And then what? I get to relive this all night? All the while anticipating what happens tomorrow? I can only believe it will get worse from here.

I doubt it will be enough, having his sons do this. Eventually, he’s going to want to do it himself. No matter what Nix says, no matter what James told them. Soon, it’s not going to be enough.

A single word from Colt might make it better, but he doesn’t speak. He doesn’t make a sound or crack a smile. He doesn't do anything besides opening my door and stepping aside so I can enter the room. I haven’t yet turned around before he’s closed it again, locking it as I expected.

Dropping my clothes, I make a beeline to the shower. There’s not enough hot water in the tank to make me feel clean. Nothing ever will again. But I might spend a while trying.

CHAPTER 27

There’s pounding at the door.

I wake up in the dark, and immediately, my heart’s in my throat. I break out in a cold sweat when somebody pounds against the bedroom door again. They fight with the knob, turning it—or trying to. All it does is jiggle a little, but there’s no opening the door while it’s locked.

“What the fuck is this?” Again, more pounding, more jiggling of the knob. “Motherfucker! Is this a fucking joke?”

I clutch the blankets close to me, my fear exploding and threatening to pull a scream from my throat when I realize it’s James. He’s trying to get in.

He goes silent for a moment, and I think he’s given up—until the pounding turns into a solid thud. Then another, another. I bite down on my fist to quiet a scream I can’t hold back. He’s trying to break the door down. He’s going to break the damn door down!

“Motherfucker…” Thud! “Think you can…” Thud! “Keep away from me?” Thud!

But it’s no use. The lock won’t give, and the door’s too strong. At least now I know how impossible it is to break the thing down, but only now that it’s locked against him.

He doesn’t have a key. Nix’s words come back to me, and now I understand what he was saying. James doesn’t have the key to the door. Why not? Why do they have it?