Page 59 of Psycho

Ray had to die. I was going to fucking kill him—and even though death was not something I reveled in, I would enjoy watching him die. He’d caused so much grief in my life, so much misery in others’ lives. The world would be a better place without him, just as it would be without Brooklyn.

Cleaning up the streets, bit by bit.

I didn’t know what time it was. Had to be early next morning. Blood still splattered me, but they’d taken my clothes as evidence after taking pictures of me. I wore stuff from their lost and found, baggy clothes that were nearly five sizes too big for me.

I heard a loud commotion in the hall, and I figured they were about to come in and question me again, maybe make an official arrest, but as I tilted my head to listen, it sounded like someone else was here. Someone new.

The door to my interrogation room opened, and a man in a suit stood, though his head was turned to the hall behind him. “Unless you’re arresting my client, I’m taking her home. You know how to reach me.” His voice was dark and strong, stern and powerful. It reverberated in my very soul, and it was when the man turned his head toward me that my stomach clenched.

Staring at him was like staring at Travis, only this man had pitch-black eyes and a scowl that could scare anyone to death.

“Get up, Miss Bonds. We’re leaving,” he said, his frown deepening as he tossed a glare at the police in the hall behind him.

Confused, I knew better than to ask him who he was or why he was here. My lawyer? I didn’t have a lawyer, and I didn’t have the money for one. I didn’t even get to call Travis or Declan, make sure they were okay…

I got up and followed him through the station, ignoring the looks from the officers. Even the men and women in blue were afraid of the man I walked behind.

He was…tall. Very tall. Six and a half feet, maybe, but unlike most tall people, he was fit, not gangly. His body wasn’t stretched out and thin. He was muscular under that suit, with hair as black as the night, though it looked blue in certain lighting, just like Travis’s did. His jaw was free of stubble, and even though it was an ungodly hour, he didn’t look tired. He looked like a man on a mission.

I was that mission.

His car, unsurprisingly, was a black sports car, the kind of car a super-rich man would have. Lawyers were rich, but this man…he was something else. He helped me into the passenger seat before moving to the other side, tugging on his right sleeve to glance at a fancy watch that rested on his wrist. His frown only deepened.

I watched him get in. Being in a car with a handsome stranger who must’ve been quite a few years older than Travis made me uneasy. This man was probably the most intense, inherently frightening man I’d ever seen. He was drop dead gorgeous in a terrifying way, the kind of handsomeness that made you question your sanity. Too good-looking, even while scowling.

He started the car and drove us to the road, saying nothing for the longest while. The sun was about to rise in the distance, meaning the police had me for hours, as did Ray.

His rough, low voice eventually spoke, causing my heart to skip a beat, “I’m not a lawyer, by the way.” His black eyes were on me for a split-second. “You look good in red, Ash.” A compliment. A compliment for the blood staining my face and my neck. “The name’s Markus, but I’m guessing you already knew that.”

This was Markus, Travis’s older brother? This was…this was the one who’d help us catch Ray?

You know what? I could see it. I could totally see it. The vibe coming off this man was absolutely terrifying; I almost hated being in the same car as him. Danger came off him in waves, coating every single word he spoke.

“I hear you have a problem with your ex,” Markus went on, calm and collected, considering the topic of conversation.

“Yeah,” I whispered, feeling faint.

“We’re going to take care of him.”

I said nothing, because I knew, without a doubt, he spoke the truth. Ray was a monster, but this man? This man was a monster that could walk into a police station and make every single officer bend to his will. Markus was a different breed of dark, a different shade of black.

Markus drove us to Sawyer’s house, and inside, I found Declan and Travis in the living room. Both were alive, thank God. Tears bit at the corners of my eyes, and I rushed to them, hugging them both. The feeling of their arms around me was comforting, and I could’ve lost myself to them—if I didn’t hear a loud crunching coming from the kitchen. I pulled away from them, turning to look at another new face.

Markus was busy walking in, shedding his suit jacket and revealing a snug vest over a dark red button-down shirt. The man wore nice clothes well, but the one in the kitchen wasn’t half as fancy—still, I knew better than to judge the man in the kitchen based on his clothes.

“Cute as a fucking button,” the man in the kitchen spoke, dry sarcasm lacing every word, giving me a smirk that chilled me to my core. He had one hand in a cereal box, leaning back. He wore a tight black shirt and dark jeans that hugged his lean, long frame. His eyes were as black as Markus’s, and they studied me intensely. “I love a girl with blood on her.” Out of everyone, he was the oldest. Maybe in his early thirties.

“Are you okay?” Declan whispered, and I tore my gaze away from the man lounging in the kitchen, meeting his amber eyes and wishing I could get lost in them.

I nodded. “Are you?”

“He’s fine,” Travis muttered, causing Declan to glare at him. “Whose blood is that?”

“Brooklyn,” I said, causing Declan’s eyes to widen. Travis didn’t look surprised, and I knew it was because Travis had known, for who knew how long, that Ray had her. He’d kept it from me, probably to protect me. I was a little miffed, but at the same time, now wasn’t the right moment to call him out on it. “She’s dead.”

The man in the kitchen frowned at the next piece of cereal he pulled from the box, muttering, “I miss Ed’s cooking.”

Markus turned his scowl to him. “What’s wrong with the food at the house?”

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