Page 48 of Unholy Cross

Chapter Twenty

Cross threw her uncleover his shoulder in a fireman hold and headed around back.Lorelei followed to where the loading dock was located for deliveries.A woman stood there, smoking a cigarette, watching them with a carefully blank expression.Panic flooded Lorelei, that they now had a witness to their retribution.

“Mabel,” Cross said.“Can you open the inventory room?”

“Sure thing,” the woman said.She ground out her smoke with the toe of her shoe before pulling out a set of keys.

Cross followed her, not looking perturbed in the least that this Mabel could be a witness to their soon-to-be crime.Mabel unlocked a door and when Cross entered, he flipped on the light switch.The harsh fluorescent light overhead highlighted every punch her uncle had received.

“Need a zip tie?”Mabel asked.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

Lorelei watched until the woman disappeared around the door.

“Is she going to tell?”she asked.

Cross dropped her unconscious uncle like he was a sack of potatoes.He impacted the floor with a sick thud.

“About?”

“Him.”

Mabel returned and held out a few zip ties.Cross took them and tied her uncle up.

“You’re not going to rat us out, are you, Mabel?”he asked her.

“About what?”Mabel shook her head.“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Boss.”

“Expect a bonus, Mabel.”Cross winked at Lorelei.“I’m going to run Lorelei home and I’ll be back with the SUV.This asshole is coming home with me.”

Moments later, Lorelei held onto Cross as they raced home.

He didn’t linger.Kissing her on the lips before leaving once more, this time driving the SUV.Unable to sit still, she paced through the house until Cross returned.He pulled into the garage and cut the engine.Then he grabbed a tarp and spread it out before he pulled her uncle out of the back.He was moaning, which meant he was beginning to come around, and let out a grunt when Cross dropped him onto the tarp.

“Wake up, asshole,” Cross said, tapping her uncle’s cheek.

Slowly, the lids raised as far as they could go since both eyes were black and swollen.Cross grabbed some duct tape and slapped a piece over her uncle’s mouth.

“Good to see you’re with us once again, although very shortly you will be departing the land of the living.”

Her uncle tried babbling under the sticky tape.

“You can’t say no.This is nonnegotiable.”He pointed to her.“You fucked up her life, and now you’ll pay with yours.Only she can grant you a pardon.And I don’t think she’s going to do that.”

When he looked at her, she shook her head.Her uncle deserved all the pain he was about to receive.

Cross walked over to the tool bench and rummaged until he found what he was looking for.A set of pliers.

“Sweetheart, can you get me a knife?”

Her uncle started freaking out.Lorelei smiled at him and went to fetch the sharpest knife they had.When she returned, she held it out to Cross.

“Thanks,” he murmured, then headed over to her uncle, who was trying desperately to inchworm his way to safety.“Where do you think you’re going?”

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