Текст книги "Addiction"

Автор книги: Shantel Tessier

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 26 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

CHAPTER FORTY

 

CASE

“Dude, wake up!”

“Stop.” I growl, gripping the soft thing lying in front of me and pulling it closer to me.

“Case!” I hear Brecken say and then I feel his fist in my side.

I turn on my side and open my eyes. “What the fuck …?”

“Get out of bed. We gotta go.”

I roll back over to hug on Taylor but realize I had been hugging a pillow. “Taylor?” I ask sitting up. I look around the room and frown when I don’t see her. “Taylor?” I demand. It’s still dark outside. Where the hell is she?

“She’s gone,” Brecken announces.

“What?” I shoot up off the bed. “Where is she?” I demand.

He holds up his phone in front of my face, and I yank it out of his hand.

Case: Grab Case and get up to Seven Deadly Sins. Now!

I run a hand across my face. “I didn’t send this to you,” I say confused. It shows it’s from me. And it also shows it was sent fifteen minutes ago.

“I know.” He yanks it back from me. “That’s because Taylor sent it from your phone.”

“No. There’s no way …” I walk over to my jeans on the floor, and I pick them up. I reach into my back pocket and frown. I try the other pocket. Nothing! “What the fuck?” I reach into my front pocket for her car keys and they’re gone. “I don’t understand …”

“I don’t either, but your girl is telling us to get our asses up to Seven Deadly Sins. So you wanna continue to sit here trying to figure it out? Or do you wanna go and ask her?” Brecken demands.

I immediately start to put my jeans on, followed by my shirt. We’re out the door within seconds.

“Give me your phone,” I order as he pulls out of his driveway.

I go to my number and hit send. She answers on the first ring. “Brecken …”

“Taylor!” I snap. “What the fuck are you doing up at the club?” I all but yell. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Case,” she says softly. “Please listen to me.”

“What could you possibly have to say that would make you leave Brecken’s house in the middle of the night?” I growl. “With my cell phone?”

“Please, Case? I know you think I’m crazy and I might be, but I know who is behind this.”

I drop my head and run my hand through my hair. There’s no way she could know who is behind this. The guys and I were up until two hours ago going over every possibility. We had been trying to decide who knew where I lived, but the thing was it could have been someone who didn’t know until that night. Miller reminded us that they had figured out who Blane was, so maybe someone figured out I was undercover and it just took them over a week to figure out where I lived.

“I know you’re trying to help, babe, but …”

“I’ve never lied to you.” She interrupts me, and I sigh heavily. “And I’m not lying to you now. I can prove it. I just need you to trust me. Please, Case. I’m begging you to trust me,” Her voice is soft yet urgent all at once.

I look over at Brecken, and he looks at me as we sit at a stoplight. “It’s your call,” he says. “But what do we have to lose?”

Taylor! I have Taylor to lose. I don’t know what the hell she’s up to, but I can tell it’s gonna be dangerous for her. But that’s why I’m heading for her. To save her. To find out what she’s doing and what the hell made her want to do it. “We’re on our way,” I tell her, and I hear her sigh in relief.

“Okay, make sure to park in the West parking lot and come in the back door. I’ll see you in a minute.” And then she hangs up.

“Does she know what she’s doing?” Brecken asks as he stomps on the gas.

“She’s gonna get herself in deep shit, is what she’s doing,” I announce tossing his phone over to him.

“Well, you always have been the type of guy who likes the damsels in distress,” he says with a chuckle, and I grind my teeth in frustration.

Within fifteen minutes, we’re pulling into the West parking lot. “Taylor?” I yell out her name as we enter through the back door. Although I’m thankful to see her, I’m also very pissed at her. At how fucking secretive she could be.

We make our way down the hallway, and I find her standing in the middle of the club. “You better start explaining yourself,” I demand as I take a look around. She’s the only one here. “Right fucking now!”

The smile drops off her face, and she swallows nervously. “This was the only way …”

“Only way to what, Taylor?” I shout interrupting her.

She lets out a sigh as she runs her hand through her hair. “You’ll see,” she says and then she lifts her shirt and reaches behind her. “Here. You’re gonna need this.” When she brings her arm around to the front, my eyes widen.

I reach out and yank my gun out of her hand. “How did you get this?” I check to see if the safety is on and, of course, it’s not. “You could have shot yourself,” I hiss. “Do you even know how to use a gun?”

She ignores that question. “Your office. I remember you telling my brother about it right after those guys shot up the club. I didn’t think you’d mind, but I tore up what was left of your desk in order to get your drawer open that was locked.”

Brecken lets out a laugh as he mumbles, “Maybe damsel in distress was the wrong thing to call her.”

I take a step closer to her. “Why do I need a gun, Taylor? And why the hell are we here?” And I already have a gun on me. Brecken and I don’t go anywhere without them.

She walks past me and grabs a hold of Brecken’s arm. His eyebrows lift in surprise. “Brecken and I have to hide,” she informs us as she tugs on his arm. He rolls his eyes but allows her to pull him backward toward the hallway we just came from. “Oh, and hide that gun. That’s just in case.”

“Taylor?” I shout as they disappear down the hallway. “Taylor!” I run down the hallway and find them standing in the middle of it. Taylor has a smile of satisfaction on her face, and Brecken looks amused. “What …?”

I shut my mouth as I hear the front door of the club open and close and Taylor whispers, “Trust me.”

I give her one last glare before I look at Brecken. He gives me a nod and then wraps his arms around her. The smile drops off her face. I don’t know what she has planned, but I know Brecken will keep her safe. I tuck the gun into the back of my jeans and then turn around, walking down the hallway ready for the worst.

“Case.”

My body comes to a halt as my mind tries to comprehend what I see in front of me once I hit the open floor of the club.

“God, I’m so glad you messaged me.” Two arms wrap around me and I push her away. Dark brown eyes search my face as her lips frown. “What’s wrong? Why do you look surprised to see me?”

“Rachel?” I ask in surprise.

She smiles brightly as she steps into me again. She places her hands flat on my chest and runs them up till they wrap around my neck. “I knew you’d want me back,” she says in satisfaction. “That little girl doesn’t have what I can give you.”

I stand here looking down at her in confusion and shock. Why would Taylor tell her to come here? “What did my message say?” I ask stupidly.

But Rachel just laughs it off. “How much you miss me. How much you need me.” Her voice drops to a seductive growl that would once make me hard. Now it just irritates me. “That you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

I shake my head as I reach up and grab her hands. I pry them from around my neck as I speak. “I didn’t send you that message, Rachel,” I say flatly.

She just smiles up at me. “Wanna play, Case? Okay. Let’s role play.” She runs her hands through her long bright red hair as she licks her lips and pushes her fake tits out for me to see. “Wanna play cops and robbers? Want me to walk outside and come back in as if I’m about to rob the place?” I shake my head as I sigh heavily. What is Taylor trying to prove here? “Come on, Case. You can arrest me. Place your cuffs on me and fuck me however you want.” She lets out a shaky breath as if she’s already getting warmed up just thinking about that. “Want me to scream out no while you fuck me anyway?”

“Rachel …” I growl.

“You wanna force me to my knees and make me suck your cock?” she whispers as her eyes light up with excitement. “You always like it when I try to fight you. It turns you on even more knowing that you have that power.”

I swallow down the bile that starts to rise in my throat. I hate how true her statements are. How twisted I could be in bed with her. I have never once wanted that kind of power over Taylor. I mean, yeah, I can be rough and need control, but I never made Taylor feel like a victim. Rachel always liked it when I did that to her.

“No, Rachel! I didn’t text you to come here to fuck you.” I didn’t text you at all.

“Well, then why did you text me?” she huffs as she places her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t.” I grind out.

She huffs, getting pissed. “Quit lying Case. I got your message …”

“Hi, Rachel.”

Rachel’s dark eyes look beside me, and I see that Taylor and Brecken now stand there. Taylor looks pissed, and Brecken looks as shocked as I felt two minutes ago.

“What’s going on?” Rachel asks. “Why are they here?” She looks at me in question. I just stare at her as I shake my head. Taylor is wrong. Rachel cannot be the one who set my house on fire. Or tried to shoot us here at the club. Rachel doesn’t have those kinds of resources.

“You’re here because I text you from Case’s phone,” Taylor announces. She slides me a side glare. Her eyes run up and down me with a look of hatred. Of course, she hates me. She just heard that I’m a fucking pervert.

“I don’t understand. You said you were sorry and wanted to see me. What is she talking about, Case?” Rachel demands.

Taylor takes a step toward her, now glaring at her. “I asked you here because I need to prove to the guys that you are the one who tried to kill them.”

“I don’t know …”

“Save it!” Taylor interrupts her. “See, it only took three clues to lead me to you,” Taylor announces. I expect Rachel to deny it again, but instead, her eyes narrow on her. She continues. “The first clue was what you said at the hospital. You said that you had heard from a friend that Brecken had been shot. That was a lie. I didn’t figure that out till a few hours ago. I didn’t know you had been fired by Case until after we left there. There were only five of us here when Brecken was shot. And every man who fired on us was killed. There was never any news story about what happened that night and Case had told all the employees that he was remodeling.” Rachel opens her mouth to speak, but Taylor keeps going. “Second clue.” She holds up two fingers. “You also mentioned at the hospital that Case had looked like he had a rough night the night before. You would only know that if you had set the fire.”

“You’re crazy,” Rachel hisses.

Taylor just continues. “The guys keep trying to figure out how someone knew where Case lived. And you did.” She did but … “I had seen a picture of you on his mantel. It was the three of you guys and a sold sign in the front yard.” Taylor laughs at herself. “Only you would be stupid enough to pull such things and continue to keep coming around.”

“It wasn’t me. Why would I kill them? I love them,” she spits out.

“That’s the only thing I can’t figure out,” Taylor muses. “Why would you kill them?” she asks herself out loud and then shrugs. “I’m not sure. Maybe if they die, they leave you the club. Or maybe you are just one twisted, fucked-up bitch who wants them dead. All I know is that you did it.”

“Rachel …” I take a step toward her. She does fit all of those clues Taylor just said. “Tell me the truth. Did you do this?”

She shakes her head frantically as tears well up in her eyes. “You know I would never hurt you guys.”

“I thought it was odd the way you looked at Blane the moment you found out his name. And just the other day at the hospital, Case said that the guy had got a phone call earlier that evening to attack me.” Taylor goes on as she takes another step toward her, and her voice drops to a growl. “After you met Blane, I found you in the locker room. The moment I walked in, you hung up. It was you. It was all you! You ordered to have them attack me and then when Case and I came back after being gone for those three days, you didn’t like what you saw. So instead of going after me, you went after the guys. Then when Blane went to meet up with those drug dealers, you told them just enough for them to want to harm him.”

The club falls to silence as we all stand motionless. I still have my doubts that Rachel did it. We’ve known her for four years, and yeah, she’s crazy but to kill someone? If she were to kill us, then who would clean up her messes?

“Why?” Brecken is the one who speaks first. He obviously doesn’t feel the same as I do. “Why would you try to kill us? After all we’ve done for you?”

“I didn’t …” Tears run down her face.

“Stop fucking lying,” Taylor yells. “We know you did it. Just confess and quit playing this stupid game.”

She lets out a long breath as she stares at Taylor with hatred. The tears that run down her face all of a sudden just stop. She reaches up and wipes them away. I watch as the cruelest smile spreads across her face. She looks over at Brecken and her fuck you look appears. “After all you’ve done for me?” She throws her head back letting out a laugh, and I reach out, grabbing Taylor’s shoulder and yank her behind me. Once I know my body is shielding hers, I reach behind me and grab my gun. I’ve underestimated this crazy bitch way too much.

“You really think you saved me, don’t you?” She laughs again. “Did you ever stop and think about why you found me beat that night? It was legit, don’t get me wrong, but it was my idea.”

“What are you talking about?” Brecken demands.

Her eyes look at me, and she slowly looks me up and down. “It’s no secret that I like a man’s hands on me.” She smirks. “And you can’t lie, Case. The way you would wrap your hand around my neck as you would shove your cock …”

“Stop!” I growl.

“What?” She licks her lips. “Don’t want your new whore to know how you fucked me?” She arches a black eyebrow. “As if you don’t fuck her the same way? We all know you have needs, Case.”

Taylor starts to run toward her from behind me, and my left arms shoots out to stop her. “You bitch …” Taylor snaps.

“Oh, honey.” She makes a tsking noise with her tongue and teeth. “You should welcome competition. Men like a woman willing to fight for her man. Tell me, what would you do in order to keep him?”

“I’d kill you …” Taylor spits out.

Rachel laughs at that. “You couldn’t touch me …”

“Enough!” Brecken barks. “Rachel, start explaining yourself now, or I will make you.”

She looks over at him and sighs as if this is putting her out. “It was a setup. The first time you two met me. We had heard you two were going to be at the party. You two were the newest dealers on the block. They wanted an inside man. Someone who could tell them every little secret you guys had. But I knew a woman had to do it.” She pulls her shoulders back with pride. “I offered myself up as bait. So two men beat the fuck out of me and then I worked my charm. It was a bonus that you were hot.” She smiles up at me. “All men like a damsel in distress. And of course, take a man who has lost his sister …”

Brecken takes the five steps that separate them and backhands her across the face. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him lay his hands on her. Taylor gasps beside me as Rachel goes flying off her feet and lands on her side. “You fucking bitch,” he growls. His entire body shakes, and his muscles are tight. “Don’t you dare fucking mention Nicole again,” he screams down at her.

I turn to face Taylor. “Go out the back.” I need her out of here. Shit is getting out of hand, and I don’t want her involved.

“I’m not leaving you,” she says in defiance.

I huff. “Do you still have my phone?” She nods. “Go to the back and call Jones. Tell him to get his ass up here.” I shove her backward, and her eyes widen as she stumbles but doesn’t fall. She takes one last look over at Rachel and then takes off.

Rachel looks up at Brecken from the ground and blood drips from her lip. “Doesn’t that feel good?” she asks smiling. “Doesn’t that make you feel like a man?”

He leans down and yanks her to stand by her hair. She cries out as she lifts her hands to his hand that has a grip on her bright red hair. Her chest rises and falls quickly as she breathes heavily. “Why did you do it?” he demands in her face.

“Why not?” she says through gritted teeth. “I was their edge. I knew every move you guys made. Every person you were after. I made a shitload of money to keep Cricket safe.” He lets go of her hair, and she falls to the floor once again. “I did what I had to do in order to stay alive,” she grinds out. “I was his fucking bitch who needed my hands on his endless supply.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us?” I growl. “Why didn’t you come to us with the truth? We could have helped you,” I snap.

She gives a little chuckle. “You couldn’t have saved me from him. He would have killed me.”

“You think I won’t kill you?” Brecken reaches behind his back and pulls his gun out. He points it down at her, and she doesn’t even blink.

“Brecken. Put it away,” I say softly.

They both turn to look at me. “Why do you have your gun out?” Rachel asks looking down to mine in my right hand. “You say you want to save me. You want to help me, yet you have a gun ready in hand to shoot me.”

“I won’t shoot you because of what you’ve done. I’d rather know your ass is rotting in jail where you belong. But if you try to harm Taylor again … let’s just say, this time it will be you I kill.”

She smiles softly up at me. “I told them to make her happy. To put a smile on her face. I wanted them to show her that you weren’t the only one who could satisfy her.”

My hand tightens on the gun. I knew what their intentions were when I saw that they had cut her corset off, but until this very moment, I didn't understand just how depraved they could be.

“Come on, Case. They wouldn’t have fucked her any rougher than you have.” She laughs. “You may love her, but I know you. You don’t make love to her.”

“You know nothing!” I hiss.

She tilts her head to the side as blood continues to slowly run down her chin from where Brecken slapped her. “I know everything, Case. Everything.” She says it very slow, drawing out the word.

“For fuck’s sake, just shut up!” Brecken orders. “I’ve had enough of your shit, Rachel.”

She narrows her eyes up at him. “Maybe I’ve had enough of your shit!” she fires back. “Do you have any idea how exhausting it was to keep you two happy? All the coke I had to snort in order to let you place your hands on me.”

Brecken leans over and grabs her arm; he hauls her to her feet and then shoves her back against the bar. He presses his body into hers as he wraps his free hand around her neck. Her eyes close and her body thrashes as she tries to get away, but it’s not possible. He has a hold of her as he takes her air away. “You gonna tell me this doesn’t make you fucking wet? You gonna tell me that you faked it the last four years? I find that hard to believe.” He lets go of her, and she bends at the waist sucking in a ragged breath.

“You are one very vindictive bitch,” I say. “I mean that with the utmost respect.” I gotta give it to her.

She sucks a deep breath as she looks up at me. “I learned from the best, Case.” She swallows. “You and Brecken …” She shakes her head. “The way you use this fucking town with your lies and deceit.” She reaches up and rubs her neck as she straightens her back. “Did you ever think Taylor could end up with the same fate as Nicole?”

I feel my blood run cold as my entire body stiffens. “They prefer a little younger than Taylor, but she would still bring in money.” My teeth hurt from grinding them together. “It’s easy really. The selling of women.” She smiles.

“You have no clue what you’re talking about,” Brecken growls

She looks over at him. “You think Cricket only moves drugs?” she asks.

Brecken starts to shake his head. “I don’t believe a word you say.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, and she gives us both a smile. One that I used to think made her look halfway normal, but now that I know her real colors, it makes her look psychotic. “That’s your choice.” She looks at me. “But is that a chance you’re willing to take?”

“Cricket,” I snap, changing the subject. “He knows we’re undercover cops?” He has to. She had to have told him what we really do. “Why hasn’t he come for us?”

She takes a long, deep breath. “He doesn’t know.”

“Quit lying,” Brecken yells.

“I’m not. I swear I never told them who you really are.”

“Why not?” I demand. “Why not tell them the truth?” I can’t help but believe her. If Cricket knew who we really were, they would have killed us years ago.

“Do you have any idea what they would do to me if they knew I was sleeping with not just one but two undercover cops?” She laughs. “They would have killed me.” She looks over at me. “I allowed you to fuck me for six months before I even knew you were an undercover cop. If I had gone to them and told them that …” She shakes her head at herself. “It would have made myself look like an idiot.” She hangs her head. “Plus by that time I had fallen in love with both of you. I wouldn’t allow Cricket to kill you guys.”

“Then why are you trying to kill us now?” I demand.

Her head snaps up to look at me. Her dark brown eyes narrow on me and her lips thin. “Because of that bitch.” She growls. “She came in and ruined everything. You felt you could just throw me to the side in order to save her. I was no longer important,” she yells. “I had kept your fucking secret for four years just for you to throw me away.” Her body shakes as she fists her hands down by her side. “It was time I put you both in your place.”

“Jones is on his way.”

We all turn to look over at Taylor as she joins us once again. “You need to leave,” I snap.

She looks up at me. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Oh, but you are.” I look back over at Rachel, and she’s straightening her back as she pulls a gun out of her right boot. She used the distraction of Taylor walking into the room to reach down and pull her weapon. Even though the bitch came here thinking I was gonna make up with her, she had still planned to kill me. “I hate to break up the party, but I need to go,” she announces as she lifts the gun and points it straight at me. “And I can’t leave any of you alive.”

I lift my right arm that holds my gun and go to fire off a shot, but I’m too slow. She was already ready. I pull my trigger just as I turn my body and leap toward Taylor to get her out of the way of Rachel’s bullet. I collide with her and we hit the floor with a hard thud as the sound of the guns being fired ricochet off the club walls.

I look up toward Rachel and raise my gun to her again as another loud bang goes off. Before I can even pull my trigger back, I see her fall to her knees as blood runs from her chest. Her and Brecken stand facing one another, both guns were raised, but hers falls to the floor with her. He stands breathing heavy and a look of hatred on his face as he watches her die before us. She had gone to shoot him next, but he was faster. He shot her.

He stands over her with his gun still trained on her, and I look down at Taylor, knowing Rachel is no longer a problem.

“Sorry, babe. You okay?” I ask breathing heavy and heart pounding. I push her hair away from her face and see her eyes are closed. Another loud bang goes off, but it barely registers in my mind. Did I knock Taylor out? We hit the concrete floor pretty hard.

“Taylor?” I place my hand on her stomach to shake her. My heart stops when I feel wetness. I look down to where my hand and see it’s covered in blood. “Taylor?” I demand again as I reach up and check for a pulse. “TAYLOR!” I scream out her name when I don’t feel one.

Brecken is sliding on the floor as he drops to his knees next to us. “She has no pulse.” My voice shakes as much as my hand does when I reach up to feel her neck again. Maybe I was wrong; I feel nothing.

He places his ear down to her parted lips and his dark eyes look up at me. The look he gives me would take my breath away if I wasn’t already breathless. “Case,” he says sitting up. I watch him lean over her and rip off her tank top. “Case!” he shouts now removing his own shirt.

My heart pounds in my chest, and my limbs feel heavy. I can’t move, let alone breathe at the moment. She’s dead. The woman I fell in love with is lying dead in front of me, and I can’t move to help her. Tears sting my eyes and a knot forms in my throat. My chest tightens to the point it feels like it’s suffocating me.

“Case!” I hear Brecken yell and then the side of my face stings. I blink a few times and shake my head. “We’re gonna save her, but I need you to help me,” he growls. “Are you gonna help me or not?”

I look down at her and I can see the bullet wound now that he removed her shirt. It’s on the left side of her abdomen and the pool of blood we’re sitting in is getting bigger by the second. My face stings once again and my head snaps up to look at Brecken. “Pull it together, Tyler!” he demands using my first name.

I suck in a deep breath and my lungs burn. I blink rapidly and the tears that stung my eyes run down my face. He positions himself across from me and reaches over her as he applies his shirt to the gunshot wound and I place my hands on her chest, ready to give her compressions. My heart rips in my chest as I press down on hers. I feel a crack and then a snap as I start to perform CPR on her. My heart tells me to stop, that I’m hurting her. I’m breaking her ribs, but my mind tells me to keep going—her bones will heal. “Come on, baby,” I grind out as I push on her chest again ignoring the cracking this time. “Come on, Taylor,” I demand as the terror of not having her threatens to take hold.

Save her! I have to save her!

I push harder, needing to bring her back to me. It’s crazy how this beautiful woman came into my life. She walked into this club and changed it for the better. I refuse to lose her in this very building.

CASE

I stand in front of the gray concrete wall that holds the people who have passed away. It’s been a week since Taylor left me, called me in the middle of the night, and came up with her plan to show us who was behind trying to kill us. I wish I could go back to that moment. I would do it all so differently. I would take her seriously. I wouldn’t get mad at her or yell. I would have gotten to her faster and made her leave in order to keep her safe. But that’s not how life works.

Instead, Brecken and I stand here as we say our good-bye to Rachel. Today, Brecken and I buried Rachel. Well, we chose to place her in a mausoleum. I let him decide what he wanted to do with her. Rachel meant a lot to us at one point, but it didn’t matter in the end. Brecken had to take her life, and I feel bad that he will have to carry that burden for the rest of his. A part of him really did love her.

I look over at him as he stands there and stares at it as if she will appear. “I got a call while you were in the restroom a minute ago,” I say softly, but he doesn’t turn to face me. “The toxicology report came back.” I pause to wait for him to give me some sort of movement, letting me know he’s listening. When he doesn’t, I answer anyway. “It came back positive for methamphetamines and cocaine.”

The only sign he gives me is his hand he fists down by his side. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Still nothing! I place my hand on his shoulder, and he jumps as if I just slapped him. “I tried to tell you when I saw that cocaine in her apartment.”

I knew he’d say that. It’s my fault that I didn’t believe him. “Brecken, she passed the drug test …”

“I don’t know how,” he says through gritted teeth. “She must have had someone change out the tests. Or she paid someone else to take it. Fuck, who knows how deep her connections went,” he hisses.

“I don’t understand how she …”

“This isn’t the time to discuss this,” he interrupts me.

“We don’t have any more time,” I argue. “She’s been dead for a week, Brecken, and no one has come looking for her.” As far as we know, no one knew Rachel was at Seven Deadly Sins to see me that night Taylor had texted her from my phone. And the department is keeping her death under wraps. We are still undercover officers trying to find a man who knew every move we made. As soon as Rachel doesn’t contact him, they will be looking, wanting to know what we are up to and how we got her to go away. We went through her phone, but there was nothing suspicious about it. She must have used a different phone to keep in contact with Cricket. And of course, nothing came up in her apartment. She was good. But we already know that. She had kept us blinded for four years. “We need to decide what to do when we reopen and people start to ask about her.” The club has been completely remodeled and will be ready to open next week. I had closed it down after the night he was shot and told everyone we were remodeling. Nothing that has happened has been released publicly.

“Tell them she left,” he says simply with a careless shrug. He turns to face me, and I see nothing but blackness in his dark eyes. “Hell, put an obiturary in the paper that she was found dead from an overdose. I killed her, Case,” he says flatly. “And don’t let my feelings I had for her make you think I care more than I do. The moment I saw her lift that gun, I knew I was gonna do whatever was necessary to keep her from killing anyone. I did what needed to be done. Just like I always will, no matter what the circumstances.” With that, he turns and looks one last time at the wall in front of him. He turns his back to me and walks off with his head held high and his hands in the front pockets of his black slacks.