Page 114 of Soft Flannel Hank

“It’s the only way. If I don’t, he’ll hurt Hank. Or his people will. And then they’ll come for Magda. And then you.”

Jory muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “I’d like to see him try.”

“It’s the only way,” Esther repeated, staring out the windshield as Jory sped closer and closer to Hank’s house.

“You can’t just give yourself up. I won’t let you.”

“You can’t stop me.”

Jory took a sharp turn onto Hank’s street, muttering about humans under her breath. Esther wished she’d taken that self-defense class that her college had offered for free. She wished she’d been more interested in archery than horses at summer camp. She wished she’d never followed those Lucky Charms girls into that goddamned basement under the club.

But she hadn’t taken self-defense or learned archery and shehadfollowed those girls. Shehadfound her way to World’s End, and shehadfallen in love with a good man who was too damn noble for his own good.

“Don’t try to stop me, Jory,” Esther said as Jory slowed the car down and turned off the headlights as they approached Hank’s house.

“I won’t do anything toyou,”she said through her teeth. “I make no promises about anyone else.”

23

Jory parked her car next to Hank’s truck. The house looked quiet. No other cars, none of Callum’s sleek dark SUVs that he always rode in. Maybe Esther had been wrong. Jory turned the car off.

“I’m going to go get Hank,” Esther said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

“And then what?” Jory asked, peering out into the dark backyard.

“And then we’ll run. Nobody else is here. I’ll go get him, and we’ll leave town before they show up.”

It sounded right. Itfeltright. She’d still be on the run, still evading and hiding. But she’d have Hank.

“I’ll keep you safe,”he’d promised so many times. Esther believed him. But more than that, she would keep him safe too.

“You’ve got five minutes,” Jory said. “Five minutes to get him and get back out here, or I’m coming in.”

Esther nodded. “Call me if you see anyone coming.”

Jory nodded, and Esther hurried out of the car, almost tripping on her barely-tied shoelaces as she raced to the mudroom stairs.

The light was on in the kitchen, and Esther crossed the mudroom in three steps towards it. She was caught from behind by a pair of strong arms and brought back against a hard chest. A hand covered her mouth and, in her periphery, Esther could see the tattoos on the knuckles. She screamed against the palm.

“Easy now,” a soft voice said in her ear just as she heard Hank growl from across the table.

“Get your fucking hands off of her,” Hank barked.

She forced herself to look away from Hank. Sitting across from him, with his back to her, was Callum. It could only be Callum, with a fine suit stretched taut over that broad back. Two more men stood just inside the dining room, arms cross across their equally broad chests. Hank stood, his big body tense, his eyes wild as he looked at her.

“Let her go,” he said again, his tone dangerous as he took a half step toward them.

Esther saw Callum nod once, and the tattooed man released her. Esther stumbled to Hank and threw herself into his arms. He crushed her against his chest, pressing his nose and mouth against the top of her head and inhaling deeply.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I’m too late. I thought—”

“What the fuck are you doing here, Esther?” Hank interrupted in a choked whisper.

“I came to save you,” she replied, pulling away to look into his eyes.

“You were supposed to be gone. You were supposed to besafe.”

Esther looked at Hank’s face. His jaw was tight, his eyes bright with fury. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him. She felt the tension in his fingers as he gripped her shoulders and realized he was angryat her.