“Yes, baby.”
“I didn’t know how badly I needed that. For all this time, I’ve almost held him innocent in my mind. But he wasn’t. He still did what he did.”
“He’ll suffer for it.”
I stared into the eyes of the only man to ever put me first. “And he’ll never get to do that to anyone else.”
“He’ll die knowing exactly what crime he condemned himself for.” He brushed my hair. “We also brought in Sullivan’s men, Rhys Jacobs, and we already have Salter, another flesh merchant. We failed to lure in Presley, but that’s a battle for another day.”
I pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “And Denise?”
“I saw her. She stared right at me and asked me to put her husband down.”
I widened my eyes. “Boo, what?”
His lips curved at the new nickname that had popped out of nowhere. “I stared back, and she triggered an alarm.”
“But she didn’t look scared?”
“The opposite. Entirely in control.”
I tapped my lip. “Then she was performing.”
Something like pride came over his features. “Exactly what I thought. The more I play it through, the more certain I am that she was waiting for us. Or for someone. Her security team was close at hand, but she didn’t send them after her husband.”
“She didn’t care what happened to him.” I stared into the middle distance, trying to work her out.
Tyler voiced my thoughts. “She’d used him as a puppet in the past. With two other trusted companies’ CEOs taken, it makes sense for her to see the pattern.”
“But not to run from it.” I shivered, wondering at what Denise’s plan might be. Was she scared of us, or was she in control?
Tyler yawned big and muttered an apology. “I need some sleep so I’m good to handle whatever we decide to do this evening. Want to stay here or go home to the ridge?”
“Stay here. Can I cuddle up next to you?”
“Nowhere else I’d want ye to be.”
He shucked off his clothes then pulled me onto his chest once more. He was hard under me but was out like a light in seconds.
I hadn’t expected to sleep so easily again, but I did, and when I woke, the sky had brightened around the blinds.
Carefully, I climbed from the bed without waking Tyler. Then I dressed and holed up in the living room, sitting in a patch of sun from the brick-lined window. It was after midday. I’d slept over twelve hours. All the nightmares and sobbing had exhausted me, but at least now I felt refreshed.
My phone was full of messages, Cassie having added me to the Skeleton Girls Detective Agency group. I read them, snacking on toast, Tyler having stocked the cupboards at some point since yesterday.
Cassie was mid-rant about Presley who she’d laid a trap for last night, but he’d never showed.
Cassie: What kind of psycho ignores a distress call from his own parents?
Everly: What did you say?
Cassie: We used his ma’s phone. Said there’d been a break-in and something stolen from their home address, told him to come alone.
Cassie: We figured he might’ve scoped the lake house and knew they weren’t there, and home was the better option and a place he’d care about.
Cassie: He read it. No reply. No show.
Mila: We need to workshop a lure he can’t resist. Something he actually cares about.
