Page 135 of Hurry Up And Wait

“That’s not what we do. We don’t murder people.”

“How can you say that? He attacked your girlfriend. He would have killed her. He very nearly killed Bowie,” IKE snapped. “What the fuck does it take to remove him from your life?”

IKE didn’t have any qualms about killing someone. Hell, it was in his job description. But that wasn’t how I operated. Thesenator was like that, always doing things his own way, regardless of the consequences, when it suited him. I would never be like the senator. And aside from that, I knew it wasn’t what Isla would want.

“Do you really think I should kill her husband? Do you think that would make her happy? And what about her life?”

“She’d be alive. I would think that would be the outcome you’re shooting for.”

“And what about when the police question her? Because they will. She’ll be harassed by his department until she can’t even live her life. I won’t let that happen to her.”

“Better to be harassed than dead,” IKE muttered.

Maybe he thought so, but I knew Isla better than him. Taking her husband’s life would only make her feel guilty. I didn’t want that for her, and I knew it would tear her apart inside.

Fox opened the door to the lounge and strode inside, digging through the cabinets in search of something. I ignored him and focused on IKE once again.

“If we can’t kill him, what exactly do you want to do? There’s no fucking evidence against him. He covered his tracks well.”

“There has to be something he missed. Nobody’s that good.”

“I’m that good,” IKE shrugged.

“You do this for a living. He doesn’t. He had to make a mistake. We just have to find it.”

He shoved out of his chair, grabbing the jacket that was slung over the back. “Well, you have fun searching for those clues.”

“Where are you going?” I snapped.

Fox turned around, a bag of Funyuns in his hand as he dug in, watching like it was a boxing match.

“You want evidence, I’ll get you evidence.”

“Real evidence,” I corrected. “You can’t make this shit up.”

“Can’t or shouldn’t?” He smirked at me as he walked forward. “Either you take care of her and end this, or I will.”

“I won’t plant evidence on him. That’s not how we work.”

“That’s not how you work. If you want to keep her alive, this is what we do.”

He strode past me, pulling his jacket on smoothly as he walked out the door. I turned to Fox and snarled. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the show,” he grinned.

I rolled my eyes and walked out. One way or another, I would make things right between us and keep her safe. She deserved that much from me after the lies I’d told her. But I wasn’t sure getting down on my knees and begging for her forgiveness would be enough to win her back. The guys were right. I made a bigger mess of it by lying to her to begin with. I should have fucking told her the truth, but I was so fucking terrified she would walk out on me.

I should have taken my chances. But it was too late for should-haves. Now, there was only what I would do going forward to prove to her that I wanted a future with her. And that was going to require a lot of groveling.

35

ISLA

“Riley!”

I spun in the dark, searching for her. She was there one minute, racing toward me, and then she was gone. Like a wisp of a shadow or a ghost floating by, I could never catch her. And every time I ran toward her, I heard another voice calling to me, begging me to answer.

I turned toward the sound of her voice, my heart pounding in my chest as I desperately searched for her. “Riley!”

---