“The hell you say. You ain’t done no such thing.”
“Then why am I on the radio instead of him?”
“You prob’ly…” I can almost hear him trying to come up with a plausible explanation. “You prob’ly used your feminine wiles on him. He was always a weak one for the pussy.”
I laugh into the radio. “He’s dead. I shot him. I shot the others too, but I don’t think they’re dead. Not all of them, at least. Not yet. The young one with the patchy beard probably is, by now.”
“You…you mean your dead-fuck boyfriend shot ‘em. You ain’t got the guts, girl.”
“Silas is handling other business at the moment, as a matter of fact. Believe what you want, though. I don’t care.”
“Listen here, child. More of my men are a few miles out. You come home with them nice and quiet-like, and I’ll go easy on you. I may even consider getting rid of Jerry for you. He’s so pissed off he’s creatin’ all sorts of ruckus. He wants you dead. But not before he does all manner of unspeakable violence to you for how you been behavin’.”
I choke back my rage. “You can send anyone you want after me. I’llnevercome back. Anyone you send after me, I’ll shoot.” I let go of the button, and then press it again. “I’ll shoot you, too, Buddy Ibsen. I’ll shoot you first.”
“I’m your father, goddammit,” he snarls. “You best do what you’re told and get your narrow behind back here.”
“Fuckyou,” I spit, rage and hate forcing the uncharacteristic curse out of me. “I’mnotyour daughter. Jerry isnotmy husband. He was never anything but a rapist and a pig. And you—you’rethe worst monster of them all.” I can almost hear him spluttering. “Fuck you,Buddy Ibsen. Fuck you and fuck everyone on that entire godforsaken compound. I swear to God and by all that’s holy, you willneverlay eyes on me again. And if you do, my eyes will be the last thing you see before you die, because I’ll have killed you.”
“God help you when I get my hands on you, girl. You won’t never forget your place by the time I’m done with you.”
I consider my response carefully. “I’ve found my place, and it’s with a good and wonderful man named Silas. This is the only warning I’ll give you—leave us alone. You don’t know who you’re dealing with, Bud. You really, really don’t.”
“I’m your goddamn father, Naomi Ibsen. You ain’t got no place callin’ me by my name.”
“You’re nothing to me. Nothing but a nightmare, and I’ve woken up. I get to spend my days and nights with Silas, learning what real love is. All you’ll ever have is the poor innocent girls you have to beat and rape because no one could ever possibly love a pig like you.” I can’t stop the next words from toppling from my lips like boulders over a cliff edge. “I’m glad Mama’s dead, you know. At least now she can’t see what you’ve become. It’d kill her all over again.”
Judging by the silence from the other end, I know my words have struck true.
I switch the unit off, replace the handset, and settle behind the wheel with the door closed. Before driving away, I make sure I have my gun and the cell phone.
I pull away, then, accelerating to thirty miles per hour, both hands on the wheel.
Once I’ve put a couple miles between me and the B and B, I pull over again and tug my phone from the thigh pocket. I find Silas’s entry and dial it. It rings twice…four times, six times, and I hang up on the seventh. I try not to panic, remembering what he told me.
I call Inez, next. She answers on the second ring. “Miss Ibsen.”
“I’m not an Ibsen anymore,” I answer. “Just Naomi, please.”
Her voice is cool and smooth and even. “As you wish, Naomi.” A pause. “How can I help you?”
“Well, um, Silas went to talk to Malik. He left me at the B and B, but my father’s men found me. I…” I let out a sigh. “I sort of…um, shot them? I also may have set off one of those flashbangs? I know one is dead for sure, and another one will be soon if he isn’t already. I’m not sure about the other two. I…I don’t know what to do now.” There’s a long silence from Inez. “Inez? Are you there?”
“Yes, apologies. It’s just quite rare that someone manages to surprise me, Naomi, and you have left me downright shocked. And very impressed.” I hear her blow out a breath. “Are you in immediate danger?”
“No. I talked to my father on the CB—I’m in their truck. He said he has more men a few miles away.”
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m okay,” I answer. “I had surprise on my side. I just…I don’t think I’m prepared to…well, do what Silas does, if the rest of my father’s men find me. I’ll defend myself if I have to, but I’m not a warrior like he is.”
“Give me a moment, please.” Her voice is even, but distracted, thoughtful.
I wait.
A few minutes later, she speaks again. “I have your location, approximately. You’re on the trunkline, not far from a county highway. If you go south from the B and B, you’ll reach it.”
“I…I don’t know what south means, Inez. It’s pitch black, I’ve never driven before, and I don’t know where I am.”
