Page 36 of Undone

“What the hell?” I asked.

Colt’s voice was grim. “He carves them into the skin. On the foot, below the pinky toe.”

Trent swore under his breath.

I took a step back, my mind reeling. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, couldn’t make sense of it.

“Why?” I asked.

Colt’s posture stiffened, eyes fixed on the door, as if the place itself were suffocating him. “I don’t know. He’s changing it up. Sending some kind of message.”

Trent scrubbed a hand over his face. “This is insane.”

“None of it makes sense,” Colt muttered. His eyes moved to the door again, his jaw tight. “I know there’s more, but that’s what I’ve got. He’s gearing up for something. Like he’s got an endgame.”

I paced the room, fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. The thought of Noah tangled in this mess, blindsided by John’s lies, cut through me.

She deserved better than a man who treated her like an afterthought when they were together, who deceived her while pretending to care.

“We can’t let him get anywhere near Noah.”

Colt’s gaze snapped to mine. “We won’t.”

Trent sighed, rubbing his neck. “And now what?”

“Now,” Colt said, his voice hardening, “We keep it quiet. Lilah’s already in too deep. If this leaks, it’ll come back on her.”

Colt’s phone dinged, and he shoved his chair back with a harsh scrape and stood, walking toward the door. “I mean it,” he said, his tone final. “This stays between us. If this gets out and falls on Lilah, I’ll kick both your asses. She’s got enough going on.”

I nodded; my words lost under everything that had been said.

“You got it,” Trent said.

“I need to head out. Happy for you though, brother,” he said to Trent.

The door clicked shut behind him, and the room fell into silence.

I stared at the empty space where Colt had stood, adrenaline still surging through me, now mixed with a darker feeling in my gut.

Turning away from the window, I faced Trent. He stood still, hands resting on the table, jaw clenched.

“You good?” I asked.

Trent let out a sharp exhale. “Yeah, it’s just… not my favorite thing to hear. That my girlfriend’s best friend’s ex is a murderer on the loose.”

“Well, Dotty’s your soon-to-be fiancée, if she says yes,” I added, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Trent chuckled, but it was tight. “Very true.”

I grabbed my jacket off the chair and shrugged it on.

“Well, I need to head out and get G to bed,” I said, heading for the door. “But, hey—good luck with the proposal, man. This other shit will work itself out,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as him.

Trent smiled, a little relieved. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

I nodded, stepping out the door, and I walked into the quiet of the evening, my mind still racing.

THIRTEEN

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