Page 70 of The First Cut

“Yeah, um, thank you.”

His eyes move to Razzle, who is still straining against him.

“I think we should go find Hannibal. He’s probably wondering what’s taking you so long.”

His words are meant for me, but his gaze never leaves Razzle.

“Let me go. You’re hurting me.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s me you need to worry about.”

Razzle whimpers as Elmo drags her over to me.

“Let’s go find Hannibal, Lola. I think he’ll be real interested to hear what happened to his old lady in his own fucking clubhouse.”

Oh shit.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hannibal

Iscan the room, wondering where the fuck Lola went, when I see her walk back in. I relax until I see Elmo dragging Razzle in by her hair just behind her. Slamming my bottle of beer on the pool table, I stalk over to them as the room quiets down.

I walk straight up to Lola, tugging her into my arms, kissing her lightly before pulling back. “You good?”

“I’m okay, I promise.”

Tugging her under my arm, I watch as Elmo throws Razzle to the floor at my feet.

“What the fuck is going on?” I ask him as I feel people draw near.

“Caught Razzle here about to punch Lola. And just saying, she wasn’t aiming for her face.”

As his words sink in, white-hot fury washes over me. I vaguely hear Lola saying my name. I ignore her as I bend down, wrap my hand around Razzle’s throat, and lift her off the ground. She claws at my hand as tears run down her face.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I shake her when she doesn’t answer.

“She can’t speak when you’re choking her out, Hannibal.” Lola sighs.

I turn slowly to look at her. She doesn’t look scared even though the people around us have backed up now they’re faced with my anger.

“I have no interest in hearing anything she says. She tried to hurt you, tried to hurt our son.”

I hear murmurs move around the room, but I block them out as I stare into Lola’s eyes. She jumps in when she sees the expression on my face. “She’s just doing what she’s always been allowed to do. I’m not defending her, I’m just stating a fact. She’s been given free rein to do whatever she wants to me. Now she knows that shit won’t fly, she won’t do it again.”

“Bullshit. She’ll just hide it better.”

“She’s turning blue, Hannibal.”

“I don’t fucking care!” I roar.

Lifting her hand to cup my jaw, she tips my head down so we are eye to eye. “But I do. I need you here with me, not in a six-by-nine cell.”

I let my eyes drift closed for a moment as I try to calm myself down. She needs me. Nothing else matters beyond that.

I toss Razzle to the ground, eliciting a scream from her. Resting my forehead against Lola’s, I take a second to just breathe her in.

“I want to kill her.”