Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“You tell him?” Crow asked Hush. Hush shook his head and then told me about Crow’s suspicions regarding Titus.
“Whatever you need,” I said to Crow. “Whatever it takes to bring that cunt to justice.”
Crow slapped me on the back. “So? When are you paying good ole Granddaddy a visit?”
I looked to Hush. He shuffled off the bed. I could see the anger and determination settling on his face. “Tonight,” Hush said. I nodded. “Then we get the others.”
Crow shook his head. “Nah, brother. I got them.” A spark lit in his eyes that only he ever carried. Never knew someone who got such a fucking buzz from killing as Crow . . . except maybe Flame. Those two together would be like something from a fucking slasher movie.
“They’re mine to take care of,” Hush argued.
“You get the puppet master. Leave his puppets to me,” Crow said. Hush shook his head. “We’re family, Hush.” Hush’s eyes widened and his lips parted. I don’t think in all the years we’d been with the Hangmen, he’d ever let himself truly feel like they were our family. Titus’s shit hadn’t helped. And now Ky was threatening our patches over Sia. But even though all that was a ball-ache, the Hangmen were our family. Hush hadn’t ever been alone. I’d always been there, but more, so had his brothers . . . brothers he had never let in.
It was time for him to start.
“You go on a murder spree and you risk getting caught.” Crow held up his cell. “I got reinforcements coming. You get Granddaddy. We’ll clean up.” He smiled the most fucked-up smile I’d ever seen. “Then Hades’ dice and me, we’ll go have us some fun . . .”
“Okay,” Hush agreed finally. I saw something, some never-before-seen expression, settle over his face. Acceptance. And maybe a bit of relief.
Crow got to his feet. “I’ll be waiting for your call.” He left the motel room, and Sia came out of the bathroom. Worry was written across her face. I knew she’d been listening.
“We need to go out for a while,” I stated. Sia nodded. Hush got off the bed and kissed Sia on the mouth. He threw on his cut, then I walked to Sia. Her eyes were pleading us to come back safe. “We’ll be back soon, cher,” I assured her and kissed her lips.
I opened the door, Hush following behind, when he stopped suddenly and turned to Sia. “I’m called Hush not because I’m quiet, but because I was a ‘hush’ baby. Nobody wanted me.” He smiled, but it was strained. “Except my parents. The rest of my family refused to acknowledge my very existence.”
Sia stayed rooted to the spot, but her eyes shone. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for letting me in.” Hush sighed, and I saw another brick from his high walls fall down to earth.
As we got in Crow’s truck, I knew that after tonight an entire section of wall would turn into rubble. Hush blew out a breath and then nodded. Taking that as my signal, I pulled out of the motel parking lot and headed for the Moreaus’.
Granddaddy Moreau had an appointment to keep with Hades.
*****
The gate to the grand estate was open as we killed the lights and slowly made our way down the road to the mansion. I kept my eyes peeled for groundsmen, security, whoever the fuck else they might have hired. But there was nothing. I could see Hush looking for the same thing. The brother kept checking his Glock and the knife in his boot, waiting for someone to come at us. Question us. Anything.
When we tucked the truck under the cover of some trees, the place seemingly a ghost town, I uttered a one-word explanation: “Crow.” Hush nodded, staring at the big white mansion. He blew out a breath. “You good?” I asked.
“She grew up here.” Hush pointed to the house. He shook his head. “How could she have been happy at our shack of a home?”
“Because she had you and your papa.” I looked at the white columns and wraparound porch. “I knew your granddaddy,” I said. I remembered the many dinners at this place. The stuffy attitudes, the racist talk . . . and how his grandmother was always silent. Hush had more in common with her than he might have known.
“You ready?” I asked, conscious about being here too long. Crow could only keep people away for so long. One call to the police and they’d be crawling all over this place in seconds. Hush’s opening of the truck door was all the answer I needed. He was limping, leaning to the side due to the pain from his ribs. But there was steely determination in his eyes. Hell, with the fire looking back at me, he could have passed for Hades himself.