Save Me (32 page)

I glance quickly at Evan and wonder if he’s thinking the same thing. We know Frannie murdered Christina, and I’m willing to bet it’s because she was in the way and not because she was going to testify against Lawson as we’ve been told.

“Why didn’t you come forward?” Evan asks, his voice somber.

“And say what? That I believed Ingram was behind four of the Navy’s finest being dead for six years all because his son was running a sex ring operation with minors? The case we tried to bring against him had already been thrown out. The courts do not like a desperate man. There wasn’t anything I could do except turn over what I knew to the justice department and wait. I knew in order to stay alive I had to keep my mouth shut and keep Abigail protected. With Christina dead, there wasn’t a soul, aside from her, to testify against him.”

“Except Frannie,” I add.

“And your wife,” Chesley says. He sits up straighter and keeps his hands clasped in his lap. “I went to see you and your wife when you came back, but found out that she had left, without a trace, and that’s when I started putting everything into place. I love a great novel with a conspiracy theory, but this was too much for me. The pieces weren’t adding up until Ingram and Lawson were arrested. I obtained a copy of the affidavit and was shocked to see that I hadn’t a clue what was going on. Everything I thought I knew was in there, plus some.”

“So back to your bullshit claim that you’re protecting us?” Evan jumps to the point of why Chesley says he’s here.

“Lawson has hits out on all of you.”

“How do you know this?” I ask, more eager to hear what he has to say.

“Because my son is in the same prison as he is right now, posing as an inmate and informant for the Feds. Lawson has a big mouth and likes to talk. He has friends in there because he has money and someone is making sure he’s protected. The guards know about my son and they make sure he’s within earshot at all times, even sleeping in the next cell over.”

Evan and I both scoff. “Doesn’t Lawson know who your son is, or what he looks like?”

“When you’ve been through what my son has, you age quickly. He doesn’t look the same; his eyes are sunken in and his hair is gray.”

“And you’re saying Lawson is trying to kill us?” I ask, needing more information.

“Yes, he is, which is why I transferred to the shipyard.”

“I don’t buy it,” Evan says as he stands and looks out the window.

“Remember that night you were toying with the fishing boat and they scrambled away?”

“Yep, figured you were peddling drugs and I didn’t want that shit near my kid.”

“They were coming to your home to kill you. You scared them away, but not too far because we caught up with them.” Chesley lets his words sit heavily in the room. I don’t know if there’s anything to say or do right now. Evan thought something was going on, but definitely not this.

“I don’t know if I trust you,” Evan states, still staring out the window.

“That’s fine.” Chesley stands. “I came to say my peace and thank you for saving Abigail. And until Lawson and Ingram are dead, and I’m still breathing, I’ll be doing what I can to protect your family.”

Chesley leaves and I’m tempted to follow him out, but am frozen in place. I don’t know if our lives will ever be fucking normal, and at this point I’m thinking they never will be. Not as long as those two assholes are alive.

“What are we going to do?” Evans asks as he turns to face me.

I shrug. “I don’t know about you, but I think a visit to Lawson is in order.”

“What kind of visit?”

“The kind that puts a bullet between his eyes. Lucky for us, you have the rifle and scope, and I have the talent needed to get the job done.”

CARA DRIVES THE BLACK Escalade with the six of us in it down the highway to the penitentiary where Lawson is being held. I never expected for Chesley to ask to come along, but he did and is riding shotgun next to Cara. It’s probably best that he stays up front. I’d hate to turn around in my seat and find him in a headlock courtesy of Archer.

I’ve been back in Coronado for two months now, living the single life of being attached to my phone at all times. If weren’t for Evan, I would’ve gone back to Vermont and tortured myself, and likely lose Penny and Claire entirely. He persuaded me, recalling how he had to deal with Nate and Ryley as examples, and said leaving Penny was the best thing for us. He’s been right.

Penny and I talk every other night. At first, I was the one doing the calling, but she’d surprise me every now and again. The best shock was when I answered one afternoon and Claire was on the other end. When I heard her voice, I lost it. It took me minutes to gain my composure, but now she calls every day after school and we talk about non-trivial things like the weather, how I’d like to see her use a bow, and what California is like. I know how Evan feels as he eagerly awaits EJ to call him dad. I had it once before and am praying I get it again someday.

One of the hardest parts for me is wondering what Claire thinks of me. She knows I’m her biological father and can’t cook, but for all I know she sees me as the man who showed up one day and ruined her life. I liken myself to being a fucking tornado—I came in and destroyed everything, only to leave devastation in my path. I want to ask Penny, but I’m afraid of the answer.

The other monumental challenge in my life is finding out that my grandmother is alive and well, living in Florida, thanks to Marley and her detective ways. Grandma was easy to track down and I knew hours after I asked Marley to find her. Once my grandmother received word that I had died, she sold her home and moved, saying it was too hard to be in California without me. Since then, I know she’s gone to visit Penny and Claire, making sure they both know they were never far from her thoughts.

One of the highlights after returning to California was the hearing Rask and I had about our identities. After meeting with a judge, he returned our status to living and all our assets were unfrozen. He also made sure we still had full military status and encouraged us to file a lawsuit against the Navy. The judge even went on record saying that he’d testify upon our behalf. Before he slammed the gavel down, he apologized and promised that not everyone is as corrupt as our admiral. I’m slowly starting to believe that.

Once Cara turned everything over to the Department of Justice, they moved in swiftly to detain Ingram. This time the evidence was too much to let him walk away. Surprisingly, Chesley wasn’t lying when he said he’d do what he could to bring him down.

When we pull up to the gate, Cara flashes her credentials and fills out the necessary paperwork. The guard radios ahead and tells us to follow the road until we meet up with another guard. He doesn’t get out and check our vehicle for weapons, which is a shame. I laugh when we pull away.

“No car search? How’d you pull that off?”

“I don’t know,” Cara answers as she drives forward. “Someone must really like us.”

“Or they want him dead, too,” Chesley mutters as he gazes out the window.

I don’t plan to shoot Lawson, but only scare the shit out of him once we’re done with our meeting, although the option is there if I want it. I’ve never been so callous about someone’s life like I am with his. He doesn’t deserve to live.

The next guard flags us down and shows us where to park. The six of us climb out of the SUV and wait to be frisked. When that doesn’t happen we all look at each other. I know for a fact that beside myself, Archer is carrying. I don’t know about Rask, but I’m gathering by the smirk on his face he is. River, however, is stoic and hard to read. I wouldn’t put it past him to be the one to take Lawson out.

The guard takes us through a series of doors, away from the general populated areas. Each time the door locks in place behind us, I jump. We’re at the mercy of the guard and I hate feeling like I have no control over the situation.

We’re taken into a private room and told to sit. The hard metal chairs do nothing to calm my nerves as my stomach rolls and the anger builds.

“I should just shoot the motherfucker,” I blurt out. “Or slice his throat open.” I feel for the knife that is sheathed in my boot.

“I’ll do it,” River says coldly. We each have our own hatred for Lawson, but River’s runs deeper than the rest of ours does. Not only does River feel like he’s failed us, he was deceived by his wife for so long that he feels responsible for her actions.

“No one is killing anyone today,” Cara reminds us with a stern look.

The door opens and Lawson walks in with his hands in cuffs and his legs in shackles. I can’t help but snicker, causing the rest of the guys to do so as well.

“I’m not saying anything, so don’t ask,” the pompous little fuck says as he sits down. Before I can blink his head is bouncing off the table and back up again, while blood trickles out of his nose.

I look at the guard who has Lawson by the hair. “You’ll answer every fucking question or you will become Bubba’s bitch tonight. You know he’s been asking about you since he found out you like little girls. Says he wants to show you what it’s like to be raped. Bubba wants to hear you beg for your mommy.”

I have second thoughts about killing Lawson for fear I’d end up on the wrong side of being Bubba’s bitch.

“You gonna play nice, Teddy boy?”

“Yup,” he says, looking away from everyone.

“That’s what I thought. Ask your questions, boys, Teddy has to go outside in a little bit.” It’s then that I realize why our car wasn’t searched—someone wants him dead and they’re hoping one of us do it. The guard shouldn’t be telling us his whereabouts, but he did and by the look on his face, he’s serious.

“The first thing we’re going to say to you is this: next week at your trial—if you make it that long—you’re going to plead guilty and save the tax payers a lot of money,” Cara says, starting things off for us.

He shakes his head. “I’m going to walk.”

“How do you figure?” I ask, leaning forward. There’s no judge in his or her right mind that would let this scum walk, not with the evidence stacked against him.

“Donna. She’s going to testify for me. She won’t corroborate anything you guys say. Plus, there’s my father. Do you think he’ll testify against me? Besides, the one person left to pin any charges on me is dead now.”

The room grows silent as we take in what he’s saying. He doesn’t have a clue that Frannie is dead. It’s Evan who starts laughing first, followed by the rest of us. I place my hand on Evan, letting him know I need to talk.

“Who’s dead now?”

“Your wife. I’m sorry you didn’t get to say good-bye.” He bats his eyelashes as if he means well. I take deep breath and pretend like I’m torn up on the inside. I’m not because I spoke with Penny yesterday and I know she’s alive. “I do plan to have some fun with that delectable daughter of yours though.”

Before anyone can stop me, my knife is out and digging into his neck. The guard is being ever so helpful by holding his head still for me. A small path of blood starts to drip as he swallows, increasing his heart rate.

“Do you feel that, Lawson? Your pulse is quickening and you’re fucking scared.” I drag my knife ever so slowly, watching more blood rise to the surface. I pause at his pulse point and see nothing but fear in his eyes. “One move and you’re done. You’ll bleed out before anyone can come in here and save you. Say one more thing about my daughter and I’ll end your life. Do you understand me?” He’s afraid to move so he blinks twice, and it takes me a beat or two before I sit back down, leaving my knife on the table so he can see his blood on the blade.