Secrets of the Hanged Man (Icarus Fell #3) (An Icarus Fell Novel) Read Free Page B

it away, she saw the blood on her palm and her eyes went wide. She looked across the living room at Ben on his knees, the man behind him.
    “Ben?” she said forcing herself up, face pinched with the ache in her head. “Tim? What are you doing?”
    Tim?
    Her words slammed the pieces of the puzzle together into a picture that should have been obvious. We both want the same thing, the man named Tim had said...his wife.
    Rage exploded through Ben; he struggled against the man’s grip, scrabbling at his arm. The man shoved the muzzle against Ben’s temple hard enough to push his head to the side.
    “Shut up,” he screamed, the words ringing in Ben’s ears. “And you, too, Tay. Shut up or I’ll fucking kill him, I swear I will.”
    Tears spilled from Taylor’s eyes; a droplet of blood from her forehead ran down the side of her nose, mixed with the tears, stained them pink. Ben recognized the taut line of her mouth signifying her attempt to hold them back, but she couldn’t; he’d seen her try many times before, always without success.
    Has this guy ever seen her cry? Has he ever comforted her when she was sick? Held her when she was sad?
    “ Daddy?”
    Taylor hugged Dallas so close, she nearly disappeared into her side and, between that and the gun at his head, Ben had forgotten her presence. New panic swelled inside him. It wasn’t just his life and his wife’s at stake here, but their little girl’s, too. A man whacked enough to break into their home and threaten them wouldn’t stop at an eight-year-old girl.
    “It’ll be okay, baby,” Taylor said smoothing the girl’s hair. Ben wanted to add his own words of comfort, but the arm squeezing his neck prevented him.
    “ Shut the fuck up.”
    They did. Dallas moved her head to see her father, her bottom lip quivering. The gun pressed against Ben’s temple hard enough to leave a small red circle indented in his skin. The sleeve of the man’s jacket brushing his face smelled of coffee, like he’d spent a long time sitting in a Starbucks, planning or building his courage before deciding to violate their family.
    Tim leaned close to Ben’s ear.
    “ Alright, big boy, it’s up to you.”
    “ What?” he squeaked out. Tim rewarded him by compressing his throat further.
    “ You get to decide who dies: you or the bitch.”
    “ No.” Taylor bounced on the couch like she wanted to stand, but didn’t. “Ben, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
    “ Shut up.” Tim moved the gun away from Ben’s temple and pointed it at Taylor; she cringed and hugged Dallas tighter. “Shut up or I’ll decide who dies.”
    Ben jumped on the only opportunity he might get. He let go of his ineffective grip on the gunman’s arm around his neck and reached for the one leveling the gun at his wife, but Tim anticipated his attempt. He leaned forward, throwing Ben off balance, pushing him to the floor. He caught the fall on his elbows instead of his face, but the man pinned him to the floor, a knee on his spine, the gun back at his temple.
    Tim leaned close and growled in his ear: “Any more and everyone dies.”
    Dallas sobbed, the sound muffled against Taylor’s side, and it made Ben realize he would do anything to save his family. What happened in the past didn’t matter, it only mattered that they have a future, all three of them together.
    “Before you decide, you deserve all the details,” Tim said, his breathing heavy. “Tell him what you did. Tell him what a whore you are.”
    “ I--”
    “ Tell him this is all your fault.”
    “ I-- I’m sorry, Ben. It meant nothing. I love you.”
    “ Shut up. That’s not what you’re supposed to say.”
    “ I love you, too, Taylor.”
    Tim pushed Ben’s head harder against the floor with the gun. “She doesn’t love you,” he screamed. “She loves me. She told me.”
    “No,” Taylor said. “Please.”
    “ You lying whore. She fucked me, Ben. She fucked me and she loved it. She screamed when she came, she called out my name.