I shake my head at her. Maria has always been like a second mother to me. Which then has me thinking about Laura. I never suspected that mymother was capable of doing that to me. Of taking something away from me.
I was never going to let her do it a second time. I didn’t want to kill her, but when it was a choice between her and Evie, I chose the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I chose the woman I need more than I need my next breath.
Leaving the tray of food, I stand and pick up my car keys. “Going somewhere?” Paz asks from where he’s now standing by the door.
“Out. I’ll be back in a few hours,” I tell him.
“Need me to come?”
I shake my head and make my way to the garage.
I haven’t been back here since I first saw Evie. I’ve been avoiding her. Laura. I felt like I’d replaced her and I didn’t want her to know. But I haven’t replaced her. Evie isn’t Laura.
“I wish I had known what was going on back then. I wish I could have saved you,” I tell Laura.
I don’t wish for her to be alive now, though. I don’t want the life we could have had. Because the life I want now isn’t with her. It’s with someone else.
“I met someone. You would hate her.” I chuckle. “But I…” I stop myself short. I don’t want the ghost ofmy ex-girlfriend to hear those words before the woman who earned them does. Evie needs to hear them first. “I’m sorry, Laura,” I say as I stand and leave, messaging Evie as I walk back towards my car.
Me:
I miss you.
Three simple words but they couldn’t be more true. I fucking miss her. I need her to hurry the fuck up and come back to me. I don’t know how much longer I can allow her to believe that I’ve left her alone.
Evie:
You can see me anytime you want. Just turn on your creeper cameras. The ones you STILL haven’t removed from my house.
I laugh to myself. I have no intention of removing those cameras.
As I jump in the car, another message comes through from Lailani.
Killer Woman:
Someone took a shot at Carlo in front of the Royal. He had Jazzy with him. Both are unharmed.
A red haze fills my vision. Someone took a shot at one of my friends and his six-year-old daughter? My fucking niece? Today is not the fucking day to be that someone.
I immediately dial Louie.
“E, now’s not a good time,” he answers it on speaker.
“It usually isn’t when you’re being attacked. What do you know about the shooter?”
“We’re handling it,” Louie says.
“That’s not what I asked. Someone took a shot at my niece. I want to know who it was,” I growl.
“We’re tracing the plates now. We will find the fucker,” Carlo chimes in.
“Not if I find him first,” I say before cutting the call. And I will find them first.
As soon as I get back to the house, I head down to the basement. I need to finish the doctor off and then move on to finding my next fucking victim of the day.
The old man looks defeated. He’s accepted his fate, his gaze locked on his son’s lifeless body.
“I hope it fucking hurt like hell. Because that’s exactly where you’re going, motherfucker.” I wanted to draw out his suffering. Right now, I just want to send him to hell.
