Wyatt-1(Lane Brothers, Book 1)(48)

My cheek explodes when she backhands me with the butt of her gun before laughing so hysterically, all I can do is blink in horror.

“Jerry? Oh poor Jerry! I killed him, of course. I couldn’t have him trying to get his hands on you again. So weak. So, so weak and nothing like the son I raised. Do you know, he actually tried to tell Georgie what I was doing before I threatened to kill his mistress and their mewling brat? That shut him up real quick, so don’t go thinking poor Jerry deserves your sympathy. He was all too willing to throw you under the bus to protect the little family he was hiding from us all.”

“Did you hear what I said? Let me repeat,” I snarl, spying a shadow flitting past the window.

It can’t be the two goons she’d had carry me out of the woods. I’d been conscious enough to see them and to hear when they dumped me on the plane and took leave of the whole mess.

Who’s outside? Friend or foe?

“Bolton. Is. Not. Dead.”

I want to say that it gets through to her, that maybe it’s enough of a distraction to keep her from just killing me outright, but this chick is totally gone.

I suspect that no matter what I say or do, she’s going to kill me because she wants to. I can see the malice in her eyes and practically smell the crazy coming off her.

“I don’t believe you. He would have found a way home to me by now,” she screams, giving me another spit bath.

“Jesus, lady, cool it with the spitting already, my stomach is still iffy from whatever you put in my tea.”

“It almost killed you, I think, you were shaking so much on the plane. Pity for you that you didn’t just succumb, because now I plan to make you suffer the way my poor baby did. He burned to death in that car, you know. Jerry told me.”

“No. Please no.”

I’m begging and trying to rip my wrists apart to get out of my restraints when she lifts a gas can and comes closer, her eyes shining so brightly, I feel my skin shrink in fear.

“Oh yes. An eye for an eye, after all, Ellie. My baby hurt, now you will hurt. Simple.”

“And then what, huh? You gonna go home and pretend none of this ever happened? George will never forgive you if you do this.”

“He won’t know, Ellie. I covered my tracks too well, dear,” she coos, tipping the can.

I’m sputtering and gasp as the acrid liquid hits me, soaking into my clothes, my skin, burning my lungs when the fumes penetrate my airways and leave me choking for breath.

She’s thorough in her work and ensures that every inch of me is drenched in the gasoline before standing back to admire her handiwork.

“There are cameras,” I choke out. “George had Miah and Jared beef up the security last week and they added cameras to that section. I know. I helped them, and they showed me how to install a motion sensor, too.”

That gives her pause before the madness returns.

“No. There can’t be. They can never know.”

“They will. They’ll find Jerry’s body and they’ll look at the tapes, Lynn. You have to see that if you do this, and they find me, George will kill you.”

Please, Jesus, do not strike that match, I beg silently when her hand settles on the little booklet on the dresser. This is so much worse than the snakes, and if she asked me right now what I’d choose, I’d have to go for a straight bullet.

“No. George loves me. He’d never choose you over family.”

“Pop would never choose an outsider over family, Lynn, but Ellie is family and you know it. Step way.”

I almost cry when I see Wyatt standing in the doorway, his gun trained on Lynn, his grip steady as he looks over at me quickly before eyeballing his aunt again.

I pray in that moment. Not for me. Not for Lynn. For Wyatt, because she’s already reaching for the matches and I know that he’ll kill her before letting her harm me.

“Please don’t do this to him,” I beg, crying for the first time since waking.

I can hold it together, but I know Wyatt isn’t the kind of man who will walk away from this unscarred. If he has to pull that trigger, it’ll destroy him.

“I have to go see my baby now.”

That’s all she says before fumbling to strike a match.

It never takes because a shot rings out and she slumps forward, hitting the floor with a resounding thwack and a wheeze of breath.

“Baby! Jesus, you’re covered in this shit. Roman, we need water and something she can wear.” He’s yelling and unshackling me at the same time, and I’m tempted to launch myself at him once I’m free but stop dead.

I’m covered in gas.

“I’m so sorry, Wyatt. I’m so sorry you had to do that.”