Page 76 of Crucified By the Dark
“Your friends. The ones with the Hummers. The other Righteous members.”
The fact he knew who the Righteous were, startled her. “I don’t have a clue. I’m not their keeper,” she said honestly. She actually had no idea where they were now, so technically, she wasn’t lying. “My best guess is the same thing as the rest of the Legion members.”
She could see enough of Stephen that he took a moment to look around and saw only closed doors and no movement.
“I’ll ask you again, Stephen, why are you here? You just want to run your mouth off, or are you planning to kill me?” She shrugged. “I’m not sure what beef I have with you when I’d never even met you until you came here, but I’m listening. You fucking have my full attention.”
“That I do.”
She ground her teeth. “Does this have to do with your brother?”
Morry didn’t dare take her eyes off Stephen, but she could see movement just behind him, on the top of the warehouse. The flicker of a shadow was brief, but she knew who it was, and she didn’t want this to happen.
Not that helping Stephen would ever fix the fact that TK was dead, but she felt it would’ve gone a long way toward her receiving forgiveness.
The laugh that echoed toward her was maniacal, and the hair rose on her neck. It was the laugh of someone who’d accepted death.
“You’re so fucking clueless. I thought you would be smarter than that, Morry, with all your fancy resources. The way the others talk about you is like you’re some sort of wonder woman. Really, you’re just a broken and pathetic with a fucking boy toy.”
Ouch. Morry didn’t give two fucks what he thought about her, but it was how he spoke that bothered her. Who had he been talking to? What he said made her think it wasn’t anyone from here.
Jeremy growled as Stephen grabbed him by the hair and kicked him hard enough that he went down on his knees in front of her. Stephen looked around. “I guess no one is coming to help you.”
A creepy smile turned up the corners of his mouth as his eyes danced with an evil she’d seen too many times before. There was no stopping this man. He believed whatever he believed to the point of radical behavior.
“So where do you want me to shoot him? In the head and make it quick? Or how about in the back to paralyze him? Better yet, why don’t I shoot him in the liver, and then your kid will die too? That way, not even his corpse will be viable for donation.”
Only anger and rage were alive in her. “So you plan to kill a fourteen-year-old boy, too? Wow, such a fucking man you are. I bet your family is proud of you,” she said. His eyes hardened. She’d hit a sore spot. “I didn’t realize that kids with only six weeks to live were a target for…who exactly?”
“You have a pretty smart mouth for someone who is no longer in control.”
She shrugged. “If control is what you’re after, you’ll be hunting until the day you die. Control is only an illusion.”
“I really should start by cutting out your tongue. Women like you need to learn their place—”
Whatever he was going to say next died with a muffled pop. The sound echoed in her ears.
Stephen’s eyes went wide as if his body registered that something serious had happened, but wasn’t sure what. As the final remnants of his life dissipated from his eyes, he crumpled to the ground. Jeremy looked at Stephen, then grabbed the gun from his hand.
Morry ran the rest of the way to Jeremy and wrapped her arms around him as he stood. He held her tight.
“I knew I didn’t like that guy,” he said. “I didn’t think I was getting out of that alive,” he whispered into her hair. “I’ve never been so scared.”
“Thinking you’re not going to live is terrifying,” she said, and Jeremy laughed.
“I don’t mean I was scared to die. I meant I was scared that I wouldn’t get to save Kyle,” Jeremy said.
She pulled back and stared into his eyes. It was like the damaged teen had grown into a man and then found the wings of an angel somewhere along the way.
She didn’t know if she deserved to have someone like this in her life, but fuck, she didn’t plan on letting it go.
“I love you, Morry, and as soon as the fucking stores open today, I’m buying you a big ass ring, and I’m not taking no for an answer. You’re marrying me. I just saw my fucking life flash before my eyes, and the only thing that mattered in it was you.”
“Hey, I need your help over here,” Trev called out.
“This conversation is on hold until later,” she said, her voice choked up, but she smiled.
Pausing for a moment longer, she stared down at Stephen and wished she understood what had happened to make him like this. Was he that distraught over his brother’s death? Did he hate her that much for what happened? She didn’t even know that his family knew. Had he ended up with a group of military haters? And how did he know about the Righteous?
