“Irresponsible?”
“Letting a serial killer go free.”
Chad flexed his fingers around the handle of the knife.“I’m not a detective anymore, they told me that much.Iknowthat much.The public ...they’re not my responsibility anymore.I don’t owe them anything.”
“You never did owe them.”Romeo studied Chad.He was breathing hard.He avoided looking Romeo in the eye.“What if I refuse to leave?”
Chad’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t answer.
“Will you call the police?”
“I’m giving you this one chance—"
“Or will you stab me?Will you drive that knife into my heart?”
“If you force me to.Yes.”
Romeo closed the distance between them.Chad didn’t shuffle back.He held the knife higher, and his eye twitched as he stared Romeo down.
“You can’t kill me.You love me too damn much.”Romeo leaned his face closer.“So,here’s what’s going to happen.You’re going to put that knife down, then you’re going to come with me.”
“Come with you?”
“Away from here.It’ll be just you and me again.Like in the beginning.”
“Beginning of what?”
“Of us.I’ll help you put the pieces back together.”
Chad pressed his lips in a grim smile.“They don’t fit.”
“They do.”
“I won’t go with you.”
Romeo sighed.“Then we have to do this the hard way.”
Chad opened his mouth to retort, but his teeth snapped shut when Romeo surged at him, clutching his arm.They struggled, stumbling back.Romeo’s hand slipped up Chad’s arm to his wrist, in range of the knife.Chad jerked his hand forward, and the point cut deep into Romeo’s thumb muscle.He hissed, releasing his hold, but Chad ripped the knife across Romeo’s palm before he could yank his hand clear.
“Damn it.”Romeo growled, flexing his hand.
Chad slashed the knife, narrowly avoiding Romeo’s face.Romeo went at him again, grabbing Chad’s arms with both hands and twisting hard enough to rip skin.
Chad cried out.
The knife fell from his grip.
It hit the floorboards with a clang, and Romeo kicked it towards the window.
Chad pulled away from Romeo, but instead of going for the knife like Romeo thought he would, he went for the door.
Chad ran.
“Fuck,” Romeo growled, staring at his damaged hand.It stung.The knife had pierced deep, slashing through the delicate skin of his palm.
Another complication.
But it had to wait.
