She swung the knife wildly, the flash of steel catching the light as Chuck tripped over his own feet in panic. He hit the floor with a heavy thud, scrambling upright before bolting for the door. I rushed after him, slamming it shut the second he was through and twisting the lock until it clicked.
I pressed my forehead against the door, chest heaving, before finally turning back to mum. She was still standing there, the knife hanging loosely at her side as if nothing had happened.
“What the hell was that?” I shouted, my voice cracking, too loud for comfort. Any louder and the neighbours would be calling the police, and I couldn’t let that happen.
“Honestly, Violet, you’re overreacting.” Mum wrinkled her nose, glaring at the smear of blood on my face instead of answering. “You should really go clean up.”
“What were you doing with him?”
“What I had to.” She waved her hand, dismissing the question like it was trivial. “He threatened to expose us, said it was suspicious we wanted everything off the books. That we were running. I was keeping us safe.Yousafe.”
“You shouldn’t have had to do that.” My stomach turned, nausea surging at the thought. “This is why I said we should?—”
“No!” she exploded, the same sharp, visceral reaction as the first time I’d dared suggest we change our appearance. I only mentioned a haircut. Then maybe dyeing it, going darker. But every time, she’d shut me down.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm this hurricane inside my chest. “You can’t do that again,” I said, my voice trembling despite how hard I tried to keep it level. “You shouldn’t haveto put yourself in that position. I’ll get another job; I’ll work nights, days, whatever it takes. But you don’t do that again. Okay?”
She scoffed, lifting her chin like I’d just insulted her. “You seem to be forgetting that I’m the parent here.”
“That’s not what—” I stopped myself, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “Are you okay?” The question came out broken, almost a plea.
“Absolutely fine,” she said too quickly, too sharp. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“He… he didn’t…” I couldn’t say the words. “We’re going to need to leave tomorrow.”
Mum sniffed, the faintest pout forming on her lips, as if I’d suggested something ridiculous. “This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just stayed out of it.”
I forced myself to nod, knowing there was no point in arguing. She’d already rewritten what happened in her head, turning it into something her mind could handle.
Resentment flared, quickly followed with overwhelming guilt. I hated myself for both. Mum wasn’t to blame, not really. She was a victim in all of this, shaped by things I could only guess at. I was just collateral damage caught in the fallout.
“Now go clean yourself up,” she said, her tone suddenly cold, distant. Her gaze flicked over me, pausing on where I’d wiped across my upper lip. “You’re covered in blood.”
I turned toward the bathroom, because walking away was easier than admitting how terrified I was.
For her. For me. For how fast everything was falling apart.
Chapter 48
Ryder
I don’t even know what the fuck I was doing. For the first time in my life, someone else actually came first. Maybe that’s why, despite knowing exactly where she was hiding, I hadn’t kicked down the door and demanded answers.
Bloody hell, it’s like I’d suddenly grown a conscience. At least when it came to her.
“You should let her go,”Elena had said.“She isn’t a toy for you to play with and then discard when you’re bored.”
Fuck that.
Violet wasn’t some toy.
Okay, she was. But one I wanted to keep.
And no… it wasn’t withdrawal. I didn’t get addicted. Not to anyone.
So maybe I’d officially became the creepy stalker I swore I wasn’t. But it wasn’t like I had a choice. It felt like I couldn’t breathe knowing Violet was out there, scraping by in some rundown bungalow with a landlord who looked like he belonged on a watchlist.
So I hung around, watching from the shadows, making sure she was safe.
