Page 130 of Tormented
He doesn’t care. He’s not saying that because he feels remorse that Mom was left alone when she died. He’s purely trying to shift the blame and guilt squarely onto me to weaken me.
Not today, fucker.
“I think she would have been happy knowing her daughter got away from the sick fucking kiddy-fiddler, don’t you?”
Sawyer pushes off the wall he’d been leaning up against in a rush. “You touched her?” he asks Evan.
Damn. I only told him that Evan pimped me out to his friends, not that he did it too.
“Oh, you don’t know?” He feigns surprise. “She not tell you that?”
“It’s hardly the kind of thing you share around the campfire,” I sass. “I’ve spent over ten years trying to forget what you fucking well did, but I can’t.”
“That good, was it?”
Sawyer’s fist makes a resounding crack as it hits Evan’s jaw. The bastard damn near falls out of his seat with the force.
I fight to stay on my feet at what I hear next.
“Is that . . .?” Sawyer steps toward the back rooms.
“Stay out,” Evan warns. “You got no right going through my place.”
I shake my head and storm past Sawyer, following the gentle sobs to a door leading into the room behind the kitchen. The handle turns easily in my hand, yet I can’t get the door past halfway as I freeze in shock.
No.
Sawyer takes a step back to let me past as I march through the trailer to Evan. “You’re still at it?”
“Surprise.” He throws his hands up mockingly.
“You sick son-of-a . . .” I can’t even finish what I’m saying before my hands are at his throat.
He plays foul, taking my hair in his hold and wrenching my head to the side. “Remember how I used to hold you like this as a little girl, sweetheart?”
Something snaps. All rational thought flies out the window, all consideration for the other people in this trailer, gone. I lash out, hitting and scratching at him while he pulls my hair painfully hard. I’m not winning, the pain in my scalp too severe to continue.
“You’re sick. Fucking sick,” I yell as I give up.
“And you’re probably just as bad, am I right?” He releases my hair with a thrust, sending me toward Sawyer as he emerges from the back.
I take a quick look at pretty boy as he stands with his fists twitching, his neck corded with rage, and his eyes blacker than the pits of hell. He’s waiting on the word.
“You wanted to know who this is?” I shout at Evan, one hand pointing to Sawyer. “You sold his mother out, gave a scared woman false hope, because apparently ruining one family wasn’t enough. Apparently, destroying children’s lives is your thing.”
Evan stands, eyes fierce as he stares down Sawyer. “Carlos?”
Sawyer growls. Literally fucking growls like the animal he is. I could place money on his devil going haywire right about now.
“Have at it,” I tell Sawyer. “I can’t stand to waste one more breath on this asshole. End it.”
The mobile home shakes and shudders with the force of their brawl, model cars smashing on the floor as I head back into the small bedroom to find the girl curled in on herself.
“It’s okay, baby.”
Her head shakes violently from side to side, the noise from the men most likely terrifying her.
“Do you live around here?” I ask, trying to distract her.
Her mouth opens on a pained cry, and she begins to sob. I edge closer, giving her time to move away if she doesn’t want interaction, but she does the opposite. The kid crawls over the pretty purple comforter and climbs into my arms where I stand at the end of the bed.
“Shh, honey.” I stroke her hair, rocking my hips side to side to sway her like Mom used to with me. “You’re safe with me.”
She cries as grunts and curse words fly through the air. The distinct sound of something large breaking the wall echoes around the room.
“What’s happening out there?” the kid finally asks.
“The bogeyman’s being taken care of,” I say. “He won’t hurt you anymore.”