Page 17 of Psycho

He trailed off when I looked at him.

Ryker squirmed in my arms and gestured with his hands for his dad.

Letting out a sigh, Roman grabbed Ryker from me. I felt his loss instantly and almost took him back, though I knew I didn’t have the right.

“Never mind. You’re not going to say anything.”

“You know me well,” I commented dryly as Ryker shot me a toothy smile.

Roman sat back down and positioned Ryker on his back, gently tickling the small boy and eliciting a giggle from him.

I didn’t say anything as I took in the sight.

That should be enough to keep my human side for a little longer.

I turned and headed for the door.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Roman called out.

I waved at him without looking back.

I closed the door firmly behind me and headed to my bike, hopping on.

There were a shit ton of things that needed to be done today, but there was only one thing I wanted to do.

I headed to her without another thought.

* * *

We werein the middle of the day.

It would be fifteen minutes before school let out, which meant I was fifteen minutes away from catching a glimpse of her.

I shouldn’t be caught dead within a twenty-mile radius of a fucking high school, lurking about, but there the fuck I was.

No one knew I was watching Ozzy Reyes’ daughter.

Had been watching her since she was seventeen. And though her father wasn’t as prominent as Ryleigh’s late father had been when Roman stalked the girl, I doubted the cops would look too kindly on my being there.

And those little shitheads were always finding ways to lock me up for good.

I had been careful.

I hadn’t been caught doing anything I wasn’t supposed to do…

Wouldn't it be something if this small girl was the reason for my downfall?

Ironic, really, considering how much shit I gave Roman with Ryleigh at the beginning of their relationship.

Lainey shouldn’t be in high school.

She should have graduated last year, but a hospital record showed she sustained a pretty bad injury from a fall down the stairs when she was thirteen, putting her out of school for a month.

She ended up repeating the grade.

I didn’t believe the “fall” was really a fall, but short of talking to the girl myself—or the fucking person I suspected was responsible for her injuries—I wouldn’t be getting the full story.

And I was keeping her hidden.

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