Page 51 of Treasured By Them
“I will be.” Zora rubs her neck where Malcolm had held her. “But I don’t know if I’ll ever get that confession out of him.”
“I...I might not be the most reliable witness,” Danica says quietly, “but I started to remember witnessing Britney’s murder. He nearly killed me for it that night. Then he revived me, convinced me that he was saving me instead.”
I stand next to Danica and continue to rub her back. “Do you know where we might find some rope?”
“I have zipties in the truck,” Troy says. “But I’d rather kill this motherfucker.”
“Troy!” Danica says, aghast.
Troy shakes his head. “I won’t kill him. I just want to. I’ll be right back. Watch this asshole, make sure he doesn’t get up.”
He takes Malcolm’s gun with him as he strides out of the back yard.
“That was mine—” Zora says, then her shoulders fall. “I don’t want it anymore, though.”
“We’ll have to call the police,” I say. “Although Troy had the right idea.”
“Not you, too.” Danica turns her big, gray eyes to me.
I press a kiss to her forehead. “I am holding back some very violent impulses right now. Especially because that asshole is the reason you don’t want people touching your neck,” I guess.
She presses her fingertips against her throat. “He held me down by my neck and tried to drown me.”
“I’m so sorry, angel.” I hold her tightly against my side. Partly to comfort her, partly to keep me from stomping on his unconscious face. “He won’t be able to hurt you going forward.”
In a small voice, she asks, “Do you think my shitty memories will be enough to convict him?”
I nod, but it’s a lie, because I don’t really know. But if he ever walks as a free man again, he won’t be walking for long.
Troy
Edmund and I take credit for bringing down Malcolm. We come up with a basic explanation to give the cops—Dani didn’t check in like Edmund expected, so he and I rushed to Danish Lake to make sure she was okay. We found Malcolm losing his shit on Zora and incapacitated him.
SEPD is thrilled as they connect current crimes with Malcolm’s presence in the city. If the evidence continues to pile up, he’ll be going down for Britney Gardner’s murder and the recent, twisted deaths throughout the city. After this, all we have to do is get rid of the Vorsong threat.
Dani and Zora don’t want any recognition. They’re the true heroes of the story, but they don’t want the hassle or the fanfare surrounding it.
Edmund and I are used to the hassle. Law enforcement headaches. The endless hoops, the endless questions.
The fanfare? Not so much.
Naturally, the media outlets want the story.
No fucking way. With the right amount of money placed in the right hands, the Layton family is able to keep our part away from the public eye. Later, if Dani is needed for testimony, she won’t be able to hide. But for now, she’s safe from the media circus.
Two days after his arrest, Malcolm still hasn’t confessed.
But Edmund and I know some people who might be able to help him along on his road to redemption.
I’m doing my best to distract her. With Edmund’s help, of course. And only five days until the wedding. We’ve been giving her plenty of space. Except at night. The three of us end up in Edmund’s room, Dani sleeping protected between us.
No sex. She’s been through a lot. We don’t want to rush her, or push her into being physical after everything that’s gone down.
Edmund knocks on my doorframe around noon on Tuesday.
“Where’s Dani?” I ask.
He grins. “Making cookies and getting flour all over the kitchen. Relax, you know I’m not going to leave her alone for long.”
