Page 32 of Infinitely Mine
More than that, Tom’s deception and betrayal hit me hard. I struggled with my worth after it happened, almost believing I somehow lacked, and that was why he sought out other women. It took a long time for me to sort through those feelings and not blame myself. None of it was my fault or my choice.
And then I met Mammoth.
That man pushed through my defenses and broke down my walls. He shoved his way into my heart, and it was so hard to resist him when he loved my son and treated him like his own child. In my experience, men like him were rare. A unique breed. Falling for him, albeit a little too fast, felt inevitable.
A loud bang pulled me from my thoughts. I was startled as I almost dropped my mug. My head swung to the left, and terror nearly stole all the breath from my lungs when I spotted Dagger’s best friend, Kevin Keeler, also known as Killer.
He slammed his door shut as he exited a black truck with dark windows, standing where I could see him while he smoked a cigarette as he faced me. He’d parked across the street. How did he get so close without me hearing him? Was I that distracted?
Shit!
I slowly stood, moving toward my front door and keeping my gaze locked on his position the entire time. My hand found the doorknob behind me and turned it, opening a gap wide enough for me to slip through. I entered my house and shut the door, peeking out the glass panel on either side of the doorframe. It provided zero protection, and I didn’t have a weapon. I turned the deadbolt on the door, shaking as I watched Killer toss the butt of his smoking cigarette to the ground. It bounced, shooting off cinders before he stomped toward the house.
Oh, fuck!
I stayed rooted to the spot, placing myself between him and my son. I’d go down fighting. He wouldn’t have an easy time with it.
Killer stopped a few feet from my porch and tossed a padded envelope in my direction. It landed with a thud a few inches from the door. He stayed there, eyeing me through the glass with a twisted, vicious grin. “Dag says hello.”
My body shuddered. I gulped air, aware that I had almost stopped breathing. My vision swam, and I swallowed, forcing myself to remain upright as I dragged air through my mouth.
I knew what he could do to me. He bragged about how skilled he was with a knife on multiple occasions.
Killer saluted me as a dark chuckle left his lips. “I’ll be seein’ you around, Rowen Casey.” He walked back to the truck, climbed inside, and drove away.
I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t return or in some way deceive me. For long minutes, I waited, prepared to fight him off. The minutes trickled into an hour. No one else appeared or drove onto the street.
The safety of my child won over my fear. I rushed through the house and checked every window, double checking they were closed and locked. Same with both doors. I shut all the blinds and curtains. Reaching for the largest butcher knife in the block by my stove, I gripped the handle and walked back to the front, peering outside through the glass again.
A silent night and pale moon were all that existed beyond the porch. No dark shadows that hid an assassin. No vehicles that shouldn’t belong on the street.
I waited for another hour before I opened my door a few inches, snatched the envelope, and shut the door again. I flipped the deadbolt and backed away, taking the envelope to the kitchen. For what felt like an eternity, I stared at the package I knew would force me to leave Tonopah. I just found hope, love, and protection, only to be reminded that I didn’t really escape danger or death at all.
How the hell did Dag and Killer find me?
I set the knife down and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.
Nervous energy collided with anxiety as I lifted the envelope and tore off the end. I tilted it sideways and dumped out the contents. A stack of printed black and white photographs spilled onto the counter along with a small, wrapped object. I didn’t want to open the tiny package and looked at the photos first.
A gasp escaped as I shook my head, staring at images of me on my bed and Mammoth’s head buried between my thighs. The passion we shared had been ruined, exposed by a murderer. Itossed the pictures on the counter with disgust and noticed the images included my son, too. Jacob is at school behind the fence on the playground. Jacob playing in our backyard in his black superhero cape. Another of him standing with his backpack strapped over his shoulders as I opened the car door to take him to school.
I stifled a cry, afraid I would wake him.
Dag knew everything about me and Jacob, where we lived, and who we spent time with. The last few photographs showed Mammoth on his Harley and the gates around The Crossroads.
Oh, God. I made him and his club a target, too.
My mind frantically tried to figure out a way around this. How could I negotiate? Would they take me and leave my son and Mammoth alone? I would do it if it meant they lived and remained unharmed. Mammoth would raise Jacob for me. He loved him.
I realized rational thought had fled in the face of terror. There was no way to stop the panic train once I boarded it.
Knowing I had to see what was inside the small package, I carefully cut one end and slid the item lodged inside onto the countertop. A severed finger landed with a plop, stained with dried blood. I knew who had owned it by the manicured nail and the design painted on it. The day before she died, Kate had gotten her nails done with a Valentine’s theme. The pink hearts and diamonds stared up at me, splashed with crimson.
I covered my mouth and smothered a scream, trembling as the horror of it ripped my sanity apart.
Dag sent me Kate’s finger, proof he killed her, and a warning that I was next.
My heart raced as I took one of the empty grocery bags I kept in a drawer and shoved the contents of the envelope inside, using one of the photos to scoop up the finger and then add it tothe pile. I closed off the bag and left it on the counter, unwilling to risk Jacob seeing it.