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Her chest rose and fell as she shouted indignantly, “Something has to be done! And if it’s me that has to do it, so be it!”

“But it doesn’t have to be you, Carla. You’ve got evidence. Let Phoebe fight your battle in the courtroom.”

Carla nodded. “That’s really cute, but I don’t think you understand. I want to rip his head OFF!” She shook as madness overtook her. “I’m not hiding from him anymore! You know better than anyone I’m not scared!”

“You don’t have to be scared, but you need to listen to reason. If you manage to get in his house, he’s a man, Carla. He’s bigger than you, stronger than you. It only takes a moment for him to get the upper hand, even with me climbing his back!”

“Sit in the car, then.” Carla shrugged. “Or call the police. I don’t care.” Carla shook out of Tina’s grasp and opened the door, hopping out.

“Shit!” Tina cursed, opening her door and slamming it.

“What if we can’t even get in the house?”

Carla went to his mailbox, and Tina moved as she swung the bat on top of the box, crushing the container where it splatted to the ground.

“We’ll get in if I have to bust his door down.”

Tina sent Phoebe a quick text.

We’re going to need two get-out-of-jail free cards, thank you!

Shoving the phone in her pocket, Tina turned to follow Carla to the front door when brakes from a vehicle swinging in to park in front of their car hit a hard stop.

Both Tina and Carla turned to see Jacob emerging from his Bentley, rushing around the car and up the sidewalk.

Eyes wide, Carla faced his approaching stride, the bat falling to her side immediately.

“Jacob?”

“Where are your keys?”

Tina held them up. “I got them.”

His gaze turned to Tina. “Can you drive her car back to her house?”

“Yes.”

He reached for Carla’s unobstructed hand as she just stared at him, confused yet mesmerized by his presence.

“Come with me.”

He led her down the sidewalk and pointed at Tina. “She’ll call you soon.”

Tina nodded like a bobblehead. On the one hand, she was happy to see him because he was clearly the only one who could calm Carla down. On the other, she was trippin’ at how her girl had gone into a full-on trance when he appeared.

At the passenger seat of his car, Jacob opened the door but touched Carla’s chin to speak to her eye to eye. Carla spoke first.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I love you so much. I would kill this fucker in a heartbeat. My dilemma was no excuse. I should’ve sucked it up and told him to kiss my ass. I was scared. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to do. I hate that I embarrassed you. I love you to death. Jacob, please, you have to bel—”

“Sssssh,” he shushed her. “Bellissima, I know everything.”

Her eyes widened, and she swallowed the knot in her throat, her voice nervous as she replied, “You do?”

“I do. If you don’t mind, I’m taking you home with me.”

A smile pushed her cheeks into her eyes. “Hell, yes. I mean, no. I don’t mind. But this,” she pointed to Lennox’s home, and Jacob finished her sentence.

“He will pay the price for what he’s done. Do you trust me?”