Judge of Hell (Hell Night 3)

“She’s going to be fine. She just needs a few stitches.”

“I was so scared,” she whispers. “I’ve never heard a gunshot before. It was so loud.”

Eden pulls Thea’s head to her shoulder and kisses the top.

I step closer and bend my knees to see her face better. “Did you see the person who shot her?”

She shakes her head. “No. They had something over their face. It was one of those masks that only has mouth and eye holes.”

“Damn it,” I mutter, turning away and slashing my fingers through my hair. If one of the others don’t catch up with the person, there’s a big chance we’ll never know who it was. There are 393 people in Malus. It could be anyone. I don’t want to think of one of Malus’s citizens doing this, especially to a child, but it has to be one of them.

A few minutes later, JW and Derek round the corner from the front. From the looks on their faces, they had no luck. My back molars grind together, my body vibrating with violent urge to maim someone.

“Where’s Brittney?” Derek demands, his face contorted in fury.

I tip my chin to the door behind me and he hurries that way. I grab his arm before he disappears inside.

“Who were they aiming at?” I ask.

The muscle in his jaw twitches, and his eyes blaze with hatred. “Brittney.”

He pulls his arm away and dashes into the room, leaving me reeling. Why in the fuck would someone purposely shoot a child?

“The bastard was too fast,” JW growls, walking over to Thea and Eden. “Emo found his trail behind the McCullough’s, but lost it in the woods. Derek said the person was in all black and wearing a mask, but he had a smaller frame.”

“We need to put out an alert and let the town know we have a shooter out there somewhere. People need to be watchful.”

He nods tightly. “I’ll have Sanchez and Williams out tomorrow making stops.”

“Where’s Emo?”

Thea leaves Eden’s arms and walks into JW’s. “Still out looking,” he says over her head.

Emo may be the most closed off of the four of us, but he’s also the most passionate. He may not show it and may like to pretend otherwise, but his actions prove he cares deeply.

JW and I make plans to inform the town of a potential danger in our midst. After, I check on Brittney before leaving the office. It’s eight thirty. Maisy will be calling soon, and I want a few minutes to calm my raging anger before she does.

I’m just slipping on a pair of shorts after my shower when my phone rings. The shower helped, but hearing my phone ring and knowing Maisy is on the other end soothes the rest of my ire.

Sitting on the bed, I swipe my finger across the screen. I let out a breath when her image pops up.

“Hey, Daddy,” she says. Her innocent little voice along with her gorgeous green eyes loosen the tension in my stomach.

“Hey, Mase. How are you doing today?”

“Today’s been great. I got to have real ice cream.” Her smile lights my whole fucking world.

“What flavor did you pick?”

“I wanted to have some of all of them”—she wrinkles her pert little nose—“but mom said I could only pick two, and they were really small scoops. But it was sooo good! I had strawberry and chocolate.”

I chuckle. “I’ll make sure to have several different flavors for when you get here. And don’t forget our date to the ice-cream shop.”

“I can’t wait to see you again,” she says gloomily. “I wish we could come sooner.”

Fuck, so do I. We Skype every night, but it’s not near enough. If I didn’t have so much shit going on here, I’d take the next flight out. That’s certainly out the window after what happened tonight. It’s been two weeks since I left Kentucky. Maisy’s doctor said she’s healing at a rapid rate, and her tests results are phenomenal. The last time I talked to him was yesterday, and he said if things continue the way they are, he wouldn’t be opposed to her traveling in a couple of weeks. Add another week for them to pack up and for Ellie to settle things there, and they’ll be on their way here. That’s so Goddamn long from now, but I don’t want her traveling until the doctor gives his approval. Three weeks. I’ll manage for that long, but it’ll nearly kill me.

“Three more weeks and you’ll be here,” I tell her.