Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
CARTER
Ipace back and forth as Knox goes to get Heather and Killian. My job is to calm the fuck down before our girl sees me like this.
Rolling my shoulders, I reach back and rub at the knot forming at the back of my neck. My chest tightens as the three of them come into view.
“If it was addressed to me, then I want to see it.”
Knox balls his hands into fists, and it’s clear he isn’t handling this much better than I am.
“It wasn’t addressed to you, Tesoro.”
Heather places her hands on her hips and glares at me and then Knox, her eyes filled with fury.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on.”
Killian watches us, also not knowing, but waiting patiently. I can see it on his face. He is wondering if he even wants to know, and I promise, he doesn’t.
I grab the note that came with it and hand it to her.
She reads it aloud and I wish she wouldn’t. I don’t want to hear the vile words coming out of her mouth.
Bonettis-
Why are you protecting her? Heather is a wicked girl. She has been evil from an early age and it only continues to progress. I trust when you see it for yourself you’ll save yourselves by walking away. Your souls can still be saved. I’m happy to allow her to come back home where she belongs.
Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
She is my wife, and you are committing adultery. Stop now, and perhaps I will talk to the Lord and ask him to have mercy on your souls. Heather is not worth burning in the pits of hell for eternity. No one is.
Prophet Jedediah
Heather's hands shake, her eyes filling with unshed tears. I expected fear, but I’m looking at heartbreak.
“This was delivered here?”
Knox nods, answering her question, but doesn’t offer anything further.
“This was it? Nothing else?”
I drag my hand down my face, and she instantly spots my struggle.
“Carter,” she warns, her voice has a sharp, angry edge to it.
“There were hundreds of photographs.”
She knits her eyebrows together as if she’s trying to understand what I’m talking about.
“Polaroids,” Knox states, and Heather's face pales. She stumbles backward as if someone hit her.
Her breaths come out harsh, but it’s her voice that destroys me. She sounds so ashamed and I fucking hate it.
“You looked at them?”
Her eyes widen, panic filling her features as she shakes uncontrollably.
Knox and I exchange a glance which only sets her off.
“You fucking looked at them!” She screams, and I know it’ll be little consolation for her to know that we didn’t know what we were looking at until it was too late. The second we realized what we were seeing we stopped.
Focusing her gaze on the floor as if she can’t look at us, we watch her break.
“It doesn’t end. It’s never going to end.”
I walk over to her and place my palm on her chin and lift her head until her teary gaze is on mine.
“It ends when he’s dead. Do not let him win.
He wanted us to see these disgusting images because he knew it would hurt you.
It’s a mind game. The goal was to rattle you so you make mistakes.
He did this because he’s afraid, Little Heathen.
Terrified people fuck up. They think erratically, and that’s how we get him. ”
Heather steps closer to me and I wrap my arms around her as she sobs into my chest.
“I swear I didn’t want them taken. I-”
Placing my hand on the back of her head, I stroke my hand over her hair gently.
“Shh, we know that. You were a child. Consent wasn’t even possible. This was not your fault, Little Heathen.”
She takes in a deep breath and blows it out slowly, calming herself down.
“Thank you. Are we leaving then?”
Knox answers her before I have a chance to.
“Yes. Bones arranged for a hotel. His security will be posted outside our doors.”
Heather covers her mouth with her hand as she releases an audible gasp.
“If he knows we have Olivia, she’s a target.”
Knox and Killian leave the room, I assume to pack bags so we can get out of here.
“We will keep her safe. If she is spotted he will probably assume she’s Bones and Athena’s child. We won’t allow him to get close enough to realize who she is.”
She breathes out another long breath and nods.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. If we are leaving I want the photos with us. I can’t live with someone finding them.”
Pulling her back into my arms, I kiss her forehead.
“We will bring them and you can destroy them.”
Pressing her face against my chest she growls angrily.
“I want to destroy him. I want him to stare at me as I punish him for his crimes. I want to see the fear in his eyes as the blood pours from his body.”
I pull away from her, staring in her eyes, pride filling my chest at the ferocity in her gaze.
“There’s my girl.”