But not yet. He had one more chance before resorting to that.

That left him with the last name on the list-Peggy.

He liked that her house was in a rural area, until he realized how rural. He'd have to hide the car somewhere and hike in. The road she lived on dead-ended less than a mile past her drive, so he didn't have the excuse of just driving through to avoid suspicion.

He was parked at a shopping center on the main road, trying to decide what to do, when the back end of a car that had just passed him caught his eye.

He grinned. He knew a Florida license plate when he saw one. Just to be sure, he quickly started the car and pulled out into traffic. He only got close enough to be able to see the plate for sure, then turned off onto a side street.

He would have also sworn the woman in the passenger seat was Nevaeh.

Fuckin' jackpot!

He headed back to the house he'd been using for the past several days, another foreclosure in a rather desolate area. After grabbing his stuff, he made his way back to the shopping center to wait. There were a lot of woods in the area. He'd walk in and see if he could catch her alone, or if he'd have to wait. But if he could get her...

He grinned. He'd take care of her and haul ass west.

Being able to take out her fag boys would be a bonus.

Chapter Sixteen.

Nearly two weeks after Emily's funeral, life returned to something akin to normal in Peggy's house. The police were still no closer to catching whoever committed the atrocity, and DNA results hadn't come back yet.

Although in the back of Nevvie's mind she remained convinced Alex was involved, she tried to heed Detective Platt's words that it was highly unlikely.

Andrew somehow managed to coax a smile from Peggy. They started taking long afternoon walks every day with Adam, Mikey, and Harley. Nevvie usually didn't join them and even offered to take care of the boys for them, but they enjoyed having the kids along.

Laurie started school, and John and Kelly relented to Peggy's request for them to stay there until they found a permanent home, instead of just renting an apartment somewhere on a temporary basis. With Clay, Danny, and Elle no longer there, they had plenty of room. Danny and Elle decided they would still sell their mom's house and use the money to pay off student loans they owed.

Tom and John had both made trips back to Florida, John for dealing with the insurance paperwork, and Tom for work and arranging the logistics of their impending move. Kyle and Jacob's apartment wasn't livable, so Tom had them move in permanently. They would pay rent and utilities, as well as keep the place up, which solved one issue for Nevvie and her men. It meant they could keep the Tampa house. They would also have a place to stay if they needed one.

They closed on Ben Jones' property, but wouldn't take possession of it until several weeks after Karen's wedding. And even then, they wouldn't be living there. Tom had already started drawing up plans for the addition, including guest rooms and offices for him and Tyler on the first floor, a master suite for them on the second floor, and additional bathrooms for their growing family. They would also put in a pool and a screened lanai and remodel the kitchen.

Nevvie would miss seeing Pete and Eddie and their other friends all the time, but knowing that Alex was still out there somewhere, it meant she didn't have to live her life looking over her shoulder all the time.

It also meant she could let her kids play in the backyard without worrying if he would show up and hurt them.

That afternoon, Tyler had actually called it quits early, emerging from his RV office before Andrew and Peggy set off on their walk.

"Why don't you join us, Ty?" Peggy said. "You hardly get any exercise."

"Yeah, Daddy," Adam chimed in. "Come walk with us."

"Oh, all right. Let me put on some shorts."

Nevvie was amused when, a few minutes later, Tyler emerged in shorts and what looked to be one of Tom's T-shirts. It hung down past his hips.

"You're certainly going native."

"What?"

She pointed at his outfit. "I've rarely seen you so...disheveled."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "I believe it's called casual."

"Okay. Whatever." When she went to put her arms around his waist, he intercepted her and draped them over his shoulders before giving her a kiss.

"We shall return soon, love."

"You'd better. I'm cooking a pot roast tonight." She watched the five of them head out the door and down the driveway.

With Laurie at school and John and Kelly out shopping, it would have been a good chance for fooling around with Tommy. Except that he'd returned from Florida the evening before and his leg was hurting him. He'd taken a pain pill that morning and had to lie down for a nap before lunch. Nevvie grabbed her Kindle, her iPod and earbuds, and a beach towel. She headed down to the pond to read for a while. Mommy time would be a precious rarity in the early days once the twins were born.

Alex had watched the house for several days and knew the path through the woods to reach it by heart. At night, there were always a bunch of people around. In the afternoon, around the same time, the old woman and man took a walk with the two little brats. From the Florida license plates on some of the vehicles, he guessed they were probably Nevaeh's brats.

He watched as the man and woman he didn't know, who also drove a car with Florida plates, left a while ago.

By his best reckoning, that meant this was the best chance he'd have at the cunt for a while. She might have her fag boys there, but if he could get in and get out fast, even if he didn't get them, at least he could get her.

No stupid fucking cunt makes a fool out of me.

Nevvie tried for the better part of twenty minutes to get into her book, but couldn't. The day had turned hot. Even with a breeze and sitting in the shade of a giant oak tree, she wasn't comfortable. She felt unsettled. There was something weird going on with Tyler, and she wanted to find out what. Today wasn't the first time he'd stopped her from hugging him. She wondered if his back was bothering him and he wasn't saying anything.

Wouldn't be the first time he'd toughed out symptoms.

She gathered her things and trekked back up to the house. She would be in dire need of a shopping trip herself before long. She didn't have any of her old maternity clothes anymore, and what she had with her soon wouldn't fit.

She found Tom awake and in the kitchen, rummaging around in the fridge for something. "What are you looking for?"

"Are we out of Coke?"

"There's some in the shed." She saw he was using his cane. "Want me to go get it for you?"

He kissed her. "Naw, baby girl. I'll do it. I need to stretch my legs."

"Okay."

Tyler paid little attention to the conversation as they walked. His mind was torn between plot snags in his latest work in progress, their plans for the new house, and wondering what he was going to say to Nevvie when she eventually got around to confronting him about why he was dodging some of her hugs.

The look in her eye in the kitchen before they left told him that much.

Part of him felt silly for still continuing to carry a gun. Part of him, that same part that warned him so many years ago that Nevvie was in trouble, told him he'd better keep his eyes open. Alex was still on the loose, and law enforcement in Florida had other priorities in light of the vast destruction Edgar left behind.

He held no illusions that finding one absconded parolee wasn't their highest priority. Nor could he blame them.

He wanted to believe with all his heart that Alex was reasonable enough to simply flee the state and return to whatever bottom-dwelling origins he emerged from in Louisiana.

That was what reasonable, rational people would think.

Unfortunately, the pesky little paranoid warning alarm in his mind refused to be rational. The fact that he was a writer who'd made a name and living for himself writing about crime and the darker side of human nature led his imagination to also believe he shouldn't let his guard down yet.

They slowly made their way down the lane, toward the dirt road that led from the main road. Mikey held on to Mom's and Dad's hands the entire way. He would soon be sprinting along after his big brother. When they finally reached the road, they turned around.

"Back to the house?" Tyler asked.

"No, we usually walk down to the other end," Peggy said.

"Can we stop by and look at the new house, Daddy?" Adam asked.

He didn't really want to. He felt the sweat running down his back as it was, the holster and weight of the gun chafing the hollow of his back, but his son looked so hopeful. "If Grandma and Grandpa want to, I suppose we can."

"I don't see why not," Andrew said. "Ben loves it when we stop by with the boys."

Thanks a lot, Dad. Tyler forced a smile. "Right. Then let's get moving, shall we?"

Alex waited and watched the front of the house. He saw the two old farts and the kids leave. Even better, one of the fag boys went with them.

That meant, hopefully, only Nevaeh and the other fag were in the house.

Unfortunately, there weren't any good ways to approach the house without having to cross a lot of open space in the yard. He risked someone seeing him.

There were a few cars parked in the yard, but no good way for him to get around to the other side of the property to come in from that way.

After considering his options, he left his bag by a tree. He wouldn't leave it in the car in case someone found and towed it while he wasn't there. He worked his way through the woods running along the side of the property until he was close to the shed. He'd checked the night before and found it unlocked.

Sure enough, it still was. He ducked inside, able to watch the house through a small window while he made up his mind about what to do.

That's when he heard a door open, then swing shut again. He looked and saw the other fag slowly making his way across the yard toward the storage shed.

Fuck me, he's a crip! He couldn't believe his luck. While he stood there, staring at the asshole's cane, he nearly flubbed his chance. Moving fast, he ducked behind a pile of boxes.

"Hey, Tommy?"

He somehow managed to stifle his cry of victory. That was the bitch herself!

"Yeah, Nev?"

"Can you do me a favor and bring me some ginger ale while you're at it, please?"

"Sure thing."

Light flooded the shed's interior as the crip fag stepped through the door. Alex heard the sounds of the man's uneven steps crossing the wooden floor when the wind blew the door shut behind him. He heard a refrigerator door open for a moment, followed by the sounds of cans rattling against each other, and then the door being shut again.

Alex stood, but he was a hair too slow. The guy got the shed door open again and was about to step out it. Alex rushed up behind him, punching him in the back of the head as he hooked an arm around him and dragged him back inside.

Nevvie did a double-take. She could have sworn she saw Tommy start to come out of the shed.

Maybe he fell?

She was starting to worry about him when a few minutes passed and he didn't reappear. She went through the front door, taking the porch steps two at a time and hurrying across the yard when she heard the sounds of a scuffle.

As she broke into a sprint, the shed door swung open again.

Tom didn't know what or who the fuck hit him. He blindly swung his cane around, scoring a solid thud against the guy. He let the cans of soda fall from his arms and ducked a swing. It allowed him to bring the tip of his cane up into the man's midsection.

He lurched for the door, but the man latched onto the ankle of his bad leg, making him see stars when he wrenched him around and started dragging him back.

Tom flipped over, adrenaline surging through his veins, and swung at the man's head.

"Goddamn fag bastard!" his attacker yelled.

Tom's blood ran cold. He'd know that goddamn voice anywhere.

He kicked with his good leg, screaming in rage. "Let me go, you son of a bitch!" With sudden, painful clarity, he knew who'd killed Emily.

He managed to twist free and tried to push himself up to sprint for the door, but Alex fell on him again. All he could do was shove the shed door open. Horrified, he spotted Nevvie crossing the yard, coming toward the shed.

"Nevvie, run!"

When they reached Peggy's driveway, Tyler knew he had no desire to continue the walk with them. Besides it being so blasted hot, he wanted to get back to the house and put his mind at ease that Nevvie and Tom were all right. It didn't matter how many times he told himself he was just being silly, when he had one of these feelings, until he saw for himself that everything was fine, he wouldn't believe it.

"You know," he said, "I just had the idea I needed for my book. Would you mind terribly if I went back to work?"

Adam frowned. "You said we'd go to the new house, Daddy." He'd quickly grown fond of Ben Jones, who liked to spoil Mikey and Adam with little treats when they stopped by.

"We can still go, sugar," Peggy assured him. "I'm sure he'd like to see you. It's all right, Ty. We understand. Go on." She offered him a smile.