“Not here,” I grunt and flick my eyes to Remi. She’s not paying attention to us, but I still don’t want her to be in the same room with Leland when he dies.
I bend low and say fervently. “He’s mine.”
From the twitch in his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes, I can tell he wants to argue. If it were up to him, he’d take out all the fuckers from our past. It’s not only revenge for him. He genuinely enjoys the kill, but he knows this kill is mine. We each have one kill that’s due to us.
“Take him to the hunting lodge,” I tell Emo, then add. “Alive, Emo. I want the bastard alive when I get there.”
He bares his teeth and lets out a low hiss but gives me a jerky nod anyway. Climbing to his feet, he hauls Leland over his shoulder and carries him out of the door. I don’t doubt Emo will do as I wish and leave Leland alive. How alive is the question.
I turn back to Remi and Elijah. She still has him pressed against her chest, her sobs quieted down to soft whimpers.
Knowing that they’ll be okay for a few minutes, I rush behind the couch and kneel down beside Susan. She has a gash on her forehead, and I spot the heavy glass paperweight Leland must have used to hit her. Setting two fingers to her neck, I let out a sigh when I feel a strong and steady pulse.
“I-is she o-okay?”
I turn at Remi’s tearful question.
“She’ll be fine, but I need to get her to the office.”
Her eyes close and her shoulders relax. “Thank God.”
I pull my phone from my pocket and punch JW’s name. After explaining what happened, we hang up so he can call Judge. They will both be here momentarily.
With El
ijah tucked against her, I pull the both of them to my chest. I’m not really a religious man, but I send up a silent thanks to whatever God there is that they’re okay.
TROUBLE
SUSAN ENDED UP NEEDING four stitches. Other than that, and being pissed Leland got the jump on her, she was fine. After finding out that Elijah and Remi were okay, she pinned me with a hard glare.
“You kill that son-of-a-bitch, slowly,” she growled her request.
I didn’t need to give her my promise. She knew me. She knew I would make Leland suffer. Not only for what he did to me as a kid. Not only because he hurt Susan. Not only because he raped Remi, but especially because he threatened Elijah.
That was two days ago, and I’ve yet to take care of Leland. There’re some answers I need first.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Remi asks from behind me.
I spin and pull her into my arms. Cupping the side of her face, I look down into the eyes of the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. I dip my head and kiss her. Soft and sweet.
Since the incident with Leland, she hasn’t let Elijah out of her sight. The only reason she pisses and showers without him in the bathroom is because I’m there to watch him, and even then, she makes me promise to not leave him by himself. I suspect she does push the bassinet into the bathroom when I’m not around. Fear does that to a person. Makes them paranoid. Eventually she’ll learn that, as long as I’m breathing, nothing will ever happen to her or Elijah again.
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m sure, baby. I need to do this on my own.”
She pulls in a breath and nods. “Okay.” She runs her hands up my pecs, over my shoulders, and stops them on my neck. “Just give her a chance, Trouble. I’m sure there’s a very good reason why they did what they did. And besides, Leland could have lied.”
But why would he? What could he possibly gain?
“Are-are you going to see him?” she asks, her words stuttering from her mouth.
Him. I know who she’s speaking of without her saying his name.
Leland.
“Yes.”
Her lips form a straight line and a crease forms between her brows. “Do me a favor?”