Page 82 of Five Fingers of Death

“You’re mocking yourself,” Eva said.

“Well, yeah. If I don’t laugh about it, then I’d cry about it, and I really don’t want to break down in tears every five minutes.”

Vira huffed in the back seat. “If he was alive, I’d twist his balls until they snapped off and then shove them in his mouth.”

Part of me wished that I had been strong enough to do that, but right now, I just had to focus on moving on. We pulled up to another mattress store, but this one looked expensive.

Eva smirked at me. “Come on, Izzy. Let’s go get you the best fucking mattress, you’ll ever sleep on.”

18

JASON

As soon as I dropped off Carli at Tahlia’s house, I headed for Isabelle’s. I gave her a day to acclimate, but that’s all I could stand before I had to see her. I could hardly sleep last night without knowing how she was.

I kept seeing her in that room, slamming the ruler down on her hand. Or the blood seeping through her pants where she had cut herself. I fucking hated what that bastard had done to her, how he had manipulated and twisted her mind to get her to do what he wanted. I wouldn’t be able to focus again until I was sure she was doing okay.

“Going somewhere?”

I gritted my teeth at the sound of Jack’s voice behind me. “Yeah.”

“To see Isabelle?”

“Is that a problem?”

He caught up to me in just a few strides, keeping pace with me but never looking my way.

“Just want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“Why? Because I look like I’m about to break?”

“No, because you lost Leah a month ago. You were losing your shit on me in a fit of rage.”

I stopped and glared at him. “And you think I would hurt Izzy?”

“No. But I think she has the power to hurt you.”

His words rattled around in my head like an unpleasant bell. “Why the fuck would she hurt me? I’m just checking on her.”

He didn’t say anything, but his head lifted ever-so-slightly.

“I was there. I saw what she was doing. And last night when she came back—” I looked away, shaking my head.

“I get it, but you’re still fucked up, and so is she. Just don’t get involved.”

My gaze snapped back to his. “Who said anything about getting involved?”

“I know you. I saw the way you looked at her yesterday.”

“With concern? Yeah. She was in a mental institution because her ex fucked with her head. I saw the damage firsthand.”

“And your daughter was with you.”

“Because she likes Izzy.”

“She’s just a child,” Jack pointed out.

I narrowed my eyes at his accusation. “Are you saying I’m not looking out for my kid?”

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