Page 89 of Give Me Perfect Love

Austin puts his smoke between his lips before shoving his hands into his pockets as he leans against the fridge.

Claire continues, “Kat, your guy has money. You don’t think a successful businessman like him doesn’t know people? Bad people?

“He’s got a bodyguard, and I’m sorry, but he’s borderline crazy. I mean, we all saw him beat the shit out of that dude at Red just because he touched your ass. He’s nuts over you.

“Remember him showing up to whatever the name of that club was…” She snaps her fingers, trying to recall the name.

“The Mint,” Austin says, talking past the smoke between his lips.

“Yeah,” she says. “And don’t pretend like we all didn’t stand there and watch him almost take Cain’s life himself. You don’t think he’s capable of hiring someone to take out a man who’s a danger to his girl?”

My eyes stay on my best friend. Every single word she’s saying is nothing but facts. I’ve been asking myself all of these questions, but the cold truth is, I’ve known the answers the whole time.

I swallow, my heart beating erratically.

“But I’m glad,” Claire says. Austin looks over at her. “He took care of Cain. I never have to see that sick fuck again and I’m grateful. I hope that whoever Bryce hired, whoever that guy was, and his buddy Sweep knew what they were doing, and we can all forget about this shit.”

My eyes go to the floor, my heart holding its head down in sadness.

You know when a person has had enough? When all reason and right no longer matter.

Cain took a bullet to the head by some guy who’s what we all assume a hired killer and Claire is glad.

None of us say anything. What the hell can we say?

“We take this to our grave,” Austin says, pushing off the fridge. “This is our secret. Our sick, twisted, fucking secret. I have a lot of questions, and I can’t say I’m not worried that you’re mixed up with a guy like this, Kat, but he did us all a favor.” He looks at Claire. Her face is filled with an emotion I can’t touch. It’s only for Austin.

My heart looks up, feeling as though we’re intruding on a special moment.

Someone knocks on the door, interrupting us all.

I move from the counter, but Austin says, “Wait.”

I turn my head back to him.

“Agree on it. Right now, we all agree on it.”

I look between my two closest friends. “To the grave,” I say.

“Me, too.” Claire nods. “To the grave.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bryce

The girls are taken back as soon as we arrive at the doctor’s office. I sit in the waiting room while Austin smokes a cigarette outside. The boy has hardly said two words to me. I know they’re thinking what the hell kinda of world did they step into.

None of them asked for this. If we would have just called the cops, then we’d have nothing to hide. But I’m not going to lie and pretend like I’m not glad that motherfucker is dead.

In some way, I feel like retribution was done. I didn’t get to kill Saw, but I did get to wrap my hands around a rapist’s throat, and I did get to watch him die.

I got a text from an unknown number when I woke this morning that readdone.

I erased it as soon as it came, got up, and went to hit off some stress. My thoughts shifted like the wind. Going over everything that happened last night. Knowing I’d have to explain myself to my girl. She isn’t going to let any of this go, and I don’t blame her. She’s been through pure hell these past couple of days. Last night, when we were in the elevator, I saw something in the reflection of her eyes.

A fleeting glimpse of her soul she’s been hiding from me. She hasn’t given me everything, like I have her, but that’s changed. Kat may have questions, she may get pissed the fuck off at the answers, but she isn’t going anywhere.

We’re one now.

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