Page 25 of Sweet Possession

Why hadn’t we heard any news yet?

Had something gone wrong?

As impatience began to build in me again, I took a deep breath tocalm myself when the putrid smell of rotten eggs hit my nostrils.

“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?”I growled, scrabbling toopen the window and get some fresh airthatwasn’t contaminated by Nash’s fart, only to find it wouldn’t budge an inch.“Open the fucking window!”

“Sorry, couldn’t help it,”Nash chuckled, lowering my window by onlyan inch with the controls on his door panel.

Fucking cretin.

“Seriously, your inside must be decaying, you fucking stink!”I said,doing my best not to gag at the rancid smell filling the car, and sucking in clean air through the small gapthatNash had permitted.

“I can’t help it, you know what pizza does to me,”Nash said, nowopening his own window wide, his voice starting to choke on the disgusting smell.

DecidingthatI needed more air, I tried the handle, but again, it didn’tbudge. I was about to tell Nash to unlock the fucking doors or I’d make sure he would only ever father the child Savannah was carrying when my phone rang, instantly stilling the two of us.

“Fox,”I barked, ignoring the stench still lingering.

“Mr. Fox. The Duke brothers are secure,”the man on the other endsaid in a no-nonsense tone.

“And Dwayne?”I asked desperately, needing to know they had himtoo.

“Secured and ready for you.”

With the phone still pressed to my ear, I turned to look at Nash whowas watching me intently. I gave him a nod, and a menacing grin spread over his lips, matching mine.

Game on.

Standing in the shower, I watched Dwayne’s blood mix with therunning water and soap as it escaped down the drain.

A restless energy vibrated through me, andeventhough I knewDwayne was no longer alive to hurt Cora or other girls, I didn’t feel sated.

Maybe in the morning when I told Cora she didn’t need toworry about Dwayne or the Dukes I’d feel a bit better.

I didn’t know how long I stood under the stream of hot water,replaying the moment when Dwayne took his last breath, but by the time I got out, my skin was shriveled like a prune.

I dried off and threw on a pair of gray sweatpants, forgoing a shirt. Ineeded to get some sleep, the sun would be rising in less than a few hours, but with the unease coursing through me, I knew sleep wouldn’t come.

Figuring I could start going through the mountain of emails I’d ignoredearlier in favor of arranging Cora’s birthday party, I was about to head to my office when a piercing scream filled the air.

My heart leaped into my throat. The scream had come from acrossthe hall.

Cora’s room.

I bolted across the hallway in a flash, grabbing her door handle andtugging, only to find it was locked. From inside, a deathly silence had taken over which only made my heart pound harder.

“Cora, baby girl. Can you open the door?”I called, trying to level myvoice and keep my panic out.

Silence.

“Cora, please. Ijustwant to make sure you’re okay.”

More silence.

And then...

“Fox?”