Page 58 of The Amendment

The addiction.

The excitement.

For the first time in my life, I felt like I understood my husband completely.

Five minutesearlier than we’d planned, I slowed the car next to the place where we were supposed to meet. He wasn’t there yet, but he was coming. We had more work to do, and we weren’t wasting any time.

Next up was Coach Chris and, if it was possible, I was even more excited about killing him.

It wasn’t smart to murder them so close together, but we both agreed this was a special circumstance. Wecouldn’t let him go on living. Couldn’t chance him hurting someone else.

I thought about Bailey, the young girl who’d grown up with Maisy. Who’d spent the night at our house countless times. Who’d worn matching clothes with Maisy when they were younger. Whose voice I could still hear blaring through the walls on the old karaoke machine Maisy had been gifted for Christmas when they were seven.

We’d agreed turning him in would only hurt Maisy worse. Perhaps cost her a cherished friendship.

So, if we couldn’t go to the police, murder was our only option.

Or…maybe that’s just what we wanted to believe. Either way, it was what would be done.

I spied Jim’s truck headed in my direction, slowing down as it neared me. Peter wore Jim’s ball cap, and when he got close, he lifted it slightly, flashing a boy-like grin at me and pulling down the path and into the woods until the truck was hidden from passing cars.

“Did you have any trouble?” I asked, coming to join him as he wiped down the inside of the truck and the door handles.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“You paid in cash, right?”

“Yep.”

“Good.”

I must’ve sounded nervous because he looked at me over his shoulder, nodding slowly. “We’re fine. Trust me, no one’s going to be looking for him. I’ve told the partners he’s pulling all his contracts. We’re replacing him at work. None of his employees will be shocked. And there’sno one else. His parents cut him off years ago, he has no friends… We’re fine.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “I know.”

The roles had reversed so much from the last time, when it had been me reassuring him. Once the truck had been wiped down, we crossed the woods back to our car.

“To the studio?”

I nodded as we buckled in. “It’s a few hours before practices will start, so he should be there alone.”

“And if he’s not?”

“We’ll figure that out if it comes to it.” I gripped the steering wheel tightly, reversing out of the parking spot and turning our car in the direction we were headed.

“How did the kids seem? Were they awake before you left?”

“Dylan and Riley are fine. I mean, normal, but fine. Maisy still isn’t really talking to me.”

“She’ll come around.”

“I don’t know, Peter. I really butchered this,” I said, shaking my head.

“What are you talking about?”

“She needed me to be there for her, to say the right thing, and I just…didn’t. I was rambling about turning him in and I wasn’t listening to her. To what she needed.”

“You were shocked.” He reached for my hand, and I gave it to him, though it did little to reassure me.

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