Page 52 of My Wife

So he did know. He knew all along that Clay was alive.

I can’t believe this. Imournedhim. I cried on Tommy’s shoulder. We were the only two fucking people when I buried that empty casked, and heknew?

Theyplannedthis?

Well, at least I know how Clay got the key from Tommy without killing him first now…

SEVENTEEN

EVERYTHING

Clay answers me without my even having to ask the question.

“Everything, babe. From bleeding myself enough to store up a supply to splash over the car to arranging for Tommy to convince you to move back to Gullhaven… buying the island. Inviting everyone who’s ever hurt you to ti. Killing them off all one by one?—”

“I got to kill Madison,” Tommy cuts in proudly. “Clay helped me string her up after he was done with Summer?—”

“Had to make her look like a puppet,” interrupts Clay. “After all, when Madison opened her mouth, Summer’s voice came out.”

Tommy nods. “That’ right. But I want you to know that I wasn’t afraid of killing for you, either, Cyn. I would doanythingfor you.”

“We’ve proven it, baby. You always want proof. You always needed toseethat someone cared about you. Well, this is it. I sacrificed five years without my wife to give you a chance to find happiness with Tommy. He let me take you with me to New Jersey in the first place.

“And now it’s time we get what we worked so hard for so long for.”

There’s something about the way these two murderers are staring at me now that have me seconds away from turning from them, bolting through the back again, and taking my chances in the woods.

Silly Cyn. You should’ve known better than to run from your husband…

Clay will chase me. Now I know that Tommy will, too. Nothing will stop them from getting what they want.

And, fucking hell, they wantme.

But I play dumb. I pretend I don’t know what they’re talking about. Gulping, I say in a ragged voice, “And what is that?”

“We get to share you.”

“Share me?” Like the three of us play house or something? We put the murders on Halo Island behind us, vanish far away from Gullhaven, then I become a bigamist? Share? I… I don’t share. “Clay, this is insane. Both of you, stay away from me.”

“Oh, Cyn. You know better than to think I can ever do that. Even when I was ‘dead’, I was there. Told you. I’llalwaysbe there. I’m a part of you now and forever. And Tommy will, too. Won’t you, Tommy?”

“I love you,” he gasps. “I did this because I love you. Please tell me you love me, too.”

I can’t. Not right now.

Not when I’m coming to terms with the fact that everything that we had—everything I thought I knew—was a lie.

I thought Clay broke my heart anew earlier tonight when he admitted that Tommy and Summer were having an affair. I can’t even bring myself to confront Tommy about that, and hearing that Clay left me all those years ago because his best friend told him to…

Wait.

They want to share me. They want to be apartof me.

They—

“Share me?” I demand. “What the fuck do you mean?”

Clay’s hand dips into his pocket. When he pulls out that small bottle of lube from before, I knowexactlywhat he means.

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