Chapter Ten #2
“Sheriff, threatening murder on my porch ain’t great procedure.”
“Neither is kidnapping a deputy.”
My shoulders tighten before I can stop them.
Amos catches it.
“You know something, Weller.”
“Dix, I don’t.”
His eyes burn into mine. “She’s all I got.”
That lands because I understand it too fucking well. My gaze cuts toward the hallway before I can stop myself.
Amos sees it and starts forward.
I block the doorway.
“What’s back there?”
“Bedrooms.”
“Move.”
“No. Got a woman back there I’m fixin’ to fuck. You think Twila would be in my bed waiting for me?”
His face changes.
“Got a warrant?”
“I can get one.”
“Then get one.”
“Why’re you protecting Pearly Gates?”
That’s rich. “Who says I am?”
“Every damn road I follow ends with one of your club brothers standing in it.”
“Maybe you’re on the wrong road.”
“Maybe I ought to arrest every King in Hell and see who starts talking.”
“Need charges.”
“I’ll find some.”
“Probably.”
He leans closer, close enough that I can see exhaustion beneath the anger.
“If you know where my daughter is, tell me.”
I think about Twila ten yards away.
Free. Uncuffed. My bedroom door unlocked.
One shout and Amos would know exactly where she is. The house is quiet enough that I’d hear the floor creak if she moved toward him.
It doesn’t.
She doesn’t make a sound.
“I know where your daughter wants to be,” I say.
His eyes narrow.
“That ain’t what I asked.”
“No.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Means she’s twenty-eight, Sheriff. Might wanna start remembering it.”
“You stay the fuck away from her.”
Little late.
“I ain’t discussing Twila with you.”
“You calling her Twila now?”
Shit.
My fingers tighten around the doorframe because that sounds too much like something I’d say if Wren ever disappeared and some bastard stood in front of me playing games.
Amos sees something in my face.
I hold his stare.
“Everybody calls her Twila.”
“I don’t like the way you say it.” He steps back and points one finger at my chest. “If she turns up hurt, I don’t care what Legend says, what patch you wear, or how many Kings stand between us.
I’ll put you in the ground myself.” He glances around the house again, and his gaze catches on Wren’s school picture beside the refrigerator.
Some of the fury eases from his face. “You got a little girl.”
“Yeah.”
“Then you ought to understand.”
I do. That’s the problem.
His voice roughens. “Imagine waking up and not knowing where she is.”
I don’t have to imagine. I know exactly how hell measures time.
“I understand.”
Sheriff Dix studies me. “God help me, if you have something to do with Twila’s disappearance, I’ll make sure you do.”
He turns and walks toward the cruiser, then stops at the steps.
“Weller.”
“What?”
“If she contacts you…”
I wait.
He looks older than he did at Heck’s Kitchen.
“Tell her her daddy ain’t mad.”
Shit.
“Tell her to come home.”
He gets into the cruiser and drives away.
I close the door, turn the dead bolt, then stand there with one hand still on the lock and my forehead pressed to the wood.
“Fuck.”
Behind me, my bedroom door opens. I turn. Twila stands at the end of the hall, pale and red-eyed.
She cracks a joke first. “I’m flattered, but why is my ass covered?”
Damn, I forgot I had a Twister Dix poster in my attached bathroom for reasons. “I have a daughter so yeah, I covered up your ass cheeks.” I pinned a map of Hell over her Daisy Dukes. “Nothing wrong with them. She’s young, and I don’t want her to grow up thinking her daddy’s a pervert.”
“I thought my daddy burned all the posters.”
“Collector’s edition. I have connections.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Why didn’t you go?”
She folds her arms, then drops them almost immediately, too wound up to hold the posture. “I don’t know.”
“Bullshit.”
“I said I don’t know.”
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“He’s scared shitless.”
“I know.”
“You could’ve walked out.”
“I know.”
“You could’ve yelled.”
“I know.”
Fear looks for somewhere to go, and mine turns into anger before I can stop it. “Then why the fuck didn’t you?”
Her eyes flash. “Quit yelling at me.”
“Answer.”
“I don’t have one!”
“Make one up.”
“Fine. Maybe because I don’t know who to trust either!”
Silence slams into the room.
Her gaze drops away from mine as soon as the words are out, like admitting doubt about Amos costs her something physical.
“I still don’t believe Daddy’s dirty.”
“Neither do I.”
“He sounded terrified.”
“Yeah.”
“That means something.”
“Means he loves you.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still here?”
She starts walking toward me.
“I don’t know. Maybe because Kaylee was terrified of police. Bullet was gentle with her. Maybe because you could’ve done a hundred terrible things to me and didn’t.”
I look at her.
“Did plenty.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
She stops close enough that I can see the dampness still caught along her lower lashes.
“You uncuffed me.”
“Yeah.”
“You gave me a choice.”
“Yeah.”
“You keep telling me you’re dangerous, Whiskey.”
“I am.”
“Then stop acting like I’m made of glass.”
That gets under my skin.
“Woman, I tackled you into dirt yesterday.”
“And I almost got you off me.”
“You almost got me off.” I take one step toward her.
She doesn’t move.
“Why’d you stay?”
Her voice drops. “Why do you care?”
“Because I need to know if I’m losing my goddamn mind.”
That stops her.
“Fuck it.”