Page 86 of Pen Me

Wheels sounded in the driveway outside, and my heart took its bittersweet time ripping in two. I clung to him, the world spinning around me as I gasped for air.

“Take the phone, Samantha. Take it and go downstairs. If you hear them leave, call Ziggy.”

I shook my head and clung to him, unable to see through my tears.

He smashed a kiss to my mouth, held my face and softly whispered, “You’re the only ol’ lady I ever claimed, the only woman I ever loved. Please, honor me and take your ass downstairs to safety. Now.”

He gently extended his arms, sending me back a step or two.

I don’t know how I made it to the basement, but I found the door, and collapsed on the fourth or fifth step, where I tried to quiet myself while I wanted to die inside.

The cabin door banged, and his voice traveled as he called, “It’s me, Menace. I’m unarmed.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Blood for Blood

Ziggy

I was turning off the interstate when Henny called. I pulled over into the parking lot of the shopping center and returnedthe call within minutes.

“Zig?” he all but snapped when he picked up.

“Yeah?”

“You need to get out to Octavia’s. There’s an Irishman on his way out there to pick up your son-in-law.”

“What?”

“Yuh.” He grunted. “Sorry, Rumi, honey, turn that down a minute.”

I couldn’t even hear the music, so I knew he’d said her name for my benefit.

“Shit.” I fired the bike up. “Where is Sammy?”

“Mhm, yeah she’s there, too.”

I dropped the phone and cursed as I coasted toward the edge of the lot.

“Some kind of deal about Sauce. He told Sammy to call you after.”

“Got it.”

I hung up and started toward the cabin. I saw a car ahead of me on the country road. When I reached the lane that it had turned onto, I realized there were two more ahead of it.

“Right on time,” I grunted, shaking my head.

I took my pistol out of the glove box and took the safety off, even as I shook my head and inwardly cursed all of it. My daughter was out there!

Jesus.

I glanced back at the phone and scrolled through the number until I found the one that had called about Sauce being captive.

“Not smart calling this line back,” a voice answered.

It sounded young and cocky. I didn’t know Sean Morgan, but I knew he wasn’t no young punk. He was my age.

“Put Morgan on the phone, son.”

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