Page 152 of Scatter the Bones

“You need to go home,” Griff says to Molly, drawing me back to the conversation.

“Not so fast, little girl.” Wrath cocks his head and studies her. “What’d you see today?”

“Leave her out of it,” Remy snaps.

Molly takes a deep breath and flicks an irritated glance at her brother. “I wasin itwhen that guy pointed a gun at me. And even deeperin itwhen I smashed his leg with the crowbar.”

Molly’s the one who fucked that guy’s leg up? Well, goddamn. “Guess that ruthless streak runs through your blood.” I laugh.

Remy sighs and side-eyes me.

“Griff had him,” Molly continues, clearly wanting to defend her boyfriend’s status as her big, bad protector. “But I already had the crowbar in my hands, and I was afraid he’d try to run.”She lifts her gaze and meets Wrath’s stare without flinching “But if anyone outside of the four ofyouasks, all I saw was the inside of this garage while Griff and I were working on my car.”

I glance at the tweaker again.

As much as I thoroughly enjoy giving Griff shit, I won’t tolerate someone else fucking with him. He’s like another little brother. Someone I enjoy putting in a headlock from time to time. But if anyoneelseputs their hands on him, they’re not getting them back.

And threatening Molly—pulling a gun on a teenage girl? Absolutely the fuck not. He signed his death warrant the second he threatened her. How hard he gets to die, though, that’s up to him.

When Wrath seems satisfied Molly won’t breathe a word of any of this—with Remy and Griff knowing damn well they’ll pay the consequences if she does—we send her on her way.

She peels out of the parking lot in Griff’s car, tires squealing, dust billowing behind her, taillights flashing red as they disappear down the road.

I crouch next to our new friend, leveling my eyes with his.

His sweat-slicked face twitches as Wrath leans over and yanks the gag free with a sharp snap.

The guy still won’t look me in the eye, but he starts whining right away, voice cracked and high-pitched.

“Untie me, man. I think he broke my wrist. And my ankle—she shattered it. I’m in pain, man.”

“You fucked with the wrong people.” I hold up the bolt cutters, slow and deliberate, until the cold steel hovers inches from his face. “Are you talking, or are we snipping?”

“I…I don’t know. Guy I used to answer to was Rio. But…new guy, just gives orders. Come on, my wrist hurts.”

I cut my eyes to Wrath.Rio’s dead, I mouth.

He nods once, his jaw clenched tight.

“I just needed to collect the money,” the guy whines again. “His mom took off. No one could find her. I was told this kid was good for it. Come on. It’s not my fault.”

His voice grates against my nerves like sandpaper.If I snap his other wrist, would he shut the fuck up?

Finally, Murphy arrives with the club’s van. The low rumble of the engine silences us as he slowly backs into the garage and hops out.

“What’s up?” Murphy asks, going full gangster as he pulls on a black knit hat and slips on a pair of black leather gloves.

“I’ll fill you in,” I promise.

Wrath orders Griff and Remy to get rid of the guy’s truck.

Griff scowls at the guy and then our van, as if the reason we’re here finally dawned on him. “This is my situation. I’ll handle it.”

Aw, isn’t that cute.“So strong and yet so wrong,” I rhyme.

Griff bursts out laughing. “What?”

Wrath’s having none of it. He pokes Griff in the chest. “We need you focused on training for that fight. Not gettin’ distracted with a side quest. Dump the truck. That’s all I need from you.”

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