Page 67 of The Monsters Within

“That sounds promising.”

“It does. Hopefully, he’ll learn something that will give us a clue as to why they’re here. I’m worried about the kid.”

“You don’t think he’ll join the Death Dogs, do you?” I asked, wondering if his thoughts mirrored my own. Jonah seemed like a great kid, and I suspected he’d make a great brother. The idea of easy money and easy pussy could have a profound effect on how corruptible a young man could be.

“No, Blade said he’s solid. He knew Jonah’s mom, Clara, when he was a kid. Said that woman never let anyone get away with shit. She raised Jonah with a tight fist. I’m worried he’ll get himself into a situation he can’t get out of.”

Before I could respond, King and I turned toward the door when we heard Mimic yelling in the hallway.

“Rose, stop.”

“What the fuck?” I jumped out of the chair I was sitting in.

Mimic tried to run past me, and I grabbed his arm.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Rose and I were talking in the kitchen, and Amber overheard us.”

“What did Amber overhear?” King asked.

“Who the fuck cares? What happened to Rose?” This wasn’t about Amber right now. Jesus Christ. I was starting to understand what Rose’s issue was with her.

“She was telling me about Val, and I got upset with her because she gave me shit about calling Sam, Momma. She’s had Val as her mom a fuck of a lot longer than I’ve had Sam. When I told her she had Val to be her mom, she said Val was Amber’s mom, and that was what Amber overheard.”

“Fuck,” King hissed, pulling out his phone. He held it to his ear for a minute, then disconnected. “She won’t answer.”

Holding his phone back to his ear, he barked, “Sypher, has Amber called Dante? She knows about Val. She overheard Mimic and Kytten talking.” King glared at Mimic, and while it didn’t thrill me either, this wasn’t the kid’s fault. We were to blame for keeping this shit from her. She should have been told when she was told about Dante.

Ignoring King, I asked, “What else?”

“They yelled back and forth at each other, and then Amber said Val chose Rose and stormed off.”

“Where is Rose now?”

“She ran upstairs; I was following her when you stopped me.”

I looked up the stairs and then remembered the knife. Looking back at Mimic, I asked, “Did she give you the knife?”

“What knife?”

“FUCK!” I shoved Mimic out of the way and ran up the stairs, taking them three at a time. I had to get to Rose. “Call Torment,” I hollered over my shoulder, but I didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t. I had to get to her.

Before she hurt herself again.

Grabbing the knob in my hand, I twisted, but it didn’t move. This time I didn’t bother with my shoulder. I lifted my leg and slammed my boot into the doorknob, breaking both the lock and the door.

Fuck it, that’s what we had prospects for.

“ROSE!” I shouted as I rushed across the room to the open doorway of the bathroom. She looked up at me, tears streaming down her face, but her smile warmed my heart.

“I don’t want to be this person anymore,” she whispered.

I kneeled at her feet, my hands on her thighs. She held the open knife in her lap. I wanted to snatch it away from her, but I didn’t. She needed to give it up willingly. That much I knew.

“Cash?” Torment called from my room.

“Hang out there for a minute. My woman’s naked, and I’d hate to have to kill you and start a war.”