Chapter 1 #3
To Tex’s surprise, the little girl walked toward him, her gaze pinning him in place.
When she arrived in front of him, she tilted her head way back, to look him in the eye.
Tex knelt down so they were face-to-face.
“Thank you for helping my mommy.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We feed a stray cat. Daddy won’t let us bring her inside. He says she’s dirty, but she’s not. Will you make sure Daddy doesn’t hurt her when we’re gone?”
Tex’s heart melted. “Of course I will.”
Simone hesitated a moment, then stepped into Tex’s personal space and hugged him. “Thank you for making it so Daddy can’t hurt Mommy and me anymore.”
Tex barely had a chance to return the hug before the little girl let go and turned to run back to her mom. He stood up, wobbling a little on his prosthetic. He nodded at Sarah and the woman who would take her to the airport before turning and heading back to his car.
The woman had a few more surprises waiting for her when she reached her destination.
The job Tex had already lined up for Sarah would start next week, and the nearby daycare had all of Simone’s information and was paid for through the rest of the year.
The new minivan would get the two wherever they needed to go, the rent on her apartment was prepaid for two years…
and the mid six figures Tex had put into Sarah’s bank account would tide them over for quite a while, especially with a couple of her biggest expenses covered.
Not to mention the retirement account for Sarah and the 527 account he’d set up for Simone’s college expenses.
He had more money than he could spend in three lifetimes, and it felt good to be able to use it to help others. He’d already donated a huge chunk to various charities around the country, but helping someone individually like he was doing now felt even better.
Tex waved as he pulled out of the parking lot and turned his mind to the next part of his plan.
Time to make sure Silas Stroud knew how badly he fucked up when he’d agreed to be a part of Tex’s kidnapping. To participating in beating the shit out of him while he’d been tied to a chair. The man had gotten in bed with the devil, and it was time for him to pay the price.
It hadn’t been hard to find dirt on Silas Stroud.
The man wasn’t exactly hiding the nefarious shit he’d been doing lately.
The prostitutes, the gambling, the drinking…
he was a walking talking stain on the Navy SEAL reputation that Tex and so many of his fellow sailors had spent their lives protecting and trying to live up to.
The fact that Stroud had taken money in exchange for participating in his kidnapping and beating was as offensive as the other shit he’d been doing. And it wasn’t as if he’d used the money to pay down the debts he owed. No, he’d spent it on drugs, strippers, and the services of prostitutes.
In fact, it was extremely satisfying for Tex that the very money Silas had been paid by Asher Rook would be his literal downfall. Tex had done his research, had found out everything he needed to know before putting his plans in motion.
Silas Stroud owed money to the Mafia.
That’s how much of an idiot the man was. He’d borrowed from the wrong people, and he hadn’t used the money he’d been given for participating in Tex’s kidnapping to pay them back. Now the Mafia’s patience had run out, and they wanted their money back.
Baker had used his connections to get in touch with the Don of a New York Mafia family that ran a casino in the Pittsburgh area, one that Stroud frequented.
It was quietly brought to the Don’s attention that a man who owed him a significant amount of money was spending it on drugs and women instead of paying down his debt.
It didn’t take long for him to issue the order to bring Stroud in, to be used as an example of what happened when someone didn’t honor their debts.
And Tex was going to make damn sure that Silas knew who’d helped orchestrated his downfall. Knew who’d helped his wife and child escape.
The man had brought this on himself. Tex didn’t feel guilty in the least. Stroud was a piece of shit who deserved everything that was about to happen.
Namely, being taken away by the Mafia, never to be seen again.
And even though Baker had made the first connection with the Mafia, Tex had called in a few markers to make sure Stroud disappeared without a huge fuss.
He wasn’t even sorry. There would be no blowback on Sarah.
No one would be looking for her to ask about her missing husband.
Silas Stroud would disappear off the face of the earth, and not one person would give even the tiniest little shit.
His parents had passed away a decade ago, he had no siblings, no other family to wonder where he was.
His friends were only chummy because of the alcohol and pot Silas freely shared.
And since he’d been fired, no one would expect him at work.
There was literally no one who would wonder where he was.
Once the man was gone, Tex would send people to his house to collect Sarah and Simone’s personal items. Baby pictures, mementos of a better life.
He’d also contact a local cat rescue group to humanely trap the stray Simone had been feeding.
Make sure the cat found a safer and more comfortable life, just as its benefactors had.
Anticipation swam through Tex’s veins. He was looking forward to this more than he could express. Newton’s Law. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Basically, when you pushed on something, it would push back with the same amount of force.
Tex was that force. Stroud had made his bed, it was time for him to lie in it. To pay for the years of abuse he’d heaped upon his wife and child. For the wrongs he’d done to his fellow veterans. For besmirching the Navy SEAL name.
Tex parked down the street from Stroud’s small run-down house; it wasn’t as if the man had put any money toward any kind of upkeep.
The neighbors would be thrilled that the asshole was gone.
To that end, he wasn’t worried about his vehicle being seen in the area around the time that Stroud went missing, but he also didn’t want to give the neighbors even the smallest clue as to what had happened to the asshole living nearby.
The grass around the house was badly in need of cutting and there were several shingles missing on the roof. Tex didn’t hesitate—walking up the sidewalk, opening the door, and walking inside as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
And he didn’t. He’d received a text on the way to the house, so he knew the op was a go.
The first thing he noticed when he entered was the smell of piss.
Walking into the living room, Tex saw Silas Stroud zip-tied to a chair, exactly how he’d been once upon a time. There were two muscular men standing near the chair. Each of them gave Tex a nod as he entered.
Instead of speaking, Tex nodded back…then leaned against the counter separating the living area from the kitchen and stared at Stroud.
“Help me!” the restrained man begged.
Tex didn’t reply
“What the fuck, man? These assholes came into my house, dragged me out of bed, and tied me to this chair. Call nine-one-one or something!”
In reply, Tex merely crossed his arms and shrugged.
“Doesn’t look like he’s too keen on helping you,” one of the men said with satisfaction.
“Please! I’ll do anything. I’ll pay you!” Stroud begged, holding Tex’s gaze, making it clear who he was talking to.
“With what money? Money you owe us?” the second guy growled.
“I’m thinkin’ you didn’t listen when our friend here asked you to stop. Right, Paul?”
“Right, Frank. I heard you and your friends even took his prosthetic leg, made him crawl around.”
Silas blinked—and Tex saw the moment he realized who’d just walked into his house.
“Oh shit. That wasn’t me!” Silas exclaimed, sounding panicked, and obviously lying his ass off. He knew exactly who Tex was, and what he’d done to him four months ago.
“You sayin’ we’re liars?” Frank asked.
“No! But I didn’t take his leg! I needed the money, man! I was trying to get some cash so I could pay you guys back!”
“Can you believe it? The guy’s blaming us for the situation he’s in right now,” Paul said with a snort.
“And it’s not as if you gave us one cent of the money you were given for beating on a fellow veteran,” Frank said. “You spent it on drugs and pussy.”
“I’m not blaming you! It’s just…my ol’ lady spends more money than I can make. I’ve told her to stop but she won’t.”
“Yeah, let’s talk about Sarah for a moment,” Frank said, as he turned and picked up a picture from a small table next to the beat-up old couch. “She’s pretty. As is your daughter. Too bad you treated ’em like shit.”
“What? No!”
“I’m gettin’ sick of this guy’s lies,” Paul snarled.
“Patience, Paul. Look, Stroud, this might go easier on you if you start owning up to the big fuckin’ mistakes you’ve made in the past,” Frank told him.
“I’m sorry! I’ll do better!” Silas cried out immediately.
“Another lie,” Paul said with a shake of his head.
“Look, asshole. We know what you’ve been doing to poor Sarah.
We have the medical records from all over Pittsburgh to prove it.
You thought you were so smart, bringing her to different urgent care centers and hospitals, making her use different names.
Broken wrist, broken collarbone, bruises, infections, pulled muscles, strained tendons…
you’ve been beating the shit out of her for years. ”
“I—”
“We don’t take kindly to men abusing women. I know you might think that’s weird for the Mafia, but it’s not. If a man can’t control his temper at home with the mother of his child, how can he be expected to keep hold of his emotions at other, more important times?” Frank asked calmly.