All eyes go to Louise, who is easily a double D, possibly larger. She’s pretty too, with dark black hair that falls in waves over her deep chocolate skin, which glistens. She could easily double for Sanaa Lathan.
“Do you know any self-defense? Can you shoot a gun?”
“And then some,” she says confidently.
I don’t like it. I wish I could be the one to do that part, but I’d be recognized immediately. This will have to be the way it is, I guess. My eyes go back to the phone when I hear Skull.
“Damn it, Torch!”
“Oh, shit,” Katie says, and we all watch the screen again.
“Damn you, Skull. You don’t know what Redmond did to Katie,” he growls. Katie gasps, and I reach around to hold her hand. “You don’t know what he let Matthew do to both of them!” Torch growls, and my heart stops.
“What does he know, Katie? What did you tell him?”
She looks over her shoulder at me with tears in her eyes.
“Almost everything,” she whispers, and I feel a cold splash of dread fill me.
No…
“Damn it, Torch!” I yell, distracted by the way Gabby is moving and shifting in my arms. She pulls herself up and immediately starts tugging on the gage in my ear.
“Damn you, Skull. You don’t know what Redmond did to Katie. You don’t know what he let Matthew do to both of them. I’m going, and the only way you can stop me is to put a bullet in me.”
His words makes my blood run cold.
“Matthew tortured Beth?” I ask, not even recognizing my own voice.
“Daily,” Torch growls. “Her and Katie both,” he delivers in a deadly calm, but it’s full of hate.
“Unka Torch!” Gabby squeals, pushing against me to try and get to him.
“Hey, kiddo,” Torch smiles, even if it doesn’t touch his eyes, and he reaches for her.
Bastard has no idea the knife he’s twisting in my gut right now. The wound burns white hot. Knowing my child chooses Torch over me kills. I’m still a stranger to her, despite being around her just as much as he is. She’s bonded with him. I want to scream at the unfairness of it. I’m her father! I should have been there for her first breath… her first tears, her first tooth, her first words… I’ll never get any of it back. Never.
Hate, anger, and rage burn inside of me as I turn in my chair to lower Gabby onto the floor. Her legs kick out until I make sure she’s standing strong, then she takes off running towards my brother. I watch as he scoops her up and her face explodes in happiness as she giggles. It destroys me. He blows on her stomach and makes noises, then kisses all over it. Gabby laughs louder and pulls on his hair when he stops.
“Uh-g-in! Unka Torch! Uh-g-in!” she shrieks, and he repeats. I watch until I can’t handle it anymore. I need to know what happened to Beth.
“Did he rape her?” I growl, and the room goes still. Even Gabby picks up the anger in my voice and buries her face into Torch’s neck.
“What do you care?” he asks. “You said you were through with Beth,” the bastard cockily shoots back at me.
“Did. He. Rape. Her.” I ask, punching each word singularly and with hardened anger. He’s about two steps away from feeling a wrath that I have never given one of my brothers before. The only thing saving him from being thrown across the room right now is the fact that he’s holding my daughter.
“Brother, you treat Beth like shit for the choices she made, but her choices saved my woman’s life. For that, she has my thanks and my loyalty. So, I’m not telling you. It’s Beth’s story to tell, and if she wants to tell you, then she will.”
“Everyone out!” I growl.
Silence rings through the room, except for little Gabby who whispers, “He mad.” Regret fills me. I don’t want her to see me as the monster I’ve become. I just can’t seem to stop it. I have so much rage boiling inside of me that it’s slowly killing me. Chairs begin scraping across the concrete floor as the men finally obey.
“Sabre, you take Gabby.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Once everyone clears out and we’re left with just the two of us, we stare at each other in a tense showdown.
“Tell me,” I order, waiting.
Torch is silent and looks me over. I do my best to keep my face impassive, but I know I failed to lock down all of my emotion when he leans back and stares me in the eyes.
“You still love her.”
“That doesn’t concern you, motherfucker. Answer the question. La violo?”
He stares at me a few more minutes. Just when I’m about to go off, he answers, “No.”
Relief floods through me and I stand up. I need some fresh air. Shit. I’m lying to myself. I know I need to let out some of the anger inside of me… let it run free where no one can see me. That’s the only way I’m able to function these days. My thoughts immediately turn to Pistol. He may meet his end today like he’s been begging me for.
I’m almost to the door when Torch stops me. “Skull?”