Page 86 of Brutal Ice

Curran nodded. “Yes.” His stare bored into Royal. “They are.”

Oh, was that supposed to be a hit? Whatever. This whole scene was a pain in his ass. He’d sat patiently for hours. He’d chatted politely with too many cops, but his patience was slicing away. “Violet stabbed him. I saw her do it. I’m sure she has already told you that when her attacker charged at her, she used a knife on him. A knife I’d given her for protection.”

“You saw her stab Micah?”

“I just said that, didn’t I?” He’d said it before, too.

“Where were you when she stabbed him?”

His nostrils flared. “I was punching my way through the glass in the garage door in order to get to her.” A moment that would replay in his mind on a hell-loop pretty much forever, thanks so much.

“Is that when you were also firing your weapon?”

The weapon that had been seized by the cops. “Yes. He had a knife, and he was trying to use it on Violet. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I happen to take deep offense to the idea of anyone cutting her skin.” Great offense. The kind of offense that would result in someone getting killed. Micah should be dead, but Curran stopped me.

Royal could forgive a lot of things. Curran’s conscience getting the better of him and the guy arresting Royal? Sure, he could even let that go. Bygones. But Curran letting that prick Micah live?

No forgiveness on that one.

“Let’s cut the bullshit,” Curran suddenly announced.

Royal quirked one brow. “Oh, have we not already done that? My bad.”

Curran glowered. “You went to that shitty old gas station with Violet because you knew that the killer you were after had taken Simone there.”

He exhaled. “I hear so many statements. Not so many questions. I get that you’re new to the detective gig, my friend, but you have to ask questions during interrogations. That is the way this works.”

“I know that Simone and Micah were an item. I also know she was Violet’s understudy, and I suspect that Simone wanted the lead role with every breath in her body.” Curran cleared his throat. “Simone was having an affair with Micah. I know it because I saw them together at the theater.”

Royal waited.

“But word from some of the other cast members is that Micah wanted to fuck your dancer.”

She is mine. But Royal just shrugged. “We don’t always get what we want in this world.”

“You weren’t going to let him have her.”

“I wasn’t going to let him kill Violet, if that’s what you mean. Look, she stabbed him. Violet has no doubt told the cops that she stabbed her attacker. And Micah has a stab wound?—”

“One that he says someone else gave him.” Curran stared straight at Royal. “Not Violet. A man who charged at him from the darkness.”

Royal grunted. “Convenient, don’t you think? Violet stabs her attacker, and, oh, look, someone else just happens to stab Micah in basically the same spot? That’s not coincidental. That’s impossible.” Curran should see right through the lie.

“You almost killed him,” Curran whispered.

Too bad you interrupted the job.

“Violet says she tased her attacker,” Curran added. A long exhale. “Did you see that happen?”

He frowned, trying to remember. No, no, dammit, he couldn’t recall her doing that.

“Huh.” Curran scraped a hand over his jaw. “Pieces don’t add up.” Low. Very low. His stare cut to the one-way mirror, then back to Royal.

“Is she watching?” Royal asked, truly curious. “The Fed you think is better at tech work than me? Is she in there? Are a whole team of Feds in there just salivating because they think you’re taking me down?”

“They thought you were the serial who’d hurt those women. That’s why they originally wanted me tailing you.”

Royal laughed.

---