That darkness inside me was filled, but for all the wrong reasons. I straightened and stared at the wreckage with a calm reverence. It was so simple to take a life. In the blink of an eye, my brother went from a smiling goofball to a limp noodle in a busted vehicle.
There would be no justice or mercy from anyone in town. They would call it an accident or a tragedy. But no one would see it for what it truly was.
Attempted murder.
The Parkers would walk away unscathed, but my life would be changed forever.
My lips twitched in amusement as that gaping darkness inside me widened and morphed into something else. Something more sinister.
This was only the beginning, and it was going to be one hell of a ride.
1
LIAM
If I had knownthat night what would happen to her because of me, I never would have asked her to dance.
But I didn’t know.
So, when I saw her spinning around the dance floor in those teal cowboy boots, larger than life with her head tossed back in laughter, I couldn’t stay away any longer.
And it would be the end for her.
“You should ask her to dance,” Jeff shouted over the jukebox.
I would have smacked him upside the head for yelling it for all of The Beaver and Boot to hear if I hadn’t been so mesmerized by her.
Bailey Bennett, my third-grade crush, had grown up into a beautiful woman. Mechanic by day, goddess on the dance floor by night. You’d never guess it to look at her when she was in those coveralls.
But here she was, having the time of her life in a blue dress that flowed around her knees with her blonde hair curling along the length of her back.
Hell, I was a goner.
“How long are you going to stare at her?”
I glared at my brother for only a second before my eyes returnedto the center of the bar. As much as I didn’t need him to point out the obvious, he was right. I needed to make my move.
When the song changed, I shoved off my stool, ignoring my brother’s whooping calls.
Bailey turned, walking toward the bar, when I planted myself in her path, holding out my hand to her.
“Would you like to dance?”
Blue eyes twinkled up at me, matching the bright smile on her face. “Liam Parker, are you finally working up the courage to take a spin with me?”
“Maybe.”
Taking her hand in mine, I brought it to my chest, holding it there as I wrapped my other hand around her waist and slowly guided her in a circle to the tune ofI Will Always Love You.
“A very telling song you chose. Should I read something into this?”
“It just came on the jukebox,” I admitted, though if she only knew how long I had pined for her, she would tease me relentlessly.
The sweetest sound of laughter left her lips in a huff as I spun her with me, relishing in the moment.
“So, Liam, what took you so long to ask me to dance?”
“Can’t a man have any secrets?”
