Page 23 of Heart Stopping
"He thought he might make some money from my sister and me," I whispered. "Lettie was a couple of years younger than me. Absolutely beautiful. She could have been a model, but she wanted to work with animals instead. She planned to be a veterinarian. She was the sweetest person I ever knew. She had the biggest heart."
"Had?" Boner asked gently. "Past tense?"
I didn't acknowledge that he'd spoken, not yet. I continued talking, letting the words out one by one.
"My father thought he'd sell both of us. But she was the one they wanted." I could barely speak above a whisper. Saying all of this made it real again. Like it only happened yesterday.
"What did they do?" Boner whispered.
I turned to him. Let him brush tears off my cheeks.
"They raped and murdered her." My voice broke on the last two words. "The sweetest person on the face of the planet and they destroyed her. Broke her into pieces, just because they could." My heart broke all over again.
I closed my eyes, moisture pooling on my eyelashes.
"I made it my life's work to destroy them," I said, managing to contain my composure just enough to be coherent. "Starting with my father. So far, I've found three of the others."
"Jesus Christ." Boner's hand tightened on my knee before he forced himself to relax again. "How many?"
"Including the man who organized all of it, seven," I said. "He didn't touch her, but he was behind it. Her and so many others like her. Whoever he is, he lives in the shadows. I suspect he's very powerful, very rich. He thinks he can't be touched."
So far, he was right. The three men I found hadn't been able to give me his name. Or weren't willing to. Even knowing they were about to die, they were too scared to tell me.
"So, we're looking for three bottom feeding assholes," Boner concluded.
It took a few moments for his words to register.
"We? There is no we." I shook my head.
"Sweetheart, you can't tell me all about this and then not expect me to be involved up to my eyeballs." He held his hand up in front of his eyes. "These are exactly the kind of scum sucking shitworms that need to be brought down. If there was a Vigilante University, its mission statement would be to get rid of them. Like it or not, I'm in with you on this. Besides, it might helpto have another pair of eyes when it comes to finding the head asshole."
I ran the pad of my thumb across the nails on my opposite hand, back and forth while I tried to think up some argument that would convince him to forget all about this. I should have realized telling him would lead to him inserting himself into my…mission, for want of a better word. Crusade.
"I appreciate you wanting to help," I said slowly, "but this is my revenge. They need to pay for what they did to my sister. It's been too long already."
"Revenge is a dish best served cold," he quoted. "In this case, revenge is very much a dish." He actually winked at me.
"I've never been called a dish before," I said.
"Then the men in your life were doing you a disservice," he said. "Go on then, let me help you. Otherwise, I'll be forced to follow you around and join in wherever I can."
"Did you just threaten to stalk me?" I asked.
"Are you shocked I'd do something illegal?" He quirked an eyebrow at me.
I had to concede that point. Edward Bonegard wasn't what you'd call a law-abiding citizen. Me either, so I couldn't judge.
"You're going to get in the way if I don't let you help me, aren't you?" I asked. "Like you did with Carl."
Boner pretended to look offended. "I was very helpful. Perhaps you have a selective memory." He said it with no heat and a hint of a smile.
"I had everything under control," I said. "But if you really want to help, I guess I could use another pair of eyes and hands. We might find them and end them quicker. Before they can do it again." I wasn't naïve enough to think they haven't already done it again. And again. We could stop more of it.
"Can I ask you a question?" He ran his thumb back and forth just above my knee.
"Can I stop you?" I asked.
"Usually, not," he agreed. "Believe it or not, I have some boundaries and this may poke at it too much. If you don't want to answer…"
