Page 47 of Chaos Kills

Forever.

And that word holds so much despair and conviction that it’s cruel to think we’ll never see him again.

“Wallace.”

I sense Levi move away from me at the sharp clip of one of his men’s tones, but I ignore it.

Or tried.

That was the intention, obviously.

But the dude’s next words send an ice-cold chill through my veins.

“Wildes is here.”

The fuck?

“This is a cute scene. However, I don’t think my cousin will like it.”

Dread floods my chest at a rapid pace before Hot Rod and Juice step in front of us, guarding and watching silently, as I contemplate what to do and how to keep Ellie and Mae from dealing with any more bullshit today.

“Mae, do you wanna go get some ice cream with me?” Juice asks softly, holding out his hand in more of an order for her to go with him.

She bobs her head but doesn’t utter a word, and I squeeze Ellie’s hand to please go with her.

“Why don’t you go?—”

“I’m staying here,” she whispers back as Levi barks out something I don’t pick up on. “I don’t wanna leave?—”

“Let Levi take care of this.” She’s old enough to understand. She needs to know we’re not safe here anymore.

We never were.

Ellie loosens her grip on my hand and follows our youngest sister and Juice. I watch them walk up toward his Black Impala and climb inside before I’m able to breathe again.

“How badly do you want him hurt?” Hot Rod mutters above me, gaining my immediate attention.

I can’t say a single thing about it.

I can’t move.

I just buried my father, and Torin wants to show up like a bat out of hell to make it worse.

Why wouldn’t he? He hates me. Despises what I did.

“Levi is going to fuck him up, Bay,” Rod puts forth more urgently. “If you want?—”

“Please stop him,” I exhort, clenching my fingers into tight balls. “I can’t?—”

“Say another fucking word,” Levi barks out then, causing my whole body to grow taut at the fury brewing in his tone. “And your father is gonna be down to only one kid.”

“Relax, Wallace,” Torin drawls too casually.

He’s drunk.

I know he is.

Torin speaks in this haughty, confident tone, and that’s not what he’s projecting now. It’s the loss of Judah that’s making him act a fool out here, through slightly slurred words, and he’s going to get himself killed.

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