Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Roadside confessions and orgasms
LILA
Neither of us speaks for a while. What do you say after finding out that you’ve hated each other for the last five years because of a lie?
How could Kenzie do this to me? To us?
And why?
I’ve always wanted her to be happy. Shouldn’t she want the same for me? I think that’s what hurts the most.
Reed refuses to let my hand go as he drives us across town. Every few moments, he brings it to his lips for a soft kiss. The tender gesture is so at odds with his normal disposition as a grumpy grump face.
Of all the times for him to be called into work. How is that fair?
Leaning my cheek against the headrest, I can’t stop staring at him. I don’t care if it makes me a creeper. There’s a new Reed beside me, and if I look away, he might disappear.
Actually, he isn’t a new Reed. He’s more like the old Reed. The man who won my heart instead of stomping on it.
Although there’s nothing different about his appearance, there’s a marked change in his energy. And I want to soak up every bit of him in case this ends up being a figment of my imagination. It’s entirely possible I slipped and hit my head in the parking lot, and this is all a coma dream.
His jaw clicks, and he glances my way. “Lila, I’m gonna ask you something. I hope you’ll say yes, but I’ll understand if you don’t. Just please consider it before you shoot me down. Okay?”
Interesting setup. Totally nothing to worry about.
With a hint of trepidation, I ask, “What?”
“Instead of driving you home, I’d like to bring you to my place. You can wait there until I get back. For your safety.”
If he hadn’t couched his request by asking me to give it serious thought, I’d have already refused on gut instinct alone.
I squeeze his hand. “Why can’t I go home?”
“Not only do I want you to avoid confronting Kenzie without me, but there’s something else more pressing.”
“Go on.”
“Remember earlier when I told you Silas was dangerous?”
“Yes.”
He drags his teeth over his lip, seemingly choosing his words carefully.
“Reed, tell me what’s the matter. Why are you so worried about me?”
“Lila, I have a strong suspicion your life is in danger. I can’t tell you everything, but if you stay at my place while I’m gone, at least you’ll be protected. The people behind these home invasions are escalating their violence.”
My throat threatens to close. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Don’t do this again, Lila.” His nostrils flare with his crisp inhale. “Have you seen Silas or Riddick lately?”
“No. But again I ask, why do you think I’m in danger?”
“I wasn’t truthful with you. Not entirely.”
Without conscious thought, I pull my hand out of his. He lets me. “What do you mean?”
“On our last date, you asked if we had a suspect, and I dodged that question. Truth is, we’ve got our sights on Riddick, and he’s affiliated with Silas, so that puts him in our crosshairs too. While I’m unsure who is calling the shots, we’re certain those two are in deep.”
“Why haven’t you arrested them?”
Although it’s ideal for the greater good, I don’t know whether having Silas behind bars would help or hurt me. He might pin it on me, making good on his threat. But at least he’d be unable to hurt anyone else.
“Silas is missing. As for Riddick, we didn’t have enough evidence until now. We’ve had someone watching him while we've been building our case. He must have known we were tailing him. Last night, he—”
Vibrations wrack my chest as my pulse ratchets up. “He what?”
“Let me rewind a bit.” He takes a deep breath. “Throughout the day, my team has been investigating a crime that happened last night. And it was . . . it was a bad one, cookie.”
My heart might as well jump all the way into my mouth at this point. “Bad like how?”
When he drags his eyes off the road, the pain I see in them nearly knocks the wind out of me. “Bad, bad, Lila. One of the bloodiest murder scenes I’ve ever worked. The stuff of nightmares.”
Chills run through my entire body, driven by fear and guilt in equal measures.
“As soon as I left the scene this morning, I called you for this date. I needed to get to you as soon as possible. That’s why I was so insistent we do this today. And if you would’ve had to work, I’d have been at your table all damn night to protect you.”
I cover my gasp with my cupped hand. “That creepy guy who was hanging around my table killed someone?”
“Yeah, he did. And he wasn’t alone.”
I wrap my arms around myself. “But you just said he was being watched.”
“Riddick was supposed to be under twenty-four-hour surveillance. At some point last night, he shook his tail. The rookie we had watching him didn’t fess up to losing him until an hour ago.”
“He ditched surveillance so he could go murder someone? You know this for sure?”
No clue why I want confirmation, but I do. Probably because I’m desperate to remove myself from something so heinous.
“Yes. And losing his tail isn’t the only evidence. It just made everything we had in black and white possible. My partner was the one who called me a few minutes ago. A warrant has been issued for Riddick’s arrest. But we don’t know who his accomplice was yet.”
This mess is so far beyond trashing houses and cheating at card games. They’ve committed murder. Apparently, in a horrifically violent way.
That’s it.
I need to come clean and help Reed fill in the blanks. To heck with my freedom.
In fact, I should’ve done it already. My selfishness cost a life.
Another one.
Once I find my voice, I sputter out a fraction of the questions sprinting through my mind.
“Why do you think he might come after me? Because he was watching me that night, or is there something else? And why did you ask about Silas? Did you find evidence on him too? Is he the accomplice? Are you going to arrest him?”
Reed pounds his fist on the steering wheel, making me flinch. “Cut the shit, Lila. Stop asking about evidence so you can run off and tell them.”
“That’s not—”
“Start being truthful with me,” he interjects, using a steady tone that deliberately camouflages his anger. “I know you set up a meeting with him for tomorrow because you had info to share. I saw the texts. Don’t bother lying. It belittles us both.”
He’s been spying on me? My phone? What else?
“I’m trying to help you. People are fucking dying, and you could be next. It’s time for you to spill it. We’ve come too far to go back to you stonewalling me.”
His furious words slice through my chest with a jagged blade, sawing at the branches of hope I felt just moments ago until they’re sawdust at my feet.
He played me.
It wasn’t real.
He lied. Again.
It was just more of this disgusting game we’ve been playing. But he went too far this time. Unearthing my pain from years ago and tossing it in the fire so he can burn me again. How could he be so manipulative? And cruel?
He blamed my best friend, but he was the bad guy all along.
And if he didn’t get called in to work, would he have gone even further? Getting inside my body just to close a case? Was our pillow talk about to be like this? Him grilling me for answers?
No wonder he didn’t want me to go home to face Kenzie without him.
My frame crumples, and I scoot to the far edge of my seat to get away from him. “You’re a monster.”
“A monster?” He scoffs. “Sorry for raising my voice. I didn’t mean to frighten you. But I can’t protect you unless you’re honest with me.”
“Oh, we’re being honest now? You first.”
He levels a befuddled look at me. “What are you talking about?”
“I wasn’t calling you a monster because you yelled.
It’s because of how you manipulated me back there with the whole song and dance about what Kenzie told you.
What a load of bull.” My rolling eyes sting with incoming tears.
“I foolishly believed you. And not five minutes later, you’re demanding answers from me like this.
When you couldn’t convince me with your whole Prince Charming act, you came up with a new approach. But you crossed the line.”
My voice quavers, breaking like my heart. “How could you, Reed? I cared about you.”
I bite my tongue before adding three more words—I still do.
He swerves the car to the right, abruptly pulling onto the shoulder. After we come to a bumpy stop in the grass, he shifts into park and takes a moment to calm himself.
I can practically see him counting in his head while he focuses on his breathing. Following his lead, I do the same.
Well, I attempt to. I’m far too hurt to be calm right now.
With impressive steadiness that I’d never achieve even if I had all day to chill out, he finally faces me. “You think I lied about that just so you’d give me information about a case?”
Before answering, I study his defeated expression. The unusual hunch of his shoulders. The pinches of skin at his temples, and the wave of pain hidden in the depths of his fathomless eyes.
If he’s acting, he deserves an Oscar.
Countering his argument, I put it back on him. “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all along? Using me for your case?”
“As if you haven’t been doing the same,” he snarks morosely.
Two points for the reversal.
Despite knowing this whole time that he saw through my pathetic attempt at espionage, it stings to hear him say it.
I’m just as bad as him.
He roughly scrubs his hand over his face.
“Fine. I can admit it. The first time I showed up for a date, that was the plan. Our team knew about this crime ring’s connection to your casino.
I thought I could get you to talk to me.
Whether you were involved or not, you likely had information of some sort.
So, sure. You got me. It started that way, but it changed quickly for me.
Yes, I still need to know what you’re hiding, but that isn’t the main reason I’m here. ”
Wait. His timing is off.