Page 61 of Lust

“Fuck knows. The guy seems to have vanished. I had Oz swing by the church on his way home, but there was no sign of him.” He pauses, seeming to consider his next words. “Honestly, I think he knows where JC is, or JC found him. Considering the state he left him in, the hospital is the only place he could have been.”

“Yeah, I’m still not sure why JC didn’t finish him off. Leaving him alive is a risk.”

“Not really. Think about it, Kincaid has been keeping his secret for years, why would he give JC up now? It’s all part of the sick fucker’s game.”

Makes sense that Kincaid’s attack would bring questions possibly from the police, but especially from Syd. Maybe that was his plan all along. I don’t want to think about how much that plan aligns with our original one. Hurting Sydney to get to her father is a bigfuck nonow.

Before following Ro up to bed, I send a message to Oz telling him to find this son of a bitch.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

SYDNEY

Iwake early the next morning and find Blake in the kitchen when I come downstairs.

“Hey, how did you sleep?” he asks, grabbing another cup from the cupboard.

“Okay.” I take a seat at the table. “Where’s Roman?”

“Taking a shower,” he says as he places a cup of tea down in front of me. “You want some breakfast?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m good. Thanks for this,” I say, nodding to my tea. I stare out the sliding doors into the garden, which is covered in a light early morning mist, and try to work out what’s bothering me—well, aside from Pa being missing and being on JC’s hit list.

“Where are those photos I gave you last night, the ones of the guy we think is JC?”

“I’ll grab them.” He disappears for a moment, then comes back carrying the photos and the box. He hands me the pictures and places the box on the table. “What do you want them for? Did you remember something?”

Grabbing his tea, he comes and joins me as I look over the photos again.

“I don’t know… There’s something about this guy, like I’ve seen him before.” I bring one particular photo closer. It’s of Pa and just JC, but it’s cleaner than the others. I scan it carefully, looking for anything I might recognise. “I don’t know,” I mutter, throwing them back to the table as Roman enters the room.

I watch as a half-naked Roman picks up his coffee, walks towards Blake, tilts his chin up and kisses him. I squirm on my chair at the sight and squeeze my thighs together as Roman’s tongue tangles with Blake’s. I look away because now isn’t the time to be thinking about sex. Seconds later, a hand in my hair startles me as my head is forcibly turned and Roman’s lips land on mine.

I can taste toothpaste as his tongue slips inside my mouth along with the scent of two very different aftershaves. When he breaks the kiss a second later, I’m left in a daze.

Blake laughs, and before I can gather myself, he leans over and kisses me too. My head spins, and I’m not sure I’m even on this planet anymore. This whole experience is surreal.

“What are you doing with those?” Roman asks, pointing at the photos I discarded.

“Oh, I was sure this guy is familiar, but I don’t know.” I look at the haphazard photos splayed out before me, but I still can’t grasp what is bothering me.

Roman and Blake chat around me as I drink my tea, lost in my thoughts. But when I hear Roman talking about a guy who came to the church to see Pa, a light bulb goes off in my head.

“That’s it!” I exclaim. They both look at me. “I was at Pa’s, and after I left, I watched a guy knock on Pa’s door. I didn’t get a good look at him, but he was wearing a baseball cap just like this one,” I say, stabbing a finger at the photo of Pa, the guy we think is JC and another guy.

“And you’ve never seen this guy before?” Roman asks, picking up the photo.

“No. Pa doesn’t have a lot of friends, and certainly none that visit the house.”

And as if his timing couldn’t be more appropriate, Oz walks into the room. He’s carrying a laptop and a bag, which looks heavy.

“Morning.” He pauses. “Why do I get the feeling you guys were talking about me?” he asks, stepping slowly towards us and placing his bag on the floor and the laptop on the table.

“We weren’t, but your timing couldn’t have been better. I’ll make you a coffee while you get set up. In here or the office?”

“The office is probably better suited.” Oz picks up the laptop, and Roman grabs the bag.

“Sydney, bring the box and photos. Blake, you grab the phone on your way through,” he orders.

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