Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Sooo,” Dezi said, wiggling Ben’s shoe with the tip of his own. “Any chance you’d let us bury him here? Got lots of room.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Back behind the orchard would be good. The ground is pretty soft back there.”
“Spades and shovels over here?” Dezi asked, but he was already sauntering off toward the small toolshed.
“This is the ex, right?” Kit asked.
“Yeah. He kept Lolly prisoner for years. She got lucky to escape and come here.”
“He’s the reason she’s, like, terrified of tech, right?”
“Yeah. He’s a hacker. Among other things.”
“Well, she’s fully free of him now.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Thanks to you.”
“I accept gratitude in the form of chocolate. Or coffee.”
Dezi casually strolled back, a shovel and spade dragging behind him.
But he dropped it down on the ground, then dropped into a squat beside Ben’s body.
Reaching down, he pulled off the rubber glove of his right hand. Then he reached into his pocket, producing a pair of gardening shears.
And cut off his thumb.
“What the hell?” Kit asked.
But then Dezi was turning toward me. “Here,” he said, tossing the digit.
I automatically went to catch it, but my disgust had me playing hot potato with it for a second before I grabbed it.
“The fuck?” I asked.
“Gonna need it if you wanna get back into the glass house,” Dezi said.
“Why are you taking off his clothes?” Kit asked.
“In case he has information about Lolly stored there,” Dezi explained. “Trace evidence,” he went on, this time to Kit as he yanked Ben’s pants down. “Gotta put it in the freezer,” he continued, again to me. “I got this if you wanna get your girl’s wrist looked at. It was swelling like a motherfucker.”
Dezi had always been a surprisingly capable and observant bastard. Time had clearly not dulled that at all.
“It takes a long time to dig a proper grave,” Kit said. “I’ll get some shoes and help you.”
“How about you burn up the clothes for me?” Dezi asked when he had Ben completely naked. “Got a wheelbarrow?”
“Yeah. Just give me a sec.”
“Freezer, man. Gotta preserve the fingerprints.”
“Right,” I agreed, shaking myself out of my stupor. “Thanks, man.”
“Eh, feels kinda cyclical, don’t it? You and me getting into it. Now out of it.”
With that, he reached down to grab Ben’s wrists, dragging him up to a seated position, just in time for Kit to come up, lowering down the front of the wheelbarrow for Dezi to drop him into.
Wanting to check on Lolly, I turned and walked away, knowing Dezi could handle the body, even if it was my responsibility.
I rushed into her motorhome, grabbing a small plastic food storage container, stuffing the thumb inside, then hiding it in the back of the freezer.
I was going to be taking Lolly with me back to the clubhouse, but just in case she had reason to go into the freezer in the near future, I wanted to be sure she wouldn’t see the finger.
Finished with that, I made my way to Ria’s, greeting her two Anatolian Shepherds who were sniffing around out front before moving inside.
Inside, Ria had Lolly sitting at her dining table. She’d cleaned her up, as promised, even helping her change into fresh clothes. There was a cup of steaming tea set in front of Lolly, but she was sitting there holding an ice pack to her hurt wrist.
“Hey, babe,” I said after giving Ria a tight smile. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” she said, sounding far away.
“Yeah? How’s the wrist?”
“It hurts,” she admitted. She let me remove the ice pack so I could see the damage, but she flinched when I even ran a finger over it.
“Yeah, I think we have a little trip ahead of us tonight still.”
“To Hailstorm?”
“We could do that,” I agreed. “Or we could go to the hospital.”
“But I—”
She trailed off, realizing that she no longer had to worry about cameras, about being seen. She didn’t have to pretend to be anyone else ever again.
Her life was hers again.
“What do you think I should do?”
“I think you should go with whatever you’re comfortable with. Hailstorm can scan and patch you up if it’s a simple break. But if there’s a chance you might need surgery, I think the hospital is the place to be.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
“For shits and giggles, how about we don’t tell the hospital that you were attacked by your ex tonight, though, okay? You just fell and tried to brace it, but hurt your wrist.”
“No offense, Nave. But I think maybe I should be the one to take Lolly to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“Because I think a lot of wrist injuries come from men grabbing and pulling their women by them. And it might be best to remove the possibility of her being questioned by the patient advocate or police.”
“Right,” I said, seeing her logic. “It’s up to you, Loll. If you want me there, I’m there. If you’d rather not take any chances, that’s okay too.”