Chapter Twenty-Eight
“You’re up early.”
I nearly shit my pants at hearing the sound of Uncle Atticus’s voice as he exits the cabin. After depositing a very sleepy Destiny in her room, I walked over to the firepit, mind still replaying what we did last night.
We fucked. Multiple times. I had sex with my sister.
“Just wondering if Wild is okay,” I blurt out, needing to say anything other than the truth. “We had a little argument last night. I hate going to bed angry.”
Uncle Atticus chuckles. “When do you two not argue? He’s fine. Last night I told him to bring Talia by this morning and Eve could cook up something to eat. We’ll see if he actually does that.”
I feel bad for Talia. Wild likes her for a good time, but I know my friend. He doesn’t want her long term.
“I like Talia. I hope he does,” I say, shoving my cold hands deep into my coat pockets. “What are you doing up before the sun rises?”
I’m going to have to work on getting Destiny back to her room well before these people wake up around here. I don’t like nearly getting caught.
What happens if we were to get caught?
I’d seen the look of disgust on Aunt Eve’s face the other day. She would no doubt kick me out and make me go back home. Then I’d be dealing with a whole other kind of hell with Dad.
“Will wants to meet up with me,” he says, frowning when he comes to stand beside me. “Said it was urgent and too private to discuss over the phone. We’re going to meet at a coffee place that opens soon. Want to go with?”
I’d rather fuck my sister, but she needs her rest.
“Will we be back in time to take Destiny to the clinic?”
He smacks me hard on the back, nearly sending me stumbling forward. These Knox men are strong as fuck.
“Yeah, kid, we’ll be back within an hour or two. Come on. You look tired as hell and like you could use some caffeine.”
Staying up all night, doing dirty stuff with your sister, will do that to you.
It’s strange sitting across from Will. He’s so different than Evan. Serious and usually scowling. But he’s never hurt me, so I like him a lot more than his son.
“Is the coffee okay?” Uncle Atticus probes, gesturing to the untouched cup in front of his brother. “You should drink it before it gets cold.”
Will grinds his teeth together, eyes darting back and forth as if he’s thinking hard about something. Finally, he lets out a heavy sigh and leans forward to whisper something.
“The Brawny Slasher claimed another life last night.”
We stiffen at his words. This killer is relentless.
“I’m trying my damnedest not to involve the Feds, but this is the work of a serial killer. We don’t have the resources for this shit at our department.”
“So call in the Feds,” Uncle Atticus mutters. “Not sure why that’s an issue. You want to catch the guy, right?”
Will says nothing.
This has me and Uncle Atticus sharing a confused look.
“It’s complicated,” Will says, scratching at his neat beard. “Really fucking complicated, in fact.”
“I guess I don’t understand,” I blurt, shaking my head. “Are you going to tell us?”
Will turns his eyes to me and studies me for so long I squirm under his stare. There’s a flash of guilt in his eyes.
“It was another man,” Will says, keeping his voice low so the few others in the shop don’t hear. “Around your age. Your build. Same hair color. Same fucking gash to the throat.”
Uncle Atticus frowns at me. “You think Rowdy needs to be worried? I mean, I’ve seen this guy handle some rough shit. Not sure if he’s the type to be overtaken by some killer.”
Will swallows hard and then stares down at his coffee. There’s something he’s not telling us and it’s weighing on him heavily. My gut twists, souring the coffee in my stomach.
“You’re freaking me the fuck out if I’m being honest,” Uncle Atticus says. “Next you’re going to tell me—”
“The victims all knew Evan.”
My ears start ringing as I comprehend his words. “What?”
“It’s not public knowledge,” Will hisses. “Yet. I just…I needed to wrap my head around it first.”
“No fucking way,” Uncle Atticus grunts out. “Evan wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
That’s a lie.
I know for a fact he’s not past raping someone and injecting them with drugs.
“Was the new body found also sodomized?” I ask, voice hoarse.
Will nods. “Everything was the same.”
Bile creeps up my throat as I remember last night at the party when Alex bitched me out for talking to Evan. He’d said Evan was going to meet up with a friend. What if…no.
“How do you know Evan knew them?” I shift in my seat, needing more information. “You said you knew.”
Will leans closer, voice dipping even lower.
“Since the men were sodomized and killed in remote locations, I thought maybe the killer was using a dating app to hook up.” He blows out a sharp breath of air that nearly topples over my empty coffee paper cup.
“So I’ve been culling through the victims’ phones, searching for any similarities that might connect us to the killer.
The first victims had so many people they were talking to, it was impossible to narrow down.
However, the guy from last night must not have been seriously using the dating app because he only had a handful of people on his.
I was able to cross reference the other victims’ connections on the app, and only one person showed up on all of them. ”
I rub at the center of my chest, needing air that doesn’t want to filter into my lungs. Evan is a lot of things, all of them bad, but I can’t comprehend him being a killer. I just can’t.
“But Evan’s doing so good now,” Uncle Atticus interjects, defending his nephew. “He’s sober. This kind of behavior doesn’t match up to his newfound sobriety.”
Will shakes his head. “I don’t know what this all means, only that he’s the link to all of them.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask. “Are you going to confront him?”
“I have to do something.” Will curses and closes his eyes. “I swear to God that kid has made it his life’s mission to drive me to insanity.”
After I tell Destiny everything in the first few minutes of our drive, we ride in silence. She’s sitting next to me in the truck with her hand on my thigh where it belongs. One of my arms is wrapped snuggly around her and the other is on the steering wheel.
“Evan is a bad man,” she says softly. “But is he a killer?”
“I don’t know.”
Scout pants heavily from his side of the truck.
“He’s been trying to get me to meet up with him,” I mumble. “What if he was trying to…”
Destiny winces. “My fear of you dying is real, not some overreaction. I just didn’t think it would be so close to home.”
Is my ex really trying to kill me?
“Well, bad news for him, his dad is onto him. Not to mention, I have no desire to ever be alone with him again.”
Neither of us wants to linger on this idea of Evan being a killer, so I’m grateful when the conversation leads to last night.
“I’m so sore,” Destiny says with a laugh. “And yet I’m dying to do it again.”
“Because I was too rough with you?”
She squeezes my thigh. “No. I like it when you turn all feral on me.”
“All feral?”
“Yeah. It’s hot.”
“So why are you sore then?”
Another cute giggle. “Because your dick is enormous, Rowdy. Seriously.”
I’m not one to compare my cock to other guys’, but it does inflate my ego a bit. My dick thickens in my jeans. “If you’re too sore tonight, I guess you’ll just have to suck on it.”
The thought of Destiny’s pretty plump lips wrapped around my cock is almost too distracting while driving. I run off the road for a hot second before jerking the wheel back.
“What if I’m not good at it?” she asks, cocking her head to the side. “What if I suck?”
“It’s kind of the point, love.”
She beams at me, distracting me again. I want to kiss her so fucking bad, which isn’t good to do while driving. After a quick kiss, I focus on the road. Her hand roams up my thigh and settles on my excited cock.
“You’re a cruel woman, Dez.”
“I thought you liked when I touched you here.”
“Not while I’m driving. We’re all going to die if you keep it up.”
She laughs but pulls her hand away. Then she starts voicing her text to Claudia. “I’ll be there soon. Sit with me during group circle? I want to hear about the guy you were talking to last night.”
After she sends her text message, I say, “You really like it at the therapy clinic, huh?”
“Not all the things,” she admits. “Braille was kind of overwhelming and a bit boring, especially when I know I can just listen to audiobooks. The chores crap was torture.”
“But you’re learning a lot to help you with your disability.”
She nods. “Yeah, I am. I’m feeling braver in this big, scary world. Like I can live on my own and not need to be babied by our parents or anyone else.”
“As long as I’m included, I’m happy.”
She snuggles against me. “Of course you’re included. You’re my brother husband.”
I snort out a laugh. “I don’t think there’s a name for what we’re doing.”
Sure there is. Wild already called it. Incest. Neither of us says that word.
“In the books, they call it fated mates. You’re my fated mate, Rowdy.”
I like that a whole helluva lot better.
“I’m glad you’re learning stuff,” I tell her as I stroke her hair. “You’re so much happier. It makes me happier.”
But what happens when someone finds out about us? Do we get exiled from town? Will Uncle Atticus and Aunt Eve disown us? Would we get hauled off to jail?
I don’t like the idea of anyone trying to arrest Destiny. When they held her for questioning, I nearly lost my mind. There’s no way in hell I would let them take her and lock her away in a cell. I’ve killed for her before. I would do it again.
The clinic comes into view and my chest squeezes tight. I wish I could go inside with her and hang out all day. She’d hate that, though. I want to be there for her but not smother her. It’s a fine line when you’re fucking obsessed like I am.
Rather than pulling up front, I park at the back of the lot.
As soon as I shut off the vehicle, I unbuckle her and haul her into my lap.
Her arms wrap around my neck and she smiles at me.
Her blond hair is messily piled up on top of her head and her cloudy blue eyes bore into me as if she can actually see.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmur. “I could look at you all day.”
Her hands slide to my cheeks and she touches every inch of my face. “You’re beautiful too.”
“How can you tell?”
“I just can.” She smiles. “I love you, Rowdy.”
“Love you too, sweet Dez.”
Our mouths meet for a tender kiss that quickly turns ravenous. We’d probably make out all morning in the truck if it weren’t for Scout’s annoyed sighing. Destiny breaks away, panting.
“What am I going to do all day without you?” I ask, frowning.
“We need to find you a hobby.”
“My hobby is you,” I growl.
She laughs like it’s a joke. It’s no joke.
It will literally eat me alive waiting for her today.
“Am I walking all the way by myself?” she asks, arching a brow.
Resigned to letting her go for a few hours, I fling open the truck door and climb out with her in my arms. After I set her to her feet and grab her cane, I call for Scout to come with us. Hand in hand, I walk my sister to the building.
And near the door, when no people are around, I steal a quick kiss before letting her go.