Page 50 of Living Without

Josh lifted up, went to where he’d dropped the tools, and tagged a knife. As he strode back, he asked, “Can I do it?”

“What?” I asked.

“You were gonna take his fingers, right?”

“Let him,” Stoke said.

It was time to see what Josh was made of when it came down to the dirty shit.

“Fine,” I bit out. Even though I wanted to be the one to deliver all the pain to the prick, I had to remember I wasn’t the only one hurt by losing Nary. So I gripped Baxter’s arm. He tried shouting, cursing, and moving, but we held tight as Josh carved off all his fingers.

Blood pooled on the cement ground. “Dallas,” I called. The door opened, his head peering around it. “Soon as we say, need someone to come in and stop his bleeding. Can’t have him bleed out before we deliver him to the cops.” Dallas nodded and shut the door.

“W-what the fuck you talkin’ ’bout?” Baxter asked. His exhaustion was showing. His brow was drenched in sweat. He opened his eyes before reclosing them more slowly. His body lounged instead of the stiff form it had been at the start.

Knowing he wasn’t going to move—he was unable to from the smashed-in shins and knee—Stoke stood tall and moved around the front. “You’re going to jail for what you did. Every woman you took deserves a chance to be free from the hell you delivered upon her. The cops will get all your files. They will find the women, and then they’ll be telling them you’ll serve a life sentence. What they won’t know, and if a chance arises, Hawks will fill them in, is that every day for the rest of your life will be filled with pain. We have brothers in there itching to make it happen.” He leaned in and got in Baxter’s face. “You should have known not to fuck with us like your cocksuckin’ cousin. Now it’s a lesson you’ll learn every goddamn day.”

“I-I’ll tell the police what you’ve done to me.”

Stoke chuckled. “You won’t be able to once we’ve finished. Especially since we’ll have taken all your fingers and tongue.”

Baxter blanched. It was funny to see him try to stand and run. We all stood there waiting and smiling. Some would call it sick the way we enjoyed inflicting pain, but I didn’t care. Not after what he’d done to Nary.

“Suggestion,” Josh said.

“All ears,” Stoke answered.

And while Baxter yelled his fear, Josh shared with us his fuckin’ brilliant idea.

“It shouldn’t have to be only Hawks who have to put up with him on the inside. I suggest we carve into his forehead child rapist.”

“Fuckin’ perfect.” I grinned. Prisoners frowned upon motherfuckers who touched children.

Stoke slapped his hand on Josh’s back and said, “You’ll do good, brother.”

There it was. Josh passed, and in my eyes, it was with flying colours.

It was time to finish what we’d started, so we could hand the prick over and I could get back to Nary.

Her life would be beautiful from then on.

I’d make sure of it.

Fuck.

Then I remembered what I had to tell her.

Chapter Eighteen

NARY

One week later

The week flew by. Kelsey and I both spent it resting, eating, and talking. My friend also got to know Mum, Low, Josie, Mena, and Mrs Cliff. We both got to know Melissa. Saxon and Gypsy never hovered too far away, yet they seemed untouchable, unapproachable. They treated us like we were more of a security detail than people they wanted to be around. Though, that wasn’t totally true. Both men shared tender looks our way, both spoke softly towards us, yet, I still felt a distance between us.

I understood it.

In a way.

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