Page 66 of Lethal Weakness

“But, what?”

“Nothing.”

“Has your ex been around? Is he bothering you?”

She shakes her head. “I haven’t seen him.”

I shut the hood of my truck slowly, and she watches my every move from the top of my head down to the tip of my boots. “How’s the bed?”

Her lips part and then shut again, quickly, before she finally speaks. “It’s really comfortable. It’s saved my back, so I can only imagine what my air mattress is doing to you.”

“I shoved that thing in the trash a few days ago.”

“You bought a new bed? Let me give you some money–”

“No.”

“Jack–”

“If Avery would like her own bed, I could help you get one.”

“I’m not letting you get us another bed.”

“Okay, well then you can buy it, and I can haul it in my truck and get it in your house.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary right now… But thank you.” Her shoulders finally relax, and this time when her eyes roam over me, they do so slowly and appreciatively.

“Anything you need… Let me know. I like being in your good graces,” I utter softly, and her eyes lift to mine. The corner of her mouth lifts in a smile, and I know we’re both thinking about that night.

I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Shit, I’m hard right now thinking about her crawling onto my lap.

I clear my throat as I readjust my hat, and I feel the tendril of sweat escape down my temple. Her eyes track it, and immediately narrow.

It’s not that hot out tonight.

No, this sweat is from running two-seven-minute miles and arriving back at my house 90 seconds before they did.

From ditching my clothes in the middle of the kitchen floor and pulling on new ones without skipping a beat, and being tucked under the hood of this truck by the time their headlights hit me.

If Avery pops open the door that leads into my kitchen, my secret life will implode.

The blowback would be catastrophic, yet… I’d finally be free from my lies.

“Come on, Avery. Bath time.” Linden reaches for her daughter, and doesn’t shift her weary gaze from me. “Night, Jack.”

“Goodnight, Linden. Night, Avery.”

“Night night, Mr. Jack!”

They disappear into their house, and I think I breathe fully for the first time in an hour. The moment I saw her stepping foot into Edmund’s wing in the mansion while I knew he was talking business, my adrenaline spiked.

I don’t sweat. I don’t get nervous about tactical situations. But watching Linden walk into a wolf’s den killed me.

Then she started recording, and genuine fear forced me from my hiding place. I have no idea what Edmund is capable of doing to his former daughter-in-law. Especially since I know that he and Merrill would be glad to see her dead.

There is no question in my mind that they wish to have custody of Avery. They can pretend all they want that they are grieving parents and that they are only worried for their granddaughter’s well-being, but I know they are more sinister than that.

I go inside and deposit my new recordings into my computer to get them translated, and wait to see what new information I get.