you to do for the money,” he says. “You’re going to sit in this chair and not say a word while I handle this. If you say anything, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Brent opens the door to the hallway. Turning back, he pins me with his heavy gaze. “Don’t fucking move, understood?”
I nod, and he exits, leaving me to wonder what the cops are doing here. And what am I going to say when they try to talk to me?
59
Ax
We performed recon around the perimeter, namely downtown Cape Craven, then made spot checks, looking for any sign of my brother’s limo. We try my cabin, the saloon, and the only halfway decent hotel out off the main highway.
No sign of my brother or his car.
The next stop on our intelligence gathering mission is Craven Industries. It makes sense to get the information straight from the horse’s mouth, even if I think Tommy Bowen reminds me of a half-witted donkey more than a horse.
He’s leaning against the railing of the stairs to The Office when we pull up, shooting the shit with his beer-bellied companion. They’re both dressed in black t-shirts and slacks, and they’re both packing.
“Hey Chuck,” Tommy yells as we approach. “And Ax Craven. Fancy meeting you here!”
“Tommy,” I say, with a curt nod. “On duty?”
“Nah,” he says, then laughs. “Well, yeah, but not police duty.”
I never could figure out how someone as dumb as Tommy passed the police exam. “Seen any action tonight?” I ask.
“Well, your brother was here earlier. He didn’t get out of the car though. Just sent his driver up with an envelope. Told me to give it to the guys inside.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. I found the guy with the nicest suit and gave it to him.” Tommy grins, reminding me of Alfred E. Newman.
I nod. “And do you know what’s in the envelope?”
“Papers, I suppose.”
I suppose I should have known better than to ask Tommy. I’d be surprised if he could read past a second grade level. Lex could easily think circles around this goon.
“Anything else happen?”
Tommy shakes his head. “The guys in suits left not long after your brother. The Office is all locked up and quiet.”
Another dead end. I look over at Chuck to see if he has anything to add, but he’s staring off into space. Chuck’s been as useful as a second butthole. I wonder what’s distracting him, but I chalk it up to his fraying loyalty.
Whose side do you take when you work for an entire family? It must feel strange, turning against Brent and trying to help me. I was the black sheep of the family, at least until Brent’s true nature came to light.
“Well, if you hear anything, can you -” My words are interrupted by the crackle of a radio. “Units be advised, four fifteen up at the Craven place. Dispatching a unit, but backup may be required. Be on the lookout for a black SUV.”
Tommy tugs the radio out from his belt loop, his eyes widening. “Dang, did you hear that?”
“Four fifteen? What is it?” I snarl, grabbing his shirt and wadding it into my fist. “What does it mean?”
“General disturbance code. Something’s going on up there, and either we don’t know what, or we don’t want everyone else to know.”
Fuck. I drop my grip on Tommy’s shirt and back away. Something’s going on, and I’ve left Sabrina and Lex alone. Once again, Ax fucks up royally.
“Dangit, I’m missing all the fun being stuck here!” Tommy sounds genuinely disappointed.
“I’ll fill you in later,” I say, then grip Chuck’s shoulder. “Let�
��s go.”
He nods, and we jump into the truck. I peel out of the parking lot and start speeding toward the road that leads up to the estate.
I take the turn, the tires on this rust bucket squealing. When I hit the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I almost run it, but stop when I see a minivan heading across the intersection.
I hear a cough from the passenger seat and turn to look at Chuck. That’s when I realize he’s got the shotgun pointed at me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask, my mouth going dry.
“You can’t go back to the estate. Turn around.”
“You’re out of your mind. I’ve got to make sure Sabrina and Lex are okay.”
“They’ll be fine unless you go up there and make trouble. Turn around.”
I stare at Chuck, shocked at this turn of events. “Why are you trying to keep me from the house?”
“Doesn’t matter. Turn around, or I’ll shoot you.”
“Chuck, what’s going on? This isn’t like you.”
He shrugs. “I’m just doing my job.”
“I doubt my father’s paying you to kill his oldest son.”
“Your father hasn’t paid anyone for anything in months. She runs the house now. And I do what she says, or I’m out on my ass.”
She. Leigh. Fuck.
“You don’t have to do this. Whatever she’s threatening, it won’t happen. My dad and I will—”
“You and your dad won’t do shit. As we speak, she’s probably got him drugged to Kingdom Come. I wouldn’t be surprised if that disturbance is some kind of ‘suicide attempt’ or ‘accidental overdose’ by your father. At least, that’s what the papers will say.”
“What the fuck, man. And you’re just going to let it happen?”
“We’re just going to let it happen. Either that or I shoot you and hope that your brother bothers to get me out of jail.”
I bristle. That’s enough. “Chuck, you’re going to have to shoot me because there’s no way in hell that I’m going to let my shitbag stepmom and my piece of shit brother kill my father and destroy my family.”
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