Page 50 of Demise

“Marco?” I ask.

“Yes. He took me to the cemetery, and while I was there, Carson showed up.”

I lift my chin. “Carson?” I question.

“Yeah, your friend,” she says. “Trig.”

“I know who he is, Bexley,” I say tiredly.

She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, he confronted me. Wanted to be clear he had nothing to do with kidnapping us or killing Samuel.”

I rub my chin.“Had a little issue with the cuffs.”

“He’s very unnerving. He mentioned something to me.”

“What?” I ask.

“Asked if I hurt my ankle when I fell.” She places her coffee cup down. “Now I know that’s one of the main ways to hurt your ankle, but it’s the way he said it, Danny. And I swear to God, when I fell, Ifeltsomeone watching me from the woods.”

I lick my bottom lip, thinking about what she’s told me. Trig lied about where he was when we were in Paul’s office. He lied because he knew I wouldn’t like it. I haven’t had a good chance to speak with him alone yet. It’s overdue.

“I’ll talk to him,” I say.

“That’s it?”

“Would you like me to do more?” I ask in all seriousness.

She doesn’t respond.

“Tell me,” I say.

She frowns. “I just don’t trust him, Danny. I know he’s been a part of your life for a long time, but he freaks me out.”

“You didn’t answer my question. What more would you like me to do?” I walk closer to her. “Do you want me to hurt him?”

She watches me and swallows when I stop inches away from her.

“Because I would, you know. All you have to do is say the word,” I murmur. I reach up and run my finger across the scar on her jaw, remembering a skateboard and a girl dancing under the water from a fire hydrant. I can smell her perfume. The shampoo in her hair.

“I don’t want you to hurt anyone,” she whispers.

I study her face, her eyes, her lips. “I’d do anything for you.”

“I know,” she says, lifting her chin. And I believe it. I think she does know how far I would go for her.

Want me to end Trig’s life?

Okay. I’ve been thinking about it anyway.

Want the driver gone?

He’s gone.

All she has to do is give a simple look and people will be taken care of. She doesn’t flinch, though. Lucky bastards. If she had lifted a brow, it would have been over for them. My eyes go to her lips and then I step back.

“So, Marco?” I ask. “What did he do?”

She exhales. “Carson told him to get back in the truck and he listened.” She takes a sip of her coffee and then dumps the rest. “I asked him who his boss was, and he said you, and then I asked him why he listened to Carson.” She grabs a dishcloth and wipes the counter. “I told him to never leave me alone with that man again, and he said he’d talk to you about it. That he wasn’t going to listen to some woman.” She hangs the cloth over the faucet.

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