An hour later, I was quietly slipping into bed with Avi.
She was sound asleep. Her gentle snores interrupted the quiet of the room. Her peaceful face was framed by a loose strand of hair that fell over her cheek.
I was jealous of how content she looked. There was no way that I could get any sleep. My thoughts were all over the place.
I was confident that no cameras had caught a glimpse of Mia coming or me leaving. The condo Mia had gotten for us was an older building on the east side near the lake. It was a place that was perfect for our little secret because it had no cameras in thelobby and the neighbor across the hall didn’t have a Ring camera, nor did we.
I pulled the sheets back gently, not wanting to disturb Aviana, and slid in beside her. She stirred slightly but settled back into a deeper sleep.
As I lay there, my mind was anything but at ease. My thoughts drifted to Mia’s lifeless body, now hidden in the trunk of my car, still in the suitcase. The image of her stiffening form filled me with a cold dread. I needed to figure out how to get rid of her for good without leaving any trace.
I tried to sleep, but that was impossible, so I just lay there for hours, figuring out the perfect way to make all of this go away. When I finally did, I slipped out of bed before the first light of dawn.
The drive to the lake was a blur. The city was still, and early morning fog made it look ghostly.
When I reached the pier, I parked.
Taking the suitcase out of the car was just as hard as it had been putting it in. The dead weight was heavier than I ever could have imagined.
The silhouette of my boat was dark against the pale morning sky.
I loaded the suitcase onboard and drove out onto the lake. Once I found a spot far out, I secured an anchor to the suitcase. With a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching, I heaved the suitcase overboard. I watched as it sank, feeling my stomach churn as I realized I could never go back from here.
Returning to shore, I pulled Mia’s phone from my pocket. I began typing threatening messages to Aviana, pretending to be Mia. I figured this was an additional way to cover my bullshit so that none of this ever came back to me.
Days passed in a haze of deceit. I made Aviana’s life hell, all while pretending to be Mia. I thought that as long as everyonethought that Mia was still alive, it would be harder to prove that I had killed her if her body was ever found.
The threating text messages were just the beginning. I had convinced one of my other side pieces, Marlene, to go by Avi’s parents’ house in Mia’s car and blow up Avi’s car, then I had convinced her to go into my and Aviana’s home and set it on fire. She was built a lot like Mia, so I knew that Aviana would automatically assume it was her when she saw her on camera.
I was surprised at how far I was willing to go, but I couldn’t stop. I was driven by this warped need to stay in control and to keep my secrets buried so that I never lost Aviana.
I had one more loose end to tie up. The sun was starting to come up as I parked a block away from Marlene’s crib. She danced late at a strip club, so I knew she’d just gotten home a few hours ago. By now, she’d be passed out.
Marlene was always about her bread. That’s all she cared about. So, when I offered her some money to torch Avi’s whip and burn down our house, she was game. But, in case she ever grew a conscious or if Mia’s body was ever found, I didn’t trust her to remain loyal to a nigga who would only have sex with her after the club and wouldn’t even take her on a real date.
I pulled my hoodie low over my head and slipped around the back of her place. The back window was always cracked open because the latch was broken. She had fussed a few times about her landlord not getting it fixed. I eased it up slow and climbed in carefully.
I crept down the hallway with my gun gripped tight in my hand. I stepped carefully past piles of laundry and heels tossedaround the floor. Her bedroom door was open just enough for me to slip inside without touching it. She was sprawled out, face-down, barely covered by her sheets. I raised the gun, aimed, and squeezed the trigger. The blast was louder than I expected, but she didn’t even have a chance to flinch.
I stepped toward Marlene’s body. Standing over her, I leaned closer to make sure she wasn’t breathing. Blood seeped steadily from the hole in her head. Bits of brain matter were splattered across the pillow. Her chest shuddered a few more times, but each breath was weaker than the last, until she finally went still. I watched closely, making sure she was gone before I stepped back, satisfied.
Being a stripper, she had plenty of thirsty dudes running in and out of her place all the time. I knew once the cops found her body, the suspect list would be endless. She would be just another dancer caught up in some bullshit. The police would brush off her murder and soon forget about her case.
Before I dipped out, I went straight to the spot I knew she stashed her cash. I opened her top drawer and grabbed the thick stack of bills inside to make it look like some desperate dude from the club came through, shot her, and robbed her.
I slipped out of her place just as quietly as I’d come in. Pulling my hoodie lower, I walked quickly toward my car.
PRESENT DAY
CHAPTER 10
AVIANA SCOTT
AFTER MYTHIC LEFTthe suite, I lay in bed sobbing until I realized that I had to pull myself from the bed and shower before Damar got back.
I hoped the hot water would wash away more than just Mythic’s scent and sweat. As the steam encircled me, I tried to cry out my guilt and the desperate need for him. My fingers scrunched into fists, clutching the shower tiles, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
Mythic had exceeded every fantasy I’d ever imagined. Having him inside me again was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Years of maturity had only refined his touch. Each stroke was more precise and electrifying. He explored parts of me that Damar had never even come close to understanding. I had always known that passion was missing between me and Damar, but last night had confirmed it. Damar paled in comparison; he couldn’t hold a candle to the intensity and depth of what Mythic offered.
