Page 50 of Step Daddy

“Good, stick to that and that only. Don’t challenge him about the girlfriend, your mom—nothing else. Stay focused on the blackmail scheme. The minute he owns up to being the one behind the stolen money, we’ll send in SWAT and make the arrest. Any questions?”

Kit shook out his hands as if he could discard all his nervous energy. “No. I’m ready.”

He turned to Gareth who dipped his chin one time, a silent way of saying ‘you got this.’

Kit hoped like hell he did.

The van dropped him off about a block away from the house, and Kit was marching down the street with his hands stuffed in the pockets of the light jacket he wore. The desert night air was cool, so it wouldn’t seem odd he was wearing the garment, and the loose hoodie helped keep the equipment under Kit’s shirt hidden. The recorder was small, and the wire expertly attached, but an extra layer of protection didn’t hurt.

Kit slowed his pace. Otherwise, he’d be breathless by the time he got there. Ted would expect him to be nervous, knew how awkward and jumpy he was. But he might suspect something else if Kit came across too panicky.

When Kit reached the walkway leading to the front door, he paused, looking around to check for his mom. If Ted was watching him, and he probably was, Kit didn’t think it would appear out of place. As far as Ted knew, Kit still believed he’d already gone to the cops and blamed him for everything.

Kit sucked in a deep breath then made his way up the path. He raised his hand to knock, the act striking him as weird. Most of his childhood and all of his adulthood up until a couple weeks ago had been spent in that house. He’d never knocked on the door as if he were a stranger.

The door opened a fraction and Ted’s face came into view, his expression filled with suspicion. Kit almost choked on his own spit but managed to keep his composure. It remained to be seen whether he’d be able to maintain it.

Ted opened the door a bit wider, poking out his head and surveying the surroundings. His gaze landed on Kit.

“Who were you looking for when you stopped down there? Got someone with you?”

Kit knew what he meant and could already tell that Ted was being careful about what he said.

“No. I thought maybe you were trying to trap me.”

Ted’s doughy face screwed up in confusion. “Whaddya mean trap you?”

Kit glanced over his shoulder to further his ruse then turned back to Ted.

“You know, because you said you were going to the cops, that you’d tell them I’m the one who stole the money at work.”

Shit. I said that wrong.

Detective Lang had coached him to say it a certain way so it would make Ted implicate himself. But his heart was thudding in his ears and he couldn’t think straight, his nerves so jacked up he thought he might jump out of his own skin.

Ted still hadn’t opened the door any wider and seemed to be on the verge of slamming it in Kit’s face. He kept staring at Kit as if the entire SWAT time might burst out of his chest at any second like an alien.

Kit shoved his hands into the pockets of the hoodie so hard, he thought he might punch a hole through the thin, stretchy material.

“Well…” Ted narrowed his eyes. “You were the one who stole it.”

Fuck. He was ruining everything.

“Then why the hell am I here?” Tears threatened, his anger at how badly he was fucking up and the nightmarish stress he’d been enduring, all coming to a head. “If I stole the money and you had nothing to do with it, then why would you tell me to meet you here when mom’s out? Huh?” Kit swiped his arm across his nose, the tears finally falling. “Fine. Forget it. I’ll just take the proof that you stole the money to the police and take my chances.”

Kit turned to leave but Ted grabbed his arm. “Get in here you little sissy. Christ, you’re always sniveling over everything.”

Kit shook free of Ted’s grip but followed him inside. Ted headed to the living room, a move that put Kit on edge. For some reason, he’d pictured them standing in the entryway, him confronting Ted then quickly making his escape the second he had what the cops needed on tape. Going all the way to the center of the house felt too risky.

A potential mistake.

When they stepped down into the square-shaped area, Ted indicated to the sofa. Kit rocked on his feet as he stared at the orange and brown couch with the hideous floral pattern that had been a part of his life since he could remember. Clearly, new furniture wasn’t Ted’s goal when he’d absconded with the Rodriguez brothers’ money.

“Uh…” Kit shook his head. “I just wanna get this over with. I’m still not a hundred percent sure you didn’t bring me here to have the cops arrest me.”

“Fine,” Ted spat out. “Just stand there like the little idiot you are.” He poked his finger at Kit. “And just so we’re clear, I’m not giving you one fucking dime until I see this supposed proof you have.”

Kit’s mouth was so dry he could barely speak. “It’s somewhere safe. I wasn’t stupid enough to bring it here so you could just take it without paying me.”

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