“And to stop it when you noticed that, she was turning tricks before she got in too deep and sold her soul to the devil. Or in her case, her body.”
“I should never have told you any of this shit,” Deacon ground out.
“You did. Deal with it and explain to me how that means, since she threw herself in the pit of hell, you have to live there with her even when the bitch is dead.”
“She’s my wife.”
“Was your wife.”
“I loved her,” Deacon clipped. “Fuckin’ loved her. Visualize Hanna on a hook, takin’ cock that’s not yours, and tell me you would not take that on, that she was with you and you were happy then she was on that hook and you didn’t stop it.”
Raid shut his mouth. He’d visualized and Deacon hated himself for giving his friend that but he had no choice.
So Deacon was going to give all of it to him so he’d shut the fuck up.
“You want it all?” Deacon asked but didn’t let him answer. “Told you what I told you but didn’t give it all to you, brother. You got grit, but no man has that much grit, I fuckin’ know. So I saved you from the nightmare, but here it is.”
He took in a breath and held Raid’s eyes.
“I went back. Twice. Tried again to get her out. Twice. Once, got my ass shot at. By the time I got the firepower to take my back and made a plan to extract, my informant inside told me it was too late. She died on that hook, Raid. Overdose. They reckon she took cock from at least two guys in her dead body before someone figured it out and pulled her down.”
“Jesus Christ,” Raid whispered.
“Yeah. Pretty picture, isn’t it?”
“Brother.”
“Cleaned her with fuckin’ bleach, dumped her in a ditch. Made the news. Missing woman found dead. Grieving family still relieved because they now have answers. Bullshit. Her parents were relieved the nightmare she made of her life was over. My parents were relieved, hoping the nightmare she made of my life was over. I was not relieved. Buried her, walked away. Walked away from her parents who did not give me the knowledge to find the tools to help my wife. Walked away from everything.”
“I know.”
“And that’s where I gotta be.”
Raid held his eyes.
Then he said, “Tell me her name and where she is.”
Deacon’s chest started burning. “Fuck, man, you do not get this but you’re gonna have to. I’m not givin’ you dick.”
“She’s clean, let me and my boys make sure she is. Check in on her, she’ll never know. Keep an eye on her. Make certain nothin’ from you leads to her.”
“You think I’d let that happen?”
“No. I also think you love her and you’re gonna give me her name and location so my boys and I can look after her so you can make sure she’s covered even if you know she won’t need it.”
“Cassidy Swallow, Glacier Lily Cottages, Antler, Colorado.”
“My backyard,” Raid murmured.
“Yeah.”
“You love her.”
Deacon clenched his jaw again.
“You break her?” Raid asked.
That burn in his chest spread. “It’ll be you lookin’ in on her and don’t give me your shit, Raid. I know it’ll be you, you won’t send one of your boys. You’ll take care of her personally. So you’ll see. And when you do, you’ll know she’ll find a man.”