“How?” That one broken word was so agonized.
And out of the cold night air the answer struck me.
How?
Fuck.
I would kill him.
I hadn’t managed to do the whole murder thing right yet, but I would if Dad came near us. Guilt swamped me on two fronts. I hadn’t protected Tyler tonight, not really, and he still thought I’d killed someone. I felt awful that I’d been party to death twice now, and even fucking worse that I hadn’t done anything on purpose. Tyler deserved someone who would do anything it took to keep him safe and secure, and I wasn’t sure I could be that man.
If push came to shove, I hoped that I could be everything he needed. The lies weighed heavily on my heart.
“Tyler, you’re mine.” I gave him a squeeze.
He stared up at me, and I brushed tears off his face.
“I promise things will get better and stay better.”
We gazed into each other’s eyes, and the gentle hope in his expression gave me the courage to know I was on the right path. Nah, he didn’t need to know I hadn’t pulled a trigger or had some devious scheme to make Aaron Newland wreck and die. My gut twisted. Right?
He let out a small sound that was halfway between a wail and a whimper. “I know what you’re prepared to do for me. I’ll be safe with you.”
Aw, jeez.I closed my eyes, not quite ready to discuss what was bouncing around in my head. “Want to go inside? We’ve got presents to wrap.”
He rested a hand on my cold cheek. “What if he comes here tonight?”
“Then, the asshole won’t leave.”
The slow smile that spread across his lips was almost better than sex.
13
TYLER
Eddie wasn’t wrong about Jules or Ari. They both had a habit of looking right through you. Their eyes seemed hollow, except when their gazes found each other. Then, the hardness in their faces softened and there was something more human about them. I liked it. They were cold but gave each other warmth.
“Welcome.” I grinned at Ari, aware of the stiffness in his posture as I guided him and Jules through the house. He eyed the Christmas decorations with trepidation, as the jolly sound of carols filled the entryway from the speaker in the living room. The confusion and disgust on his face were amusing but not surprising. If I was right and he had some psychopathic tendencies, then he probably didn’t understand why everyone else loved the holidays so much.
Sentimental celebrations were all about emotions and he had trouble with those.
Ari had a nasty bruise on his jaw, which was new, and it was warping into a strange yellowish color. I wanted to ask him how it happened, but I left that for a later conversation.
Or never.
Because who the hell knew what had gone down when it came to him?
“Thank you for inviting us,” Jules said. He was better at pretending to be the same as everyone else despite the ice in his veins. A true cop, but the perfect person for Ari. At least I didn’t feel afraid around Jules. Was he scary? Hell yes. But I trusted him. Maybe because he only hurt bad people, the same as Eddie.
“Thanks for coming. I know this isn’t your usual thing.” I chuckled, and while they didn’t laugh, they weren’t cruel, either. Ari inclined his head in acknowledgement as we swept into the kitchen, where Eddie was finishing up setting the table.
He smiled at them and came around to greet them, but his foot hit one of the legs of a chair and he went flying. It was Jules who caught him before he could smash his nose on the floor.
Eddie laughed in embarrassment. “Oops. Thanks.”
Jules’s eyebrows furrowed. “How do you survive?”
It was a good question.
