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“It’s just a thought,” Decker adds. “If you two want to keep going at it, I’ll wait. S’all good.”
“Remember what I said,” Hunter whispers.
I nod. “I remember it all. Don’t worry. I’ve been doing this for years.”
“Not with Torian, you haven’t. He’ll act as though he’s your best friend seconds before he tries to gun you down.”
“Stop worrying.” I step back. “You’re making me nervous.”
I walk away from him, continuing down the hall to stop in front of the door. I don’t pause. I don’t contemplate. I knock and wait for a muttered ‘come in’ before I turn the handle.
The man from the funeral sits behind an elegant wooden desk, pages upon pages of scattered paperwork spread before him. He leans back in his chair and greets us with a welcoming grin. “It’s great to see you all again.”
He stands, moves around the desk, and stops in front of me. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’ve forgotten your name.” His hand brushes my bicep in a soft slide. It’s gentle and kind. Not exactly the reception I anticipated.
“Steph,” Hunter grates.
“Ahh, yes. The infamous Steph.” His touch falls from my arm. “A devilish vixen with a pussy capable of tempting even the most heartless of men. Isn’t that right, Hunter?”
“Let’s keep it professional,” Decker mutters.
“Of course.” Torian leans back against his desk and crosses his feet at the ankles. Calm, cool, controlled. “So, tell me, Steph. You were with Dan the night he died, is that right?”
I chance one last glance at Hunter who inclines his head in encouragement, then I face Torian head on. “Yes. For about an hour.”
“And why were you with him?”
“He’d been assaulting women, and nobody did anything about it. I took it upon myself to make him stop.”
His eyes glisten with a hint of pride. At least that’s what I think it is until he opens his mouth. “You murdered him selflessly? I don’t know if I should consider that admirably noble or entirely bloodthirsty.”
The assessment isn’t a shock. The remark that I murdered Dan, is.
I keep my focus straight ahead, fighting not to show my renewed horror. I can’t let this get to me. Not even if I am Dan’s murderer. Not even if Hunter has lied to me. Again. Not even if this is all a set-up.
“She didn’t kill him.” The words are snarled from beside me. “I did.”
“Really?” Torian cocks his head. “The investigator’s timeline says otherwise.”
I keep my chin high, my eyes focused.
Don’t take the bait.
I pretend the news doesn’t matter. That I’m so entirely heartless I don’t even care. How can I when I’m about to cause another death?
“Don’t believe him,” Hunter mutters. “I swear to God he’s messing with you.”
I shouldn’t look at him. I know I shouldn’t. But my gaze goes rogue, taking in Hunter’s tortured expression. My chest restricts. My throat tightens. I still believe him. I really do.
Torian chuckles. “Am I? I guess we’ll never truly know.”
“We know,” Decker interrupts. “If Hunter says he did it, the only one who might have doubts is her, and you know it. Stop fucking around and ease up on her. You already know she was too scared to talk in the first place.”
I remain quiet, reclaiming my focus while they bicker.
Torian walks around his desk and takes a seat, kicking his polished shoes onto the scattered papers. “So, you played vigilante with Dan,” he muses. “When did Vaughn’s name come up?”
“Once the Rohypnol kicked in, he lost his mind a little. He started blurting things that didn’t make sense.”
“What sort of things?”
I shrug. “He said something about not giving me information unless I paid him. But the more I hurt him, the more he talked. He laughed about what he did to those women. Then began to panic over what his father would do if another story broke. And he mentioned Vaughn taking everyone down. That he was the name everyone was after.”
“And you’re sure it was Vaughn?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
He nods, thoughts flickering in his eyes. “Are you aware that Vaughn has worked with me for a very long time?”
His tone changes. It has an edge now. A crisp bite of bitterness.
“What he is to you doesn’t concern me,” I answer honestly. “I’m only here to relay the information I was given. You can believe it or not. It doesn’t matter to me.”
He leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of his chest. “Did he say anything else?”
“He said a lot of things. About how he would rape me raw—”
Hunter stiffens.
“He told me he would kill my family. He made numerous threats, and even tried to negotiate. But nothing else to do with Vaughn.”
Torian stares at me, his gaze trekking my face with enough scrutiny to make me shiver. I want to elaborate, to place more intricate details into the story to make it more believable, but that’s where problems would arise. More details mean more lies, and more lies mean a bigger chance of getting caught in my dishonesty.
He turns his focus to Hunter. “You know vouching for her again will have significant consequences if she changes her story for a second time.”
I stiffen. I can’t help it. The stakes shouldn’t be this high. Not for him. Not for anyone but me. “Hold me fully responsible. And you can double or triple your consequences. It won’t matter. My account won’t change.”
He keeps narrowed eyes on Hunter. “He’s already vouched for you once. I need to make sure he isn’t making another mistake.”
“Yes,” the grated agreement comes from my left. From the lips of a man who shouldn’t have to risk anything for me. “I believe her.”
Torian nods and sits forward to open his top drawer. My heart rushes into painful arrhythmia waiting for him to pull out a gun. Decker must think the same thing because he steps closer, his chest brushing against my back.
Instead, Torian pulls out a cell and scrolls through it without a care in the world. “Do you know Zack, Steph?”
“I’d never heard the name until Dan mentioned it.” That is the God’s honest truth.
He presses buttons, ignoring me, disregarding the information. He’s not buying it. He’s not even listening anymore.
Shit.
I glance at Hunter, but he’s staring at Torian with intent, his jaw ticking. Watching. Waiting. Something has changed. Something I’m not aware of.
“Well…” Torian places the phone down and meets my gaze with a smile. “I appreciate the information.”
That appreciation in his tone seems ominously fake.
“Good. Am I right in assuming you’ll deal with the problem?” Hunter asks.
Torian sucks in a lazy breath and lets it out slowly. “Not yet. I want to make sure the information is authentic—”
“Authentic?” I glance at Hunter again, but his expression hasn’t changed. He’s still staring, chin high, shoulders straight. “How are you going to determine that?”
There’s a knock at the door, and my throat constricts.
“Come in,” Torian calls out.
The door opens, and Carlos limps inside, gri
My heart stops.
I remember those blue eyes.
That sandy hair.
That confident gait.
I know.
I know.
Jacob turns from the door and follows Carlos, his steps faltering when his gaze reaches mine. He slows. Stops. Smirks. “Sarah?”
Everything burns. My limbs. Throat. Eyes. Heart. Oh, God, my heart. It threatens to take its final beat.
I stand tall, strong, and refuse to let the rage and rapidly building sorrow take over.