Page 40 of In It for the Long Ride

I didn’t even realize she was behind me.

“He’s had my sister since… So, the last thing I said to my sister before she’ll be taken from this world, was a question toward her sanity? That’s great. That’s just… fucking– Great.” She was sobbing by the time she finished and ran to the sanctuary of what I assumed was their bedroom.

A few moments later, Easy and the little guy made it inside.

“Crystal make it up?” He seemed confused.

“Yeah. I gotta,” Oak hitched his thumb.

The door opened, but I didn’t look back at Crystal. I didn’t like seeing women in pain like that, “I’m gonna wake Daisy, we need to get on the road.”

“My son is staying with me,” Crystal announced, blowing past all of us to grab Blaze by the arm.

She led him toward her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

“What’s going on?” Daisy called.

“Shit.” I shoved my way past the guys and tried to soften the blow before the whole day got worse.

Chapter 17

Daisy

Carl didn’t saya word until we were speeding down the interstate, and well out of the city limits of Chicago. I was drained. Crystal refused to speak with me. Carl had to half carry me to the car. For a while, we thought she was going to make us take Oak with her, but then that big ol’ teddy bear fetched a screwdriver and started to disassemble the bedroom doorknob.

Crystal would not part with Blaze. Oak would not be separated from her, and we did not know if she was serious when she threatened to call for backup, so it was decided against my protests that we should leave them to sort themselves out.

“You gonna tell me what the fuck that was?” Eric asked, after what was easily forty-five minutes of blistering silence.

Carl cleared his throat and looked at me in the rearview.

“Don’t do that.” I flared up all over again.

I didn’t like that secretive shit.

“You want the truth, you better be ready to swallow it. You don’t run to nobody when you get scared, you fucking trust me.” Carl laid down the law like I was one of his club pieces and I set my jaw.

“Fine,” I clipped.

“I mean it, Daisy Robbins.” He raised his tone.

“I said fine, Asshole. What part of that one little word didn’t you hear?” I snapped right back.

He stared at me for a long time in the rearview and then returned his gaze to the road ahead.

“I don’t want to give you false hope,” he quietly said, before side-eyeing Eric.

“About what?” Eric laughed, in that pessimistic way.

“He took Joplin and he married her,” Carl huffed.

“What?” Eric spat.

“He married her this morning, Crystal overheard him bragging about it. He is traveling abroad with her and cannot amuse himself with yours, while flaunting the other on the opposite side of the globe.”

“He doesn't have her anymore?” Eric sat up like he might crawl out of the car and race back to Chicago. “Wha–? What the fuck are we doing, Monty? Get the fuck– Go back!”

“We’re playing by his fucking rules, Brother, now listen– I want them back as much as you. Lord knows I do.” Carl stressed, “I’m doing what I can. I negotiated with him to give us back Trista. He said he would consider it if we went home.”

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