Page 85 of Death Wish

He sighed. “Okay. You’re right. I just can’t believe I did this to her.” He dropped his head into his palms again. “I’m the worst boyfriend ever.”

“I wouldn’t say worst…”

Even though he wasn’t exactly my boyfriend, Cole Masters’s name sprang to mind.

As I looked over at Laurence, still whispering to himself and hiding his face, sympathy twisted within me. The guy thought he had sentenced the woman he loved to her death. I’d be distraught, too.

I wanted to comfort him, but I wasn’t the best at emotional situations like this. I never knew what to say or do.

If anything, I was just awkward.

I reached out to touch his shoulder, but then thought better of it and pulled away.

Fumbling for the right words, I said, “Er—you know, if I really thought you and Kay weren’t good for each other, then I would have stopped your relationship a long time ago. I had plenty of opportunities.”

Slowly, he lifted his chin, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Well, that’s good to know.”

“Hey, all it would have taken was one little touch.” I fiddled with the glove of my right hand. “And lights out forever.”

God, I was bad at this.

Well, at least I was being honest.

“Keep that in mind for the future,” I said.

He swallowed hard. “Heard the threat loud and clear.”

“Good.” I smiled. “What we need to do now is come up with some plan on how to get Xaver here without getting anyone else hurt. Especially…”

The fine hairs on my arms rose, followed by a layer of goose bumps. White light bounced across my fingertips, like electricity, even with the leather gloves on.

Something wasn’t right.

Laurence must have seen the panic in my face because he jumped to his feet, knocking the coffee table and spilling the glasses of juice all over the white carpet.

“What? What is it?” he asked.

My head whipped toward the bathroom, my heart dropping to my toes.

Kay.

Her bloodcurdling scream confirmed all my fears.

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