Now everything makes sense. Neither Mom nor Dale tried to call immediately after what happened last night. But here I am, not three minutes after Knox’s arrest, and there’s a call coming my way from the house line.
No. It can’t be true. It must be a coincidence. I take a deep, steadying breath before answering. “Yes?”
“How’s your boyfriend, slut?”
The sound of his voice brings everything back. My shoulders hunch and my back curves as I try to fold myself up as small as possible. “What did you do?”
“What needed to be done to an animal like that. But he doesn’t have to be in there for long. He could leave as soon as I give the say-so.”
I should’ve known from the second I saw those lights that all of this could be traced back to the bastard on the phone. “What will make you give the say-so?”
“If you come home. Right now.” I close my eyes as this sinks in. “Or else I could make jail really uncomfortable for that son of a bitch. He might even get hurt… accidentally, of course.”
He’ll do it, too. So will that brother of his. I’m sure of it. I can’t make Knox suffer for me. There’s no question about what I need to do. “I’m on my way.”