“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you want her? You never wanted kids,” I remind him.
“I never wanted you. You were a toy, Krista. A toy that just happened to produce an heir that I need,” he says casually.
“You son of a bitch. You stay away from her!” I catch a few glares as I scream into the phone, but I don’t care.
“For now. Once I find her, I’ll do whatever I need to get her back. Don’t underestimate what I’m capable of, Krista. I have money at my fingertips,” he reminds me.
“Go to hell. You won’t find her and if you do, I will kill you before you ever lay a hand on her.” My threat is real. As long as I’m breathing, I will kill him for coming near her. Tom laughs hysterically into the line.
“You think you’ve grown up since back then? You’re still the same little piece of trash that lived on the streets. I bet you still do. You couldn’t stop me then, what makes you think you can stop me now?” His words are meant to undo me, and they do. My hands tremble as I think back to that night. The horror I felt. The pain. My body tenses as he laughs harder into the line. Not knowing what else to do, I hang it up. Dropping onto the picnic table, I cry. I’m going to have to kill him. I’m going to kill the father of my daughter.
Thirteen
Wolf
“Right there,” I say as I look through the binoculars.
“You think?” Shaft asks.
“Fuck yeah. I know how to blow shit up, brother.” He laughs as we keep looking around. Casing a fucking police station. I never thought I’d see the day but here I am.
“She tell you anything yet?”
“Fuck no. She’s still pissed about Krista bein’ in my room that night,” I tell him. If I’m being honest, I miss having Krista around. I miss her smartass mouth and the way she can use that mouth. She comes in for her appointments, but we don’t speak. Add to the fact that her tattoo is almost done and I’m a little more pissed.
“She still not talkin’ to you?”
“Krista? No.”
“Why don’t you just call her?”
“No. I need to deal with this shit. She’s right. Lauren is still around, and I don’t want her in the middle of this shit.” I hate to say it. I hate that she doesn’t call me. I miss her fucking voice. I sound like a goddamn bitch but it’s true. The feelings I have toward Krista feel realer than the ones I thought I had for Lauren and that bothers me.
“What about right there? Next to that tree,” Shaft asks changing the subject. Thank fuck.
“No. They run out the back and it won’t hit. We need it right up around the base of the buildin’.”
“Yeah? How we gettin’ around those cameras?”
“Fuck if I know. I’ll figure it out. It ain’t like we’re blowin’ it tonight,” I remind him. Lowering the binoculars, I sit back against the tree.
“What’s with you?”
“I don’t know. That girl has my stomach in knots. She was raped when she was a kid.”
“Fuck. How old?”
“Sixteen. Said she lived on the streets after that,” I tell him.
“Parents?” I shake my head. “Damn. That’s hard, brother.”
“Yeah. There’s more. She just won’t tell me. I think that’s what pissed me off more,” I add.
“Can’t force her. She will shut down.” I nod my head knowing that all too well. I don’t want to force her either. What’s the point in that? You have to establish some kind of trust in a relationship if it’s going to work. We sit for a minute in silence when my phone rings. Not recognizing the number, I answer it.
“Who is this?”
“Umm, is this Wolf?”
“Who the fuck is this?” Shaft narrows his eyes as he watches me.
“This is Ester, Krista’s friend.” What the hell? Is she okay?
“What happened?” The panic in my voice doesn’t go unnoticed by Shaft either. He’s on his feet, ready to move in seconds if I say the words.
“I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. She’s freaking out. She has guns,” she says in hurry. What the fuck?
“Guns?” I ask confused.
“Yes guns! As in more than one! I don’t think she knows how to use them! I don’t know what to do. What do I do?” Ester squeals into the line. She’s nervous, on edge and knowing that Krista is armed but doesn’t know how to use the guns adds to that. Hell, I’m a little nervous.
“Where is she now?”
“At the shooting range on McEver,” she says quickly. I reach up and run my hand through my hair wondering if I should even get involved in this. There’s a voice in the back of my mind telling me not to but there’s another one telling me not to leave this girl helpless either.
“I’m headin’ over there now.” Hanging the phone up, I toss Shaft the binoculars and head toward my bike as I stuff the phone into my pocket.
“Really? You’re just gonna toss this shit at me and walk off without a word?” he asks as he follows behind me.
“Got shit to handle,” I tell him casually as I grab my helmet.
“Fuck that shit, Wolf! What’s goin’ on!” He roars, pulling my attention back to him.
“That was Krista’s roommate. She bought guns, brother. Apparently, a lot of them,” I tell him blowing out a breath.
“What the fuck for?” I shrug.
“Not sure. That’s what I’m about to find out,” I tell him before pulling my helmet on and throwing my leg over my bike.
“You need me?” Shaking my head, I rev up my bike and toss him a wave before pulling out onto the street. This shit with the local police is wearing heavy on my mind but so is Krista. Many theories have run wild in my mind about what she’s hiding but I still don’t have a clue what it might be. Yeah, she was raped but what does that have to do with now? Is the asshole after her? Is that what she’s doing in Maryland? As I make my way to the gun range, too many thoughts occupy my mind. The range comes into view a few minutes later. No one bats an eye when I pull in and park, mainly because we are partial owners of this place.
I climb off my bike and leave my helmet, heading inside to see if she said anything to Wilson. Wilson is the other partial owner. He’s a good guy that helps us on the legit side of guns.
“Wolf. What the hell are you doing here?” He asks with a smile.
“Little girl came in here? About five six?” I’m about to say more when Wilson cuts me off.
“Hot little thing in baggy clothes. Yeah, she’s out back.” I nod my head and walk toward the back door when he stops me. “She in trouble?” Looking over my shoulder at the worry in his eyes, I shake my head.
“Not the kind you’re thinkin’,” I say with a wink. Wilson laughs as I walk into the back where the ranges are. I walk to the end and stop when I see her, gun raised, arms trembling. She pulls the trigger a few times before she screams. No one else is in here. Just me and her. I step up behind her when she raises the gun once more. Slipping my hands around her, I reach for the gun. She jolts slightly but eases into my touch. With one hand I remove the headphones from her ear and lean in closer.