Page 48 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“Probably a good idea.” Cosmo chuckled, and I rushed into the bedroom.

As I washed up and changed I went through, in my head, all the places Ramsey had property. Unless he’d acquired another property since I’d been gone, Saros should be able to find him and end this swiftly. Was he actually hiding? He always seemed so stupidly brave. Untouchable. But he wasn’t. Saros was going to tear down wherever he was staying and pull him out.

I’d just buttoned my pants when I froze. Saros was going to kill him. My father. Why didn’t that sadden me?

I sat on the edge of my bed, taking a moment. Would I mourn him or be upset with Saros for killing him? I took a breath, letting that settle over my bones. No. I’d mourn for a forgotten child, an upbringing I deserved. I’d cry for the memories of pain and scorned words. I’d weep for a past full of nightmares. No, I wouldn’t grieve Ramsey’s or Shyla’s deaths; I’d embrace a future—hopefully one with Saros, and I’d do everything in my power to make sure he was the last one standing after the dust settled.

I stood and went to leave. The full mirror on the back of the door showed my reflection. My hand was still wrapped, an ace bandage you couldn’t see was around my ankle, but I looked better than I ever had. I had color in my cheeks, cheeks that were no longer sunken. The dark circles under my eyes were gone, and there was a spark of life in my once-dull brown orbs. My hair was shiny, if a bit long. My clothes fit because they were sized for me, not secondhand. And even though this house was about to be flooded with people, and Ramsey was trying to destroy everything Saros built, I felt alive…I felt good.

“I’m not letting Ramsey take another thing from me.”

With that, I opened the door and went down to the study to help Saros destroy my nightmare.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“You will never understand the damage you did to someone until the same thing is done to you. That’s why I’m here.”

~ Origin unknown

Saros

I wasin my study with Cosmo, Mike, and Benny when there was a soft knock.

“Come in.”

Em popped his head in and looked around the room, smiling once he saw me.

“Hi, did you want me to wait out here?”

I waved him in. “Not at all. I told you to meet me here, didn’t I?”

He nodded and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. “So did you just want me to write all the locations where he has properties?”

Mike walked over to Em and handed him a tablet. “Let’s start off with Eastbury. Can you pinpoint them on this map?”

“Uh, yeah, I should be able to.”

“Great.” Mike then turned on the television I had above the fireplace. “I’ve paired the tablet with the TV so we can all see.”

Em moved to the couch, sat, and began tapping spots on the map. I’d known Ramsey had more than one property, but what I hadn’t known about were the little stores and small businesses he had all or partial ownership of.

“Ling’s Dry Cleaners?” Benny asked.

“Mmhmm. Mr. Ling owed some back taxes and went to Ramsey for help. Ramsey paid the IRS but forced the Lings to sign their lease over to him.”

“Why would they ask him?” Cosmo wondered. “He could have approached Saros, or even Benny anytime he went in there. You use them, right?”

Benny nodded, and Em shrugged. “It was kind of Ramsey’s thing. I’d go there to pick up dry cleaning sometimes, and Ramsey told me always to be really nice and tell the Lings, or anyone I was being sent to for coffee, or menial things, to let the owners know that if they needed anything to never hesitate to let him know.”

“Snake,” Cosmo hissed.

“And I’ve told you before, Cos, we’re all snakes.” I glanced at the TV when Em relaxed. “He has a little house close to the three warehouses I gave to Frazee.”

“I can get a couple of guys to make their way there and see what they can find,” Benny offered.

“Do it.”

Benny left, and I turned to Em. “Does he have properties outside of Eastbury? I feel like he’d get out of my territory.”

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