Page 161 of Cautious Love

In the back of my mind, I feel a bit of pity for him.

But not enough to stop.

He screams and cries as I grab his shirt, hauling him up. I’m sure his knees hurt too much to stand, so I hold most of his weight, digging my thumb into the healing bullet wound in his shoulder.

“You sent someone aftermy wife.” I wrench my fist back and sucker-punch him.

“Hopefully, I got my money’s worth,” he groans.

I punch him again.

Blood bursts from his nose, and he moans weakly, trying to fight me off.

“I really thought you’d put up more of a fight.”

He groans and glares at me. “At least I’m not the one married to a whore.” His voice is all nasally.

“Oh, man. You really are dumb, aren’t you?” Sterling says.

I nail him in the gut a few times, and as he kneels on the floor, I grab the back of his head and drive my knee into his face.

Grey collapses and his eyes start to close, but I pat his face a couple of times. “No, no, I want you to hear me first.”

Grey’s eyes peel open.

I get down on my knee, and fist his shirt, bringing him closer so there’s no confusion. “If you ever look, think, or saymy wife’sname again, I don’t care what laws I break. I will end you. Are we clear?” I whisper.

He blinks, moving his hand towards the sofa, and Sterling presses his boot on his wrist. He cries out because Sterling probably broke it.

“Are. We. Clear?” I ask him strangely calm.

Sterling moves his foot and lifts the edge of the sofa, where a gun lies. He kicks it out of Grey’s reach.

I huff. “You couldn’t fight me like a real man, so you figured a bullet should do the trick?”

His only response is moans. Reaching for the blanket on the couch, I empty the gun without leaving fingerprints and release the magazine, slipping it into my pocket.

Leaving Grey to rot in his own blood, I search the house for any other weapon and find a shotgun. I take the shells out and remove the firing pin.

Fletcher, Sterling, and Cooper are already outside waiting for me.

“You have a good night now.” I slam the door behind me, and we walk back to the trucks.

I assumed someone would have heard us, but I wonder even if they did, they would say anything. Everyone knows what Grey did and his impact on this town. No one is okay with it.

“Thanks, guys.”

Cooper claps my back. “We’ve always got you brother. No questions asked.”

“He had it coming, Ledge,” Sterling says.

I nod, and we stand at the corner. “Fletch, Coop, keep an eye out. This might stir things up, and what I have to do tomorrow could make things worse. Promise you’ll call if something happens,” I say vaguely.

Fletcher and Cooper glance at each other. “Yeah, not a problem, man. Oh, they’re almost finished framing your house, by the way. You haven’t been by in a while, figured you’d want to know,” Fletcher says.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Call us later, let us know how Shiloh is doing?” Cooper asks.