Page 96 of Murder on Charity Lane

“I don’t feel bad about Piotr. I don’t. But his mother and sister treated me okay and I … I put Piotr in jail for the rest of his mom’s life. And they suspect me.”

Anthony’s face blanked at the pain in her voice. His hands flexed by his side. One thing she’d learned about him was he didn’t hold on to tension when he felt the urge to lash out; he became looser, more relaxed.

“Don’t you dare get involved,” she told him.

He ducked his head in acceptance, and she watched the muscles in his neck and shoulders moving under his inked skin.

“I hate that they hurt you,” he said.

“I like that you hate that.”

“Trust yourself.” He put his palm against her cheek. “Trust yourself half as much as I trust you.”

He meant about the decisions she’d made to protect her friends. And about her ability to remain undetected no matter what Piotr’s family suspected. She started to tell him that she’d try when her phone buzzed again.

Ocean

She’s back

The old bat

Hamilton

Where was she?

Sophie

Is she ok?

Nicholas

She’s fine

Sophie

How would you know?

Nicholas is sitting two inches from me

pretending he knows things

Ocean

He’s right

Nicholas

Ocean wouldn’t call her an

old bat if she wasn’t fine

Ocean

She’s worse than fine. She’s

pleased with herself like the cat

who ate the canary