Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
“You’re right. You shoulda left long before it came to that. As to Mark, you leave him to us. Come on.” He grabbed my upper arm and started to lead me away, then stopped. “You and the kids need something to eat or drink?”
“I -- the boys might.”
“They do juices or soda?”
“Milk,” she said. “They like milk. Usually, they’ll get some pretzels or peanuts. Occasionally a cupcake or Twinkie.”
“OK, then.”
He headed to the refrigerated section, and I got chocolate for Sebastian, white for Theodore. Then I snagged some pretzels and peanuts. The guy grabbed several more snacks along with another bottle of white and chocolate milk and some sodas. He plopped them all down on the counter, and the cashier rang them up and bagged them.
I pulled out my card to pay but the guy stopped me. “My run. I pay.”
“I can --”
“I pay.”
He gave the guy cash, then snagged the bag and my arm again. When they got outside, I could see Mark was indeed awake. He staggered around the car, yelling about how the “dumb bitsch can do nuttin’ righ’.” He fell to one knee before righting himself. Then fell again.
“Oh, God,” I whimpered. “If he sees us…”
“He won’t. Come on.” He opened the door to the big truck and helped me in. The boys were already strapped into their booster seats.
“Cain and Sword got the seats while the guy was sleeping. Probably what woke him up, but he’s not missed anything yet,” Tool said to me.
“Good. Let’s get the fuck outta here.”
“On it.”
“Follow the route. We’re four hours from home. No stopping unless it’s an emergency.”
“I’ll keep everyone safe,” Tool said, then winked at the boys. “You guys behave. Your mama don’t, Carnage will help you spank her.”
“Oh, boy!” Sebastian’s face lit up. “I finally get to spank Mommy!”
“Oh?” Tool raised an eyebrow. “She have to spank you a lot?”
“Nah. But she says she’s gonna.”
Theodore looked at the big man getting into the truck. “Your name’s Carnage?”
“Yeah. They say it’s because I cause trouble wherever I go.”
“I’m trouble, too,” Theo said. “Mark hates me ’cause I don’t let him steal stuff in stores.”
Carnage flicked a glance at me, and I ducked. “I see. Good job keeping him honest.”
“He ain’t honest,’’ Theo said. He looked disgruntled as he turned to look out the window. “He’s mean, and I hate him.”
“You’re not supposed to hate anybody,” I said automatically. I glanced up at the big biker -- Carnage -- then ducked down again.
“He hates us. So I hate him.” Theodore didn’t raise his voice or anything. Just looked out the truck window to where the car was parked. Mark was still struggling to get back into the passenger’s seat. He called out for me several times, shortening my name to Callie. Theo got a fierce look on his face before flipping the man off through the window. “Most of all,” Theodore turned back to Carnage, “he’s gonna hurt Mommy if we let him.”
“Boy,” Carnage said, obviously having had enough, “if you believe nothing else any of us tell you, believe me when I say that man will never hurt your mother again. Or either of you.”
“He was gonna,” Sebastian said, his eyes wide. “When he got us to Kentucky. Me and Theo heard ’im say he was gonna get rid of that bitch’s little brats. I’m pretty sure he meant us.”
“Oh no,” I gasped. “Oh, God.”
Carnage turned around and started the truck. “I gotcha, kid. We’re headed to Kentucky, but back to the Bones compound. You’ll be safe there while we sort everything out.”
“No, we won’t,” Theo said softly. “He’s got buddies gonna come after us. Said some of ’em were in motorcycle gangs, too.” Theo looked Carnage straight in the eye before he said, “Probably you guys. You’re from Kentucky. Right?”
“You give me some time, boy, I’ll take care of this for y’all. And no. We ain’t the kinda club that hurts women and children.”
I couldn’t say anything. I just stared in horror as Mark finally slumped back into the passenger’s seat of my car, the door open as he passed out once again. I’d been taking my kids possibly to their deaths, and I had gone along with that monster.
“You good?” Carnage reached across the console and gripped my shoulder gently.
“Not sure I’ll ever be good again.” Tears dripped down my cheeks, but I held back any other noise so I didn’t distress my sons.
“Hold it together. I know you can.”
I nodded. “I can.” I sniffed and rubbed my arm over my eyes. “I will.”
Chapter Two
Carnage
The next four hours passed with no incidents. The woman -- Callie, the asshole back there had called her -- occasionally cried silently while Theodore brooded, looking out the window. Probably trying to figure out as many ways as he could to take me out. I respected the kid. He wasn’t arguing with anyone, just rolling with the situation and adapting.