“Why the sad face, beautiful?”
I shake my head. “Just ex drama.”
“More?” Bishop props his chin up with his palm as he peers over the mound of sheets at me. We made love for what felt like hours last night—apparently, absence makes Bishop’s heart grow fonder. He might not have called me to whisper sweet nothings like Dean did to Jesika, but Bishop has his own way of showing me how much he misses me, and I’m finding I like it. I’ve never dated someone like him, someone so spontaneous and passionate. He makes Dean look like a wet washcloth in comparison.
Now we’re cuddling, all warm and naked, my brain is foggy from all the rough sex, and I can’t imagine a better time to implement the next stage of my plan.
“I got an email this morning that there’s been funny business on my credit report. I checked it out, and it looks like the ex is opening up lines of credit in my name. If it were a few thousand dollars, maybe no big deal, but one card has a limit of ten thousand! He could really do some damage with that kind of cash.”
“Wow.” Bishop narrows his eyes. “Me too. Damn. Maybe now it’s time to call the police.”
“I’ll report it today, but I’m sure that won’t do anything.” I conjure a few tears in the hope of pulling on Bishop’s heartstrings. “It’s just so frustrating doing the right thing, and it doesn’t help—he just does what he wants and gets away with everything.”
“Maya…” he utters what he thinks is my name. “I think it’s time I pay him a visit.”
I don’t answer because this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment he becomes emotionally invested.
“He’s ruthless, but in a smart way. Where he’s weak physically, he makes up for in the next-level mindfuck.”
“He can’t mindfuck like I can mindfuck, baby.” Bishop drags a finger along the curve of my breast. “My reputation precedes me.”
“I—” I formulate my next sentence carefully. “You wouldn’t believe what I did to try to get him back. I mean, it’s crazy, and I didn’t really think it out very well. But I wanted to fuck with him so badly I could taste it, so I did a crazy thing and booked the hotel nearest to his apartment.” Bishop’s eyebrows rise in surprise, but he doesn’t respond, so I continue, “I just couldn’t sleep at night for weeks. Actually weeks. I would either wake up worrying he would come back in the middle of the night and finish me off or just torment me. He tormented me so much when we were together. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to think I was crazy, but his apartment is right in that building.” I point to the window. “I still don’t sleep very well, but being so close to him helps me feel more in control, at least.”
“Shit.” Bishop’s eyes swing across the room to the luxurious apartment building out the window. “He’s been right there the whole time?”
I shrug. “It calms my mind knowing the bastard is so close.”I gnaw on my bottom lip, wondering if I should bring up the next thought in my head. “I…I’ve been so desperate for some peace, maybe even the chance to turn over a new leaf, but he won’t let me…not as long as he’s alive.”
Bishop only listens, piercing eyes on mine. “It’s time that changed.”
I let his words hang between us before I finally venture, “What do you mean?”
“Men like that—well, there’s a special place in hell for him.”
I nod, leaning into my victimhood. “He takes so many pills…I used to stay up at night thinking about how if I could only switch them out, maybe I could finally get some peace. I know it makes me evil but?—”
“I can get something to make your problem go away.” Bishop’s eyes sparkle with mischief.
“Like what?” I breathe.
“A lethal dose of Fentanyl is pretty easy to come by. Cheap too.”
“You could get Fentanyl? Would it be…slow?”
“It’s quick, clean. Easy to make it look like an overdose. It’s called the silent assassin for a reason—no taste, no smell, and disappears into anything you mix it with… Damn, woman. Didn’t realize you had a dark side when I picked you up at that bar.” Bishop laughs. “You’re kind of a badass.”
“No.” I giggle. “I wouldn’t be hiding out from him if that were the case.”
“That’s a helluva mindfuck, though, following him to Chicago and booking the hotel next door.”
I shrug. “It’s temporary.”
“You bet it is. Soon, you won’t have to worry about him at all.”
“At all?” I ask innocently.
“I’m gonna get your money back for you.” Bishop jumps outof bed, pulls on his boxer briefs, and then stalks to the window. His eyes hard, gaze trained on Dean’s building, he adds, “I’m gonna make that fucker pay for hurting you.”
“I think I know the key code to his apartment,” I finally say. “If that helps anything.”
