Page 139 of Lawton

When the cuffs fell away, she huddled forward and tugged the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Slowly, she struggled to her feet, looking a little unsteady.

I reached out, wanting to help. She turned to look, and her eyes said it all.Don't even think about it.

She turned to Bishop, and in a voice filled with loathing, she said, "And what, exactly, do we need to discuss?"

"Are you gonna call the police?" he asked.

"Well, you two seem to have some sort of problem with the police," she said. "I wonder why that is."

I moved forward. "Call 'em. Whatever happens, I deserve it. I mean it. Whatever you want." I reached out for her. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying that!" She pushed my hands away. "Don’t. Touch. Me." Her gaze narrowed. "Ever."

From a few feet away, Bishop looked to Chloe and said, "You never answered my question."

"Yeah?" she said. "That's because I don't know the answer."

He nodded. "Fair enough. But I want to remind you of something. That little party, or whatever it was in the house, along with that picture of him you took. Well, it doesn't make you look exactly like an innocent young thing."

She stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"Just that if you start something, you'd better think it through. And I'm not just saying it for Lawton's sake."

She snorted. "Liar."

"Think what you want," he said. "But I’m telling you, and Lawton can tell you too, things can get ugly real quick in a situation like this."

What the hell? I turned to glare at him. "You threatening her?"

"Oh, this is special," Chloe said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Sonowyou're coming to my defense? Gee, thanks. Where were you when some psycho handcuffed me in his basement? Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot, that guy was you. Asshole."

From a few feet away, Bishop gave a small laugh.

She turned toward him and yelled, "It's not funny!"

"You're right," he said, looking like he meant it. His tone softened. "Look, I'm not threatening you. Lawton's right. You want to report him, you have every right. If you were my sister –"

She interrupted him. "You'd have me report it?"

"Fuck no," he said. "I'd beat Lawton's ass until he was sorrier than any law enforcement could make him."

I spoke up. "Do it now." I turned to Chloe. "Baby, would it make you feel better if he beat the crap out of me?"

Her gaze narrowed. "Definitely."

Chapter 59

I turned to Bishop. "Come on," I said, holding up my hands. "Do it. Beat the shit out of me. I won't even hit you back."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered.

"I mean it," I told him.

Ignoring me, he looked toward Chloe. "But as it is, he's my brother. And I hope –" At this, he turned to give me a long, serious look. "– that once you hear why he acted like such an ass, you'll get why he lost it so bad."

"Lost it?" Chloe said, rubbing absently at her sore wrists. Her voice trembled. "Is that what you're calling it?"

At the sight of her wrists, at the sound of her voice, at the realization of what I'd done, it was almost too much. Desperately, I reached for her hands. "Oh baby, you've gotta believe me. I don't know what happened."