Devil's Pass (The Harlequin Crew #.5) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,37
to the most notorious killer in Sunset Cove.
To the guy who'd raised him, raised me. And I found I agreed with him on it too. My dad might have been family, but he was also an asshole who wanted a life for me I'd never chosen. And if it came down to it, I'd pick Rogue over him every time.
Dad's eyebrows arched then he laughed darkly as he stared at us. His eyes snapped onto Maverick and his laughter cut off. "You're my boy," he growled at him. "You aim that anger at our enemies, son. Not me." His gaze flashed onto me, softening a little. "You love this girl, then fine. But I'm not letting my prodigy run off for anybody. Especially not some bitch who kills my men."
"That asshole tried to rape her!" Maverick shouted and Dad rubbed a hand over his jaw, looking to me for confirmation.
"He hurt her, Dad," I snarled fiercely.
He shook his head at us. "So you two ran in like the big, brave heroes you are, no doubt with your lap dogs Chase and Johnny James at your heels too, right?"
We said nothing, but our silence basically confirmed it.
"And the little princess got you to dispose of the body," he guessed then pointed a finger in my face as he sneered. "Women will fuck you over the first chance they get. They use and manipulate then discard you like yesterday's fucking trash."
"She's not Mom!" I roared, my temper overflowing. "And I won't stand here listening to you talk about her like that."
I stepped forward, aiming to push past him but he shoved me back and my heart juddered with fear as his hand fisted in my shirt at the base of my throat. He'd never hit me, but I knew what this man could do to people. Everyone in town whispered about the things he did to his enemies. He ruled with an iron fist, a fist he could turn against me whenever he liked.
"No," he growled in warning. "You're staying right here."
"If you try to hurt her, I'll go to the cops," I blurted, my blood pounding furiously through my veins. "I'll tell them I did it. I'll tell them I hit him with a poker, that I cleaned his house with bleach. That I took my dad's boat and-" He shoved me back against the wall, getting in my face as his lips pulled back in a snarl.
"You'll do no such fucking thing," he hissed. "My son is not throwing his life away for some worthless girl."
Maverick leapt on him, trying to drag him away from me and Dad twisted around, punching him in the gut and sending him stumbling backwards.
"That's enough!" Dad shouted, drawing his gun in a warning before glaring at me. "You two have been marked for the Harlequins your whole lives. And your friends are marked for that future too. Life ain't fair. You don't get to run off into the sunset with whoever the fuck you want just because you feel like it. You're my kids. And you need to grow the fuck up into the men I expect you to be."
"I'll never do a thing you say if you do anything to Rogue," I swore and he levelled me with a cutting look.
"Me either," Maverick said darkly. "You'll have to put me in the ground if you touch her, Luther. Because I won't stop coming for you until you're dead in payment for that."
Dad sighed wearily, but seemed to be considering our words as he carved his fingers through his hair. I shared a look with Maverick, hope raising its head in my chest.
"Fine," Dad spat at last and the air rushed out of my lungs. "But she can't stay in town. I'll send her to my cousin, Sandra, in Fairfax."
"That's fifty miles away!" I cried in horror as Maverick stiffened beside me.
"That's my offer!" Luther roared. "And you won't get another one. She lives. But she lives far away from here and you will both fall into line or I'll go to Fairfax personally and slit her pretty throat, you understand that boys?" He looked from me to Maverick and my heart bobbed in my throat, my hands curling up into firm fists as I grappled with the injustice of it.
I couldn't give her up. What he was offering was bullshit.
But maybe it was a chance. A small one, but it could buy us time. She could go to Fairfax until we had an