Page 41 of The Amendment

“Not like before. Well, sort of like before. An…amendment to the arrangement.”

His hand slid down my arm, his expression skeptical. “I’m listening.”

“I want to do it with you.”

“Do what?” One brow drew down.

“It,” I stressed, trying to force myself to say the words that had been swirling in my mind for the past few days. “Instead of sleeping with other people, I want to help you kill other people.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

PETER

It was madness.

We’d agreed it could never happen again.

We’d agreed I was going to get better.

That I would stop hurting people.

But now she was…what? Giving me permission?

Last time I’d gotten permission to do something previously off-limits, it had been a setup. But this time, what could she be setting me up for? She already knew the truth about everything. Already had all the evidence she could need to get me into trouble. She already had me at her beck and call.

But this couldn’t be real.

And, even if it was, there was no way in hell I was going to go through with it.

Knowing that Ainsley knew my secret was painful enough. Having her watch me kill Stefan, even if it was exactly what she wanted, was mortifying.

Killing was private.

Intimate.

Ending a life wasn’t meant to be a spectator sport.

When it was done for pleasure, I meant for the moment to be only between the two of us. Cat and mouse. Killer and victim.

Adding Ainsley into the mix was too dangerous.

Still, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of it.

There was something erotic about picturing her taking part.

Something wrong, too.

I couldn’t decide how I wanted to proceed.

We’d cut the conversation short the night before when I’d asked for time to consider it. She was offended, but I couldn’t say any more then. My head wasn’t clear when I was with her.

It had never been clear—wouldnever be clear—in her presence.

“I’m just going to see if the kids want a snack,” she said, interrupting my thoughts as she bustled past the recliner I was sitting in, a basket of food in her hands.

“I’ll come with you.” I jumped up, following close behind her. Like Dylan had said, Julie arrived in time for breakfast that morning, but she’d only eaten a few small bites before the two of them changed into their swimming suits and headed down to the lake, towels slung over their necks.

The girl was so quiet I’d probably heard her speak three sentences total, and only when she was spoken to. Dylan, on the other hand, had spoken more than I’d heard him in years. Perhaps trying to keep us from talking directly to Julie too much.

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