Page 152 of The Secrets She Keeps

“You dead. After I have a really good time,” Trey said. He still had his gun. He pointed it at Powell. “You won’t want me to gobang, bangwith Powell here. I have already taken care of her boyfriend. And her old man isn’t long for this world either.”

Powell tried not to panic, to fight the nausea somehow.

“Maybe so. But do you really think Powell’s mother isn’t calling for help right now? Or do you honestly think I am a fool, Timmy Three?”

“You have always been too smart for your own good. Walking around like the queen bitch,” Trey said. “Getting in my way. Ishould have killed you when you were fourteen. I thought about it that day.”

“Oh, I know you did. I thought about doing the same to you that day too.”

“What happened when you were fourteen, Heather?” Timothy asked. “What did you do, Trey?”

“Trey didn’t tell you? Imagine that. What do you really know about your baby boy, Timmy?” Heather asked. “I caught him in the stables. With Joy. He was making her kiss him. Forcing her to. She couldn’t get away. Remember how tiny she was then, Timmy? He was eighteen and had his hands under her shirt. She was fourteen. Very small for our age too. He’s just a sick perv. He’s very lucky I didn’t break his skull open right then and there. I had Eden’s softball bat in my hands, Timmy. I could have killed him then. I regret that I didn’t. I could have. Unlike my very runty twin, I wasnotsmall for fourteen. I could have done it. If Summer hadn’t walked in when she did, looking for her puppy, I probably would have.”

“Trey? Is this true?” Timothy demanded. Like he almost cared.

Trey just smirked. “Maybe. I do like small women, after all. So easy to make them do what a man wants.”

He grabbed Powell, ran one hand down her front. To rest over her stomach. “Just like Erickson does. Did, rather.Pop, pop. That was a fun one. Poor daddy-less baby now. I’m going to kill you, then head out, Auntie Heather. Been waiting for this day for a long, long time.”

Terror filled her. She had known something had happened to Gunnar. Otherwise, he’d have been there. He’d have been there. Powell just shook right where she was.

Her eyes met Heather’s, just for a quick moment. Heather smirked. “You really think it’s going to be that easy?”

112

Gunnar grabbedthe woman when she almost ran by him, sobbing. At first, he thought it was Powell. Then he looked closer. “Melissa. Shh. It’s me, Gunnar.”

“Oh, thank God. We thought…they said they killed you. They have my daughter. And Mason. Heather…Heather is in there with them now.”

Gunnar pulled her closer. Hugged her just once, careful to keep her away from the blood on his shoulder. “I know. Heather is our distraction. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to get her back. Get them all back.”

“Heather said to go to her house. But I can’t leave. I can’t. My family, I can’t…”

She was panicking. He had to bring her back down. Fast. “I need you to tell me how many there are inside.”

“Four. That older man, the one…his name was Timothy. And he was trying to convince his son to leave. To not hurt anyone. He’s almost begging him, pleading now. His son is a monster. Evil, through and through. His son mostly wants to kill Heather, to keep her quiet about things she might know about him from three or four years ago. They argued about that. The older man…was trying to tell him to leave Heather alone, but the younger one wasn’t listening. There are two others. They just wanted their money. Or…my daughter. They plan to hurt her, Gunnar. They plan to hurt her. Now Heather is there…”

Gunnar nodded. He nudged the mother of the woman he loved back a step. “Go. Get back to Heather’s. I can do what I need to do better if I am not worried about you too.”

“Wecan do what we need to do,” a deep male voice came out of the darkness. Gunnar had seen him approaching. “Gun and Heather aren’t doing this alone, Mrs. Barratt. We’ve also called in backup. But we need you out of the way so we aren’t distracted and so you aren’t inadvertently hurt in the middle.”

She nodded, pulled in a gasping breath. “You’re not alone.”

“No. None of us are doing it alone.” Gunnar would never forget that. He had people in his corner. No matter what. Maybe that had been a lesson he’d needed to learn lately too.

She pulled herself together right in front of him.

“Please, just…all of you be careful. All of you have people who love you. Be safe. Just be safe, all of you.” There was a strength in Melissa that Gunnar would never forget in that moment. As he watched her take off down the sidewalk toward where her sons waited.

TrustingGunnar to get her daughter and husband safely back to her.

His baby’s grandmother was one hell of a woman too. Now it was time to get her family back to her where they belonged.

Gunnar was ready.

113

He was dying.Daniel was certain of it. This washell.

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