Page 128 of Quinlan

But not selfish. Never that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Liam

My Zippo weighs heavilyin my palm. My finger is hot on the lid. The impulse to flick it open, to light it, is ingrained into my bones.

It settled there after the flames the same Zippo brought ate up half of my cheek. When I decided I would control the pain, the fear, my past. That I wouldn’t let it control me.

Playing with fire soothes me. Pacifies me.

The flame is an extension of my body. But at the present moment, I have to hide it. No one’s supposed to see me in this dark alley, watching Rex. The flame would give me away.

The place is empty. Nothing’s happening, really.

I’m not needed here.

For one, this is Damien’s aggressor. This revenge is his. And he had his share of it today. My friend stood, I imagine, exactly where I am. Made a stop here after work to witness Rex losing his shit.

On the drive home, he called me, sounding pleased as fuck.

“We got under his skin,” he said, laughing. “I’d say I feel bad for the barista he threw a mug at. Except I don’t.”

Then there’s the matter of him calling his cop buddies. He hasn’t. Our investigators assure us of that fact. The one who tails Rex until eleven at night reported back that he only called his father’s psychiatrist. And no, he didn’t know why his dad wasn’t picking up.

We do. We have an investigator looking out after their home. Her parents are fine. They just overslept.

Back to Rex. So, no, other than not knowing, he also didn’t feel like dropping by and check if he was alive or dead. A neighbor should help. Quinlan should’ve helped.

“She’s on vacation, doesn’t care about them.” Those were his words before he hung up.

His half-sister was kidnapped, and the bastard felt justified in blaming her. In throwing her under the bus.

Hearing him shouldn’t have surprised us. It did. It fucking did.

All those times he supposedly looked after her. The obsessive way he needed her near him. He was more than controlling her. He was using her.

While he gets to lead his miserable life in relative peace, his sister stresses over everything. Works her ass off at home, during Uber rides when her parents go long without picking up or attending their sessions.

She loves them, naturally. We thought that was what it was all about.

Nope. She has no one else to lean on.

Well, now she does. She has us.

And Damien has me to keep watch. To be here instead of home.

Right here.

Ray isn’t an issue. Quinlan’s email pacified her. She’s in her apartment, toasting with her boyfriend. Happy about landing her new job.

The inside source that’ll help take Rome’s parents down is fast asleep. Hasn’t tried reaching out and selling his information to anyone else. We’re good on that front too. We paid him handsomely for that, and he’s keeping his word.

With everything else settled, I’m here, spying on Rex. I’m suspicious and cautious of him. Of his compliancy.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, me going rogue. Cracks in the plan could lead to one of us slipping up. But I’m not actually doing anything. I’m watching.

One of us should be here, and I decided that person is me. Damien deserves this night at home. With Quinlan. He’s owed an ounce of peace for once in his goddamn life.

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