My plan had come together nicely. It was amazing what a few conversations and money could do for you. There were people who loved to think that if they were presented with an offer, they wouldn't abandon their morals and ethics for it. That was a load of shit. Everyone had a price.
This world was cruel; playing by the rules only got you so far. At an early age, I learned life wasn’t fair. I didn’t ask to be the product of an affair or to be in love with my best friend. There was only so much I could take before I snapped. The first kill quieted the noise in my head. That was the moment I decided that I was in charge of my own life. If the game was rigged, then I was going to rewrite the rules.
Killing Daniel was messy—the rage took me by surprise. I waited to feel the regret, maybe a bit of remorse, but it never came. In fact, I was happy. His death had yielded some great results. Celeste was distraught, and I was there to pick up the pieces.
Uncle Al didn’t deserve to die, really. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pulling the trigger was a lot easier than I thought.
Rico was different. He was planned. The internet was a wealth of knowledge, all you had to do was look in the right places. I had fun with him, but the results hadn’t been the same. She actually thought she loved this dude. When I tried to be there for her, she just pushed me away.
Celeste was my breaking point. The other women? That was just the actions of a heartbroken man.
I was going to enjoy killing Evelyn.
Everything was set. I had a surprise for her. My only regret was that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy her reaction. But if all went as planned, we’d be together soon.
Stripping my clothes, I walk into the standing shower at the corner of the partially finished space. I stand there under the steady stream with my palms on the tile in front of me. The water burns hot on my skin, turning it red. Tension radiated through my body, the itch beneath my skin growing.This had to work.
Oakland Ridge turned out to be a fine town. It was appealing, but it had its secrets. Secrets that were perfect for exploiting. Evelyn had no idea whose roof she was sleeping under. Jonathan Woods loved money. He had his hand in a little bit of everything. He sold his soul to upgrade from a corrupt businessman to a corrupt politician. The dirt I had on him was too good to keep to myself.
I left the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist before grabbing for my phone on the nightstand. The house sounded quiet; his text confirmed that he was gone.
Don’t fuck this up.
Putting my phone down, I dressed, pulling on the grey cargo pants and black t-shirt I set out for tonight. Next, I opened the duffel bag at my feet and began packing for the trip. There was much to do and prepare for our guests. Everything had to be perfect.
Rope, a knife, box of .9mm shorts, a change of clothing, and a pair of sunglasses.
My eyes landed on the bottle of vodka on the nightstand, and I threw that in there too. It was going to be a celebration, might as well.
The drive was going to be a long one, but it would be worth it.
Chapter 32
Parker
Evelyn and I walk hand in hand to the main house for dinner. She squeezed my hand as we crossed the threshold and entered the dining room. I didn’t attempt to hide my nervous energy from her. It was useless anyway. Evelyn rubbed my shoulder once before suggesting we take our seats.
The table was decorated differently this Sunday. Mom had chosen to take out her finest china, and the table was donned in her favorite royal blue tablecloth. My hackles immediately rose. If my father planned on announcing his plans for the prison, then all of this was wasted. I hated to think of my mother celebrating this.
Janae strolled in with her head down, busy texting on her phone. She wore a rare scowl as her fingers pounded against the screen.
“Is everything okay?” Evelyn said, laying a hand on Janae’s shoulder, breaking her focus from the text.
Her eyes cut to me, then moved to Evelyn’s. “Yeah, I’m okay. Let’s talk later.”
I moved to reach for her, but Evelyn’s eyes told me I’d better leave it alone. I didn’t have enough room on my plate for whatever that was about anyway.
Filing in a moment later, my mother, father, and Aja joined us at the table. Tonya brought the food out of the kitchen and set it on the table. Suddenly, I lost my appetite as I looked at the catered meal placed in front of us. My eyes flitted to Janae and Aja, but neither of them seemed to react. We ate in silence, nothing but the sound of forks and knives clanking against plates filtered through the room.
My father suddenly cleared his throat, setting his utensils down. All eyes were on him. “It has come to my attention that we’ve been lied to.” He produced a folder and handed it to Aja on his right. “When Parker called me and asked to utilize our security team, I thought it was because Miss Willow—or should I say—Evelyn was in danger. After doing a little digging on her, it turns out she’s a fraud. She comes from a line of con artists. It’s all in the file.”
Aja looked down at the folder in her hands, flipping through the documents while Mom and Janae stared openly at Evelyn. The color had left Evelyn’s face, and her hands started to tremble. I grabbed hold of her hands in mine.
“Dad, you’re way out of —”
He held his hand up to silence me and continued, “No one will be allowed to take advantage of this family. I’ll be pulling her security detail effectively immediately. Ms. Howard, I suggest you find other arrangements for yourself, or I’ll have you escorted off the premises.”
Evelyn looked up at me with tears in her eyes. There was no way those words had just truly come out of his mouth. I felt like I was in an alternate universe, and the villain was in the middle of his evil monologue.
