Page 74 of Killer Kiss

I balked at the mental image of Riddick shooting that woman in the throat. The way she’d choked on her own blood in agony while Riddick had watched and laughed, zero remorse or care for the fact she was a complete innocent.

The urge to vomit came on strong when I thought about what he would do to Augie. How it would be so much worse because of what I’d done.

A warning in the back of my mind cautioned that maybe he already knew.

That maybe the fire at Willa’s house wasn’t random.

Maybe Riddick just had the wrong house, and that Molotov cocktail or whatever it was that had been thrown through Willa’s bedroom window was actually meant for Augie’s. Their houses were nearly identical.

Augie, completely unaware of the questions forcing themselves into my brain, nodded toward the door. “Come inside. Have a shower.”

But I couldn’t. I shook my head hard.

Augie frowned and stepped in close, circling his perfect freaking fingers around my wrist and holding me tight. “Come on.” His voice was low and gravelly. “Come inside. You’re filthy and tired. Get clean. Let me lick your pussy again. Sleep. Then you can go.”

His lips hovered over mine, and God, I just wanted him to lean in and kiss me. For him to remind me how good his mouth felt on mine, and how easily I could lose myself in him while my entire life imploded.

I’d been fooling myself, trying to convince my heart that his expression was because he didn’t want me.

When he was standing right here in front of me, tired, dirty, exhausted, but still making it damn clear he didn’t care about any of that.

All he wanted was for me to come inside.

I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments.

I didn’t want to walk away.

I knew I had to.

I pulled my arm from his grasp. “Can’t,” I choked out. “Thank you for last night, you were exactly what I needed, but—”

His expression changed in an instant, and this time I knew I wasn’t mistaking the cold frost in those blue eyes. “Right. Cool. Forget I said anything. See you around.” He turned to go inside.

This time it was me who grabbed him. “Augie, wait!”

He spun back around and glared at me. “For what, Ophelia? For you to tell me you had a nice time but now you have to go back to your real life in Providence? That all I’m good for is a quick screw to get your mind off whatever minor upset came over you last night? What was it? Your maid called in sick and you had to wipe your own fucking ass?”

I squinted at him. “What? That’s…that’s not why I came here.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just go, Ophelia. You’ve made your position loud and clear. I served my purpose, now you’re ready to move on. See ya.”

He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, leaving me on the porch, blinking at the door knocker in confusion.

It took a second for me to get pissed off.

For his accusations to sink through the bubble of warmth he’d created around me.

I wasn’t a fucking Providence princess. I was so fucking far from it, it was laughable. But if that’s what he wanted to believe, then so be it.

It was easier this way.

I didn’t want to like him.

Hating him would make it a whole lot easier when I inevitably had to kill him anyway.

21

AUGIE

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