Page 129 of Parrish

Now, we gotta revisit that situation and I’m not sure how to proceed because I don’t know how much she remembers. The last thing I want to do is say or do something that might set her back.

“Nico found your journal,” I tell her, glancing towards the bathroom where it lies on the floor. “Came up here to bring it to you and ask you about it.”

“My therapist gave it to me,” she explains, narrowing her eyes. “She said if I wrote things down as they came to me it might help. What does that have to do with the club being on lockdown?”

“The night before your accident, I couldn’t sleep. I came downstairs, and I spotted a black Cadillac outside the house. I realized it was the same make and model as the car we spotted earlier in the parking lot. Do you remember that?”

She doesn’t say a word at first and I take it as a sign she doesn’t know what I’m talking about but then her face pales and I know it’s clicking.

“I remember a car,” she says. “I couldn’t make out what type at the time because we were…”

Fucking.

“Yeah,” I mutter. “Anyway, Nico didn’t see the car, and he was guarding the house that night. I started to think I fucking imagined it until your accident.” I pause, taking in her reaction.

Her face remains blank, so I continue.

“When I got to the hospital, Nico told me a witness at the scene claimed to have seen a vintage Cadillac hit you from behind. It came to light then that early that morning when you were getting Danny ready for school, Nico spotted that same car parked in front of the house. Do you remember any of that?”

“Are you saying someone was following me? That they intentionally hit me?”

“I’m not sure,” I admit. “You’re the only one who can tell us that.”

“I haven’t let myself think about that day. I’ve been too wrapped up in trying to remember us, to think about the accident,” she says, running her fingers through her hair. “Before you came to the hospital, I was watching an episode of Law & Order. There was a black car on the screen and I instantly thought Cadillac. Then I remembered the red writing.”

“Do you remember what it said?”

She draws her lower lip between her teeth as she closes her eyes.

“Think, baby,” I urge, rubbing my free hand over her leg. A few seconds pass by and she continues to worry her lip before her eyes spring open and meet mine.

“Rest in peace, Padrino,” she whispers. “It was written on the passenger side of the car in script.”

At the revelation, I bite the inside of my cheek to refrain from losing my fucking shit. Between the fucking message on the car and the one they wrote in blood on the walls, there is no doubt in my fucking mind Javier’s men are behind this. Wolf needed proof before we went to war, well the bastard got his wish.

“The car was parked on the corner of the house,” she whispers, forcing my attention back to her. “I was stopped at the stop sign when I saw it. I wasn’t paying attention to notice if it followed me, but Nico is right, Jack. A car did slam into me. I was at a red light and I remember looking over my shoulder at Danny when the car jerked. I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the black car. The driver reversed and then plowed into us again. That’s when I grabbed Danny’s hand and slammed on the brakes. I saw the truck coming towards us and I told Danny to close his eyes,” she reveals, pausing as her eyes fill with tears. “I didn’t want him to be afraid. I didn’t want the last thing he saw be that truck. Oh my God,” she whispers, lifting her hand to her mouth. “My baby.”

Hearing her replay the events causes me to grind my teeth. Anger courses through my veins and all I see is red.

Blood fucking red.

Time’s up.

Rest in peace, motherfuckers.

Satan is coming.

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