Chapter 20

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WARNING! This chapter contains mature themes (violence). Reader discretion is advised.

Jason tucked his gun in his jeans, hiding it beneath his shirt, and walked up to the house. He’d spent the last hour thinking up a way to approach Derek without making things worse, and the best idea he’d gotten so far was to put a bullet in his cousin’s head to make sure he never hurt a living soul again. Still, he had to do something. He couldn’t sit and wait for the sheriff to get around to investigating Derek. With one deep breath, Jason rang the doorbell.

-

Julie’s head snapped up when she heard a doorbell ring. Derek had left the stairs down and her eyes flickered to them.

“Don’t even think about it,” Derek said in a low growl and Julie lowered her head again. Then she heard footsteps, and distant voices. Someone was upstairs, and someone else was at the door. What if it was the police? If she screamed, would they hear it? She needed to get closer to the hatch. Under the pretense of clearing the table, Julie rose and slowly moved over to the sink, listening carefully to make sure the strangers were still up there. Her adrenaline was pumping and she was getting ready to run for the stairs and scream at the top of her lungs when cold metal scraped against her neck.

“You make a sound and it’s the last one you ever make,” Derek hissed in her ear, a kitchen knife pressing against her throat.

Julie kept as still as she possibly could. One wrong move and he’d slit her throat, she could feel it. The old Derek was gone, this one wasn’t just unpredictable and violent; he was psychotic. Whatever it was that triggered the change in him, there was no reaching him now. Her best chance at survival was to obey.

-

“You again?” Sissy said when she opened the door to Jason. “Am I going to have to call the police?”

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind if you did. Ask them to take Derek off your hands too, while you’re at it.”

“I told you, I don’t know where he is,” Sissy said and tried to close the door. Jason’s hand shot out and stopped her.

“I saw him walk inside your house,” he said tersely. “Tell him his cousin is here to talk to him.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to you,” Sissy blurted.

“Then have him say that to my face, and I’ll leave,” Jason said, broadening his stance.

“Wait here,” Sissy said warily and closed the door in Jason’s face. Well, at least that was something.

-

“Derek?” a female voice called and Julie sucked a breath in as Derek pressed the blade harder against her throat.

“What?” he called out impatiently.

“Someone’s here to see you.”

“She’s got to be kidding me,” Derek muttered. “I’m busy!” he yelled.

“It’s your cousin!”

Julie bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. Jason was upstairs, asking for Derek. If she cried out for him, he’d come for her. But when he got to her it would already be too late and then Jason would be in danger.

“Isn’t that sweet,” Derek whispered in Julie’s ear. “Your lover came for you. Well, guess what, doll face? You so much as blink and I’ll slit your miserable throat. Maybe I’ll let good ol’ Jase take the credit. Post mortem.”

There he was, the old Derek, Julie thought morosely. Not a 50s business man expecting his wife to fulfill his every need, but a cruel abuser reveling in the power he held over other people. Just like his abuse had escalated over the years they’d spent together, he was escalating even now, before her eyes. She didn’t doubt for a second that he would go through with his threats if she challenged him.

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