Page 103 of Hidden Echoes

My smile grows as I discard the syringe, listening to the soft sound of the remaining liquid spilling onto the floor. She’ll never need it again.

I crouch beside her, brushing my fingers over her eyelids to close them. "Don't worry, mother-in-law," I whisper. "Everyone will think you overdosed. That’s what you wanted, right? The drugs? You can drown in them."

I take my time staging the scene, making it look like the pathetic, hopeless death she deserved.

I wait until the police arrive. I watch as an officer mutters into his radio, calling it in as another junkie overdose.

They won’t investigate much. It’s not like she was someone worthy of it.

But I believe in an honest marriage.

So I take out my phone and call Zane.

It barely rings before he answers, his voice tense. "Mia? I’m worried. Why aren’t you answering me?"

I press the phone to my ear, smiling as I watch the police bag her body.

"Because I killed your mother."

I would love to blame the voices for this, to pretend they whispered wicked things into my ear and made me do it. But the truth is, the voices had nothing to do with it.

The monster I’ve become?

That credit belongs solely to my father.

ONE YEAR LATER

CHAPTER 23

THE CRICKET

"Finally. I thought I was going to have to wage war just to see you."

“That idiot Seth.” Audrey rolls her eyes and flops onto the couch next to me. “Ever since my therapist told me I need to ease back into things in small doses, he’s been insufferable. Total control freak.”

I raise an eyebrow. Since when is that news? My brother's always been a controlling jerk when it comes to Audrey Ross.

But I keep quiet.

“He’s probably skulking around the perimeter right now. He doesn’t trust Pietro,” she adds, rolling her eyes again.

I chuckle. “That’s because their relationship’s complicated. But, give it time. Maybe they’ll be friends—if they can both get their egos in check.”

“I highly doubt that,” Audrey mutters, her phone vibrating in her hand.

It’s Seth. I know it without looking. He checks in constantly.

I don’t ask about what’s going on between them. First of all, ew, he's my brother. Second of all, she wouldn’t tell me anyway. They've always had this thing, and I get it. It’s the same thing I have with Pietro. Eventually, I think they’ll find their way back to each other.

But Audrey doesn’t know Seth and I are brothers.

It’s irrelevant. It wouldn’t change anything, and I’ve never seen the need to bring it up.

“Hi, Edo! Aunt Audrey missed you so much, cheeks.”

Audrey stands up, walking right past me to Edo, who's sitting on the rug, meticulously sorting his blocks by color. He has recently developed a new obsession with doing that.

My son lights up the moment he hears her voice. His little hands go straight to her nose, and she makes an exaggerated face, making him giggle like crazy, completely ignoring me.

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