Page 64 of Savage

“I don’t get it,” I say. “If he knew where she was why didn’t he just bring the whole motherfuckin’ squadron in here and snatch her up?”

“Because then I’d be in the system, and he couldn’t have me for himself,” Indie whispers. “I could have spoken up and pinned my disappearance on him. If was safer to wait me out.

“Makes sense,” I agree, because what else is there to say?

“There’s a Dodge Charger in the garage,” Prez says. He walks around the centre island to the pantry and opens the door. Near the light switch sits a key holder with about ten different coloured keys on it. He lifts a black fob from the hook and hands it to me, reluctantly. “If you destroy my favourite car, I’ll put you to ground, Newbie.”

“I’ll treat her like she’s my own,” I say, smiling at him.

“Yeah, I seen that piece-of-shit bike you drive, you little fuck.”

“A Night Rod Special is not a piece of shit, Prez.”

“No, a Night Rod Special isn’t, but yours sure fuckin’ is.” Prez shakes his head and turns to Indie. “Make sure he doesn’t drive like a maniac.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible.”

“Got you here in one piece, didn’t I? Come on. You need a jacket, and then we’ll head out.”

“We’re gonna do it in broad daylight?”

“No, we’re gonna do it tonight. But we can’t just walk in there and start shooting the motherfucker. We have to watch, make sure no one is around to witness it. We have to do this shit right, or I’m gonna wind up in jail, and you’re gonna be sent home, right where he can find you again.”

She lets out a deep, shuddering breath.

“Little faith, spitfire. He’ll be dead by the end of the day, and then you’ll be free to live the rest of your life. Move to another city, or another fuckin’ country. You’ll be free.”

Tears well up in her eyes and she nods. “Yeah, why don’t I just move to fucking Ibiza and forget any of this ever happened.” She storms up the stairs, and I’m left wondering what the fuck I said to make her so fucking antsy. I’m not expecting her to forget what they did to her. She could live a lifetime and never forget that, but Jesus Fucking H Christ, if it were me, I wouldn’t ever want to set foot in that city again.

“Fuckin’ hell, you’re an idiot,” Prez says with a laugh.

“What?”

“What?” he says. “Are you fuckin’ missing a couple brain cells there, Kid?”

“Fuck you.”

“The bitch is probably feelin’ a little bit fuckin’ vulnerable. She’s been abducted, tortured, raped, mutilated, she’s lost teeth and fucking years off her life in a few short weeks, and you fuck her, you make her feel as if she finally has somethin’ good and stable to fuckin’ hang on to, and then you go and tell her to move to another country?”

Country comes back from the gym, hauling another load of shit that belongs to the two dead guys. “Didn’t your dad teach you nothin’ bout women, boy? They’re strong as a brick shithouse and fragile as a flower, all the same time.”

“What Country’s trying to say is that the girl needs someone to be strong for her. She’s done a bang-up job on her own, but sometimes you gotta be able to fall apart and know someone is there to pick up the fucking pieces. Don’t be a dick.”

“Is that what Raine does for you, Prez? Picks up the pieces when you fall apart?”

“Get outta here, fucker.” He shoves me, and it’s not so playful. Think I hit a nerve.

I don’t bother getting my shit from upstairs; I don’t know where we’ll end up tonight. I guess that depends on whether we put the Priest to ground or not. I have some ideas about what I’d like to do to him, but ultimately, that decision is up to her. I meet Indie at the door. Her face is red, as if she’s been crying, and she’s hiding it behind her hair.

“You nervous?”

“No, just impatient.”

I lift her chin until her eyes meet mine. “You don’t have to do this. I can do this for you. I don’t know what you want me to be, but whatever that is I’ll try. It might not work, but I can promise you right now I can take care of this for you.”

“I have to do it myself. I have to see the fear in his eyes that he put in mine. I wanna watch him burn, and then I’m going to dance in the ashes.”

“Whatever you need, baby.”

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