The Fear That Divides Us (The Devil's Dust #3)

I lean down and grab the crowbar, and slam it into Grant’s lifeless body, causing blood to splatter all over my hands and clothes.

“Get on the ground, Bobby!” Skeeter yells, just feet away from me now. I run my hand up and down the crowbar quickly, trying to erase any prints Jessica might have left behind. “Get on the ground!” Skeeter repeats, pointing his gun and flashlight right in my face.

I hold my hands out as I slowly kneel, the crowbar still in my hand.

“You too, get on the ground,” Skeeter shouts at Jessica. Jessica drops to the ground and puts her hands above her head. I smirk. Jessica looks good as an outlaw.

“Leave her alone,” I encourage as I lower myself to the ground fully.

“Shut up!” Skeeter shrieks, kicking me hard in the shoulder, making me hiss.

“That was uncalled for, don’t ya think?” I grumble, staring up at Skeeter who walks over to Jessica. Another cop finally makes it down the hill and strides to me, huffing and puffing out of breath.

“I called it in. More are on the way,” the fat bastard wheezes.

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Bow,” Skeeter replies, eyeing Grant’s body.

“He’s got a weapon,” Bow informs Skeeter.

Skeeter looks over at me and scowls. “Drop it to your side, Bobby. Don’t try anything stupid or I’ll shoot you where you’re lying,” Skeeter threatens, pointing his gun at me.

I slowly pull my arm out to my side and drop the crowbar to the ground.

Bow straddles me and zip ties my wrists together, panting the whole time.

“Do you have any other weapons on you?” Bow wheezes above me.

“No,” I mumble, my chin resting on the damp ground.

I look over and see Skeeter grab Jessica’s elbows lifting her off the ground. He slides his hands down her sides a little too slow for my liking.

“You got any weapons on you?” he questions in her ear, his eyes staring at me as he asks her. He knows what he is doing. He’s trying to get a rise out of me.

“No,” Jessica replies softly.

He leans down and slides his hands between her legs, going a little too far up, causing Jessica to flinch.

“Hey!” I holler, pulling against the fat cop holding me.

“Get off me,” Jessica mumbles, pulling away from Skeeter. Skeeter frowns, his porn-stache twitching above his lips. He purposely grabs Jessica’s arm where her injury is, making her cry in pain.

“You don’t have the power here, sweetheart. I do,” Skeeter grunts, licking his lips as he eyes her. He jolts her by the arm and pushes her forward, causing her to fall to the ground.

Jessica pulls herself onto her knees, trying to get up as Skeeter pushes his boot into her back forcing her back onto the ground. My nostrils flare with rage and my hands clench with the impulse to violently give Skeeter an ass whooping for mistreating my girl.

“You wouldn’t be resisting arrest, would you?” Skeeter taunts her, causing me to snap.

I growl loudly as I pull away from the cop holding me. I rip my wrists in opposite directions, the zip ties cutting into my wrists until finally snapping. The cop behind me yells a warning to Skeeter as I stride toward him, my wrists burning from the cuts the zip ties left behind.

Skeeter looks up from staring at Jessica, a smirk turning into a sudden grimace. I pull my fist back and slam it into Skeeter’s jaw, dropping him to the ground.

Jessica looks up, her blue eyes pinning me with praise as a smile creeps up her round cheeks.

Her face quickly frowns, her eyes widening. She reaches her arm out, her lips parting to speak. But before she can get a word out, there’s a severe slam against my upper back. I turn and see two police officers raising their hands, banters gripped tightly in their palms. Bow thrashes it against the back of my knees, causing me to collapse. Within seconds, they fly on me, cuffing my wrists. Skeeter stands, holding his jaw. His eyes squint with anger, and he pulls out his nightstick. His eyes hooded with a violent promise that I am going to pay for my actions.

“No!” Jessica screams.

“Look away,” I mouth to her, knowing this is going to be ugly. Jessica nods, tears flowing down her cheeks.

“It was worth it,” I laugh as she turns her head, a chuckle escaping her sob.

Jessica

Two Weeks Later

“Bobby took responsibility for everything. He told the cops he killed Grant in self-defense after finding Grant had taken Jessica against her will. Having Jessica as a witness, and the fact that Bobby’s record goes to show he doesn’t shy away from confrontation, the police didn’t argue when arresting him. From what our lawyer says, Bobby is in deep shit for dislocating Skeeter’s jaw, and in return Skeeter is trying to botch the self-defense plea against Grant, causing the authorities to second-guess the statement and Jessica’s statement,” Bull informs, smoking a cigarette.

“That means they will be going over the evidence with a fine-toothed comb,” Hawk sputters from the back of the table, scratching the beard on his chin.