Page 22 of Stranger Gifts

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” barked Killer.

“Look, Killer, I know you want this but I think we have to move on,” said Campbell.

“Why?”

“We never had to meet these men or speak to them but we heard the stories and rumors. I think you’re dealing with a bunch of dudes that were all former Special Forces. Like serious Special Forces. Not just SF, but the best of the best SF. They started out as REAPER and Steel Patriots, then REAPER-Patriots. The fucking mafia runs from them, brother.”

“I’ve heard of them,” whispered Killer. The look on his face told them all he had indeed heard of them. “I thought they’d all be dead. It explains their behavior in the bike shop. I should have made the connection between them and Patriot Cycles.”

“We need to leave them alone, Killer,” said Finch.

“No. I’m not letting them win this. They owe me bikes and those bitches they took from me. Plus, if they’re involved in helping that fucking nun, we’re screwed and so is Banger.”

“He’s just one member. He won’t talk,” said Finch.

“We’re not leaving him to rot in prison,” said Killer.

“Brother, he’ll get out in time. He’ll do good behavior and be free. We’ve all done it. We can’t risk everyone for him,” said Finch.

“We will!” They all stared at him as he sat down, clutching his gut once again. One of the men set a bottle of water in front of him and he nodded his thanks.

“We will because he’s my son. I asked him to rape that nun, to beat the fuck out of her and make sure she didn’t open her damn mouth or help one more girl. I asked him to do that.”

“But he didn’t do it,” said Campbell. Killer glared at him. If he were feeling better, he’d kick the shit out of him. Normally, he wouldn’t push Killer like this but he’d be damned if he was going to risk his life for his Killer’s piece of shit kid.

“He tried. He just didn’t get to finish the job. So we’ll do it for him and get him out of there. No matter what.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“May I join you?” asked Nash. He’d been watching Jenna sitting near the fountain in the gardens for nearly an hour. They were all watching her, concerned that she might harm herself.

“Of course, Nash. I actually owe you an apology.”

“Me?” he frowned. “You don’t owe me an apology. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.”

“You reached for my hand out of friendship and I shunned you,” she said looking down into the fountain. Nash shook his head.

“Jenna, a man attacked you. The touch of a man will set you off for a while. I should have been more considerate. I know it wasn’t about me. It was about your attackers.”

“Thank you for saying that,” she said. “You always were the nicest boy in school. I remember when your family was transferred to Arizona. You were only in eighth grade, I think.”

“That’s right,” he smiled. “We had been at a base called The Depot. In fact, many of the people here were there.”

“Really? That seems odd,” she frowned.

“Yes,” he laughed. “I suppose it does feel odd. We’re all different, Jenna. We were exposed to something while at this strange base and now have unusual skills.”

“Like what you did at the lake when we were in high school?”

“You remember that?” he asked. She nodded. “I never meant for anyone to see me. If I hadn’t done what I did, Josie would have died.”

“I saw it as a miracle from God, Nash. I never thought you were strange. You lifted that water like it was nothing and there she was, crawling her way along the bottom of the lake. You saved her life.”

“I can’t believe you saw me. I wish you had told me,” he said smiling at her. “I felt alone during that time. I couldn’t tell everyone what was happening to me.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come to you. You were my friend, my dearest friend. I hated that we lost touch after I went to the convent.”

“Why did you go?” he asked. “You were one of the smartest people in school. Surely you had scholarship offers.”

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