Page 66 of Beautiful Prey

She nodded. “I totally get it. Thanks for coming anyway.”

“Of course.” I glanced over to find a seat and saw Liam watching me. We locked eyes, and he looked away into the fire.

I talked with them for a while, taking a drink offered, looking around and noticing the Halloween decorations were getting more elaborate. Pumpkin lanterns along one side, creepy scarecrow dummies by each pillar, and little skull lights by the gate.

“I know it’s around your birthday,” Lena said, when mentioning her upcoming Halloween party. “So, if you can’t come…”

“I’ll be there. I won’t be going to my uncle’s anyway.”

They didn’t ask why, thankfully, and the subject changed. I looked over at Liam who was taking a swig of his beer while still staring at the fire. I was itching to go but not without talking to him yet. And something in the way he shifted around, glancing at me every so often, I knew he wanted to talk, too.

When Lena was ready to go inside, I moved to let her and the others pass while catching his gaze.

“You coming?” Jamie asked.

“I’ll be right there,” I said.

He looked between me and Liam.

“It’s cool,” I said.

His eyes narrowed. “I’ll be close.” He gave Liam a warning glare before returning into the house.

Liam drew up beside me by the fire. “I know I’m not supposed to ask…”

I stared into the flames as they flickered in the breeze. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Are you alright at least?”

He did look concerned. “Yeah. I mean, I’m shaken up, but I only have myself to blame for that.”

“You had your reason, I won’t pry. Not getting paid to anyway.”

I snorted. “Yeah.” I crossed my arms. “But I’m sure they’ve been talking all about it, haven’t they? At your work?”

“They thought they’ve heard of everything, but not a victim trying to give their family’s killer therapy.”

I clenched my jaw. “Yeah, it’s messed up. Guess I cracked too.”

“If you ever need to talk…”

I nodded but didn’t say I would take the offer. I watched the flames for a moment, then said, “I know I don’t have the right to ask…but have you heard anything? Did the judge make a decision about…him?”

He looked at me as if he felt sorry for me and I hated his pity. But I wanted to—needed to know.

“They had the hearing last night. He’s stopped responding to treatment,” Liam said. “And is considered too dangerous now for a place even like St. Agnes. He’s getting moved…to Oklahoma. A special prison for those who are unstable. It probably won’t be pretty, but maybe it won’t matter at all if he’s non-responsive.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“He’ll be transferred by the end of this week,” Liam continued. “They’ll be preparing for it in the next couple days.” He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Seriously if you ever wanna talk, I’m here…or I can find someone better trained if you think you might need that sort of help again.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Maybe I do.”

His hand slipped from my shoulder. “I think him being gone is for the best,” he said.

I didn’t answer. I felt too much of everything, thinking about him locked away in some cell with no one to talk to, no one to be there for him when the smiling woman beat him down with herwords. He would become a shell of himself, and I had to live with knowing that now.

“Well, see you around.”

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