Page 63 of Wicked Riddles & Bitter Heartbeats

Lilah walks up to her, throwing her arms around her neck. Violet lets out a startled squeak but hugs her back.

“I don’t hate you like I thought I would,” Lilah says with a smile, causing Violet to laugh.

“Good to know. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Lilah gives her another squeeze and then lets her go.

“I’ll walk you out,” I tell her.

We walk through the front and go halfway down the driveway.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask.

“Very.”

“If you ever need a place to stay, if you come back, I’ll be here.”

“Thanks, Atticus. For everything.”

I give her a smile, but there’s a strange feeling in my throat. It’s hard to breathe and suddenly feels like there’s something on my chest.

“See,” she says with a smirk. “Good, just like I said.”

With her hands in her pockets and her hood pulled over her head, she starts down the driveway, walking out of my life once again.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Atticus

My mind has been clearer than ever over the last week, ever since Violet left. I hadn’t realized how much that situation was bogging me down, and after speaking with Lilah about it, I realize it’s because I missed her. I was worried about her. And I needed to know she was okay.

So, I guess I really do have a soul… somewhere deep down in there. Or maybe my theory about Lilah holding onto it really is true, because I’ve only felt all this since finding her.

Now’s not the time for the mushy stuff though. I’m busy.

I bring the knife down, stabbing it into Albert’s chest, then using all my might to drag the knife downward, cutting him open from chest to groin. He’s long stopped screaming, ever since Lilah removed his eyeballs from his skull. I’m afraidshe’s obsessed and will want to do this even after this plan is done. I have no issues with the killing part, but the more we do it, the riskier it is. Especially after doing this to gain my brother’s attention—my cop brother. Scooping out eyeballs isn’t a common enough thing. The cops will look into it because they can’t write it off as another drug deal gone bad.

It’s not like I will ever stop killing; it’s a part of who I am. And I once heard a saying about doing the things you love with the people you love.

That’s Lilah.

But back to Albert.

He’s the final kill. After this, I can call my brother—who is the final piece to this lovely, murderous puzzle.

The murders have been on the news, due to the gruesome details and because of what Violet did. There are a lot of murders in Boston, but not serial killers. Not home invasions and brutal murders without robbery. Though the Boston Phantom has been around for a while, everything lately is different. It’s a different MO, and different people—according to police. I laugh at how dumb they are, because no, not all of it is from different people.

“Guess what, Kitten?” I say as I roll Albert’s body off the side of the bed. He lands on the floor with a heavy thud, allowing the blood to seep out of his body faster, thanks to gravity. There isn’t really a reason to do it, other than to make more of a mess and confuse crime scene techs. Why did I do this? They’ll ask themselves that and have no answer. Because the answer is: because I can.

I’ve woven a beautiful ending to this story, and after sleeping on my thoughts for a few nights, I’ve decided Lilah and I are leaving too. Out of the country. Now that things feel finished, and I’m sure they will feel even more so after speaking with my brother, I don’t need to stay here. I can sell my house, all the cars, pull the money from the bank, and move far away withmy kitten. We can go to some place with sunshine and beaches. To be honest, I wouldn’t care if we were in a cabin on top of the mountain. I’ll settle anywhere that makes my kitten happy. Of course, a place where I am less likely to be caught while indulging in my extra curricular activities will be a bonus, but we can talk about that later. I haven’t told her yet, but when this is all done, it’s going to be the first thing I do.

“Atty,” Lilah says softly from behind me. I turn to face her, recognizing that look in her eyes.

“Yes, Kitten?” I ask, my chest heaving and sweat dripping from my brow.

Albert is not a small man.

Lilah walks to me with a sweet smile on her face. I know better than to think it’s actually sweet though. There is no fooling me. She’s up to something.

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