Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,75
was right.
“I do.”
“I agree,” Stanley said from out back.
I couldn’t help but clap my glee. “We’re going to need to refill what Drake and Dillon ate.”
Denise nodded. “I’m glad I had a daughter. I didn’t know boys ate so much.” She waved me off. “You get what you need from out the back, and I’ll start the sandwiches for the lunch rush.”
“On it.” I walked through the doors and caught Stanley looking towards the back door. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “I was sure I heard scratching, but it could be just me hearing thi— There,” he stated.
I’d heard it as well and moved to the back door. When I opened it, my blood turned cold. “Coco, Harley,” I whispered. They rubbed against me, both whimpering, and I knew right away something was wrong.
“Why would they be here?” Stanley asked from just behind me, causing me to jump. “And why the back door?”
“I-I don’t know… and, um, I always unlock from the back, so they could have come to where my scent was strong.” Fear twisted my insides. “Stanley, I left Cody at home.”
“Right, don’t start to panic,” Stanley ordered.
It was too late though.
“Channa, fuck, you’re panicking. Close the door and sit the dogs at the back door,” he said, but I was too busy running through things in my head.
Why would Cody have let the dogs out? Had something happened to him? What? I thought our troubles were over.
Stanley moved me aside to close the back door. “Sit and stay,” he told the dogs, and with his hands on my shoulders, he steered me to the counter.
“We’ll call him,” he suggested.
I nodded and licked my dry lips. “Maybe it was an accident?”
Stanley clicked his fingers and pointed at me with his right hand as he picked up the phone with the other. “Exactly.”
“But they listen to him. They like him.”
“They could have got out,” Stanley suggested.
I dragged my top teeth over my bottom lip and shrugged. “They never have before.”
And they hadn’t.
All I could think was something terrible had happened.
Stanley cursed, and I jumped when the phone in his hand rang. He held it out to me. I took it and saw my hand shook. “H-Hello?”
“Think you’re so fucking good, don’t you?” The voice was harsh and rough. “With your pretty little bakery, cute house, and a man you obviously care about.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?” I demanded and was proud my voice didn’t tremble.
The man chuckled. “You ruined my life, girly.”
Girly.
No. It couldn’t be.
“Dad?” I asked hesitantly. Had I jinxed myself from talking about him last night?
“Got it in one.”
“What’s this about?” It didn’t make sense. I hadn’t seen him since we left. I never wanted to…. God, maybe I did jinx it.
“What’s it about?” he yelled. “What do you think it’s about, you stupid little bitch? I’ll tell you, you dumb cunt. You ruined my life. She always protected you, always put you first. You made her leave. You made her die, and now it’s time you pay because I won’t have you living in your happy little bubble you created when she isn’t. I’m about to pop it.”
“I don’t understand. What are you talking about? I didn’t kill Mum.”
“You did. You wore her down like you grated on my nerves. It was why I took to drinking, why I hit you for not shutting up and her, because she always took your side.”
“You have got to be kidding me. Why now? What have you done?”
“Why now? Because I never knew you were in town until someone told me. I never knew my wife, my beautiful wife, had died until someone told me. And as to what I’ve done… well, you’ll have to come to your house and find out. But come alone, bitch, or I’ll kill him.”
Ice formed through my veins as my body chilled over.
Slowly, I pulled the phone away and stared at it as if I’d just imagined the call… but I hadn’t because the ice-cold dread clawing through me was too real to be anything but legit.
A couple of hours earlier…
Coyote
I scrubbed a hand over my face as I walked down the hallway from Channa’s bedroom. It seemed my woman wanted to take care of me by switching off the alarm and letting me sleep in instead of getting to work. Smiling, I walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed out the carton of milk. After unscrewing the lid, I drank from it, knowing that if Channa was