Page 55 of Tainted Love

Anger spikes inside. “I have a pretty good idea and you can guarantee I’ll put a bullet in his head if I ever see him again.”

“None of that answers my question,” she says. “Why did you get involved with me when you knew this was a possibility?”

“Because I needed you.”

It comes out weaker than I intended it to but I’ve never said anything like it before.

“You needed me?!” she shouts, wincing in pain as her foot jerks slightly.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t—” I turn back to the road. “I don’t know why. I just did.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“Lucy, I’m sorry—”

“Fuck your needs, you selfish prick!” She bares her teeth in fury. “What about my needs? Did it seem like I needed this?! Or you?”

I take a quick breath, holding back my own rage. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s not good enough either.”

I stare ahead, fighting the urge to knock her out again. “I’m not the type of guy you want to piss off, Lucy.”

She laughs. She fucking laughs at me.

“What are you going to do? Whack me? Go right ahead, there’s literally no one stopping you — myself included.”

She collapses against her seat. Her lip quivers as another crying fit takes hold of her.

I fall silent and stare into the growing darkness ahead.

Chapter 18

Dante

“Where are we?”

Lucy looks out the window with wide eyes, scanning the dense tree line hugging the car on both sides.

“Geneva Lake,” I answer.

“Wisconsin?”

“Yeah.”

“What the hell are we doing in Wisconsin?”

I note her upturned nose. A city girl through and through. “We’ll be safe here. I have a medic coming to check out your knee.”

She shifts in her seat again, something she’s done every few minutes since we left Chicago two hours ago. I only wish I had something to give her for the pain lingering in her eyes. She hasn’t complained about it at all, though. Still tough as nails.

We pass civilization and travel several miles more through nothing but nature. Finally, the house comes into view. It’s almost exactly as I remember it. The white paint has faded and chipped somewhat. My grandfather’s Chevy is long gone but, otherwise, it’s ripped right out of my childhood.

“What is this place?” Lucy asks.

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