Page 107 of Wicked Ends
Beckett grinned broadly, leaving me no room to doubt that it was Marcus.
“Anyway,” the beautiful girl cut in and addressed Wade, “I think my friend on the ice dancing team was waiting for your call yesterday, Professor. She was really disappointed not to get it.”
Wade flushed and cleared his throat. “Well, my office hours are listed on the door, she can try then.”
“Ouch. Cold,” Beckett mocked and turned his eyes back to me. “Do you need a ride somewhere, Professor Moore? We can take you wherever you need to go.”
Yes, please help me.
The urge to utter that very plea was nearly so strong I couldn’t stop it.Take me to Marcus.How I wished I could say it… but the words wouldn’t come. These young people didn’t deserve to get dragged into my mess, and neither did Marcus. The only man in the whole world who had ever loved me.
“I’m good.” I managed a tight smile.
“Are you sure, because this isn’t a good look…” Beckett glanced between us. “I mean, people might misunderstand… if they are the hotheaded, jealous type, I mean.”
A surprising chuckle left me. Wow. Even now, when it felt like I was on the precipice of the end of my life as I knew it, the thought of Marcus could make me laugh.
“It’s fine. We’re just colleagues. Friends. Grabbing a coffee. Nothing more,” I said and smiled at Wade. “Right?”
Wade nodded. “Right, until I manage to convince her to give me a chance, that’s all we are.”
He grinned like he was playing along with some joke, but it only made Beckett’s dark eyes glint. He leaned a hand on the table and stared down at Wade.
“She said you’re just colleagues. That means you’re just colleagues. Got it?”
“Beckett.” Eve tugged at her boyfriend’s arm.
It should have been immovable, given how big he was, but he softened at her touch and let her pull him away.
“What? That fucker’s on thin ice.” Beckett shot Wade another dark glare.
“Have a nice breakfast!” Eve called back as she pushed her boyfriend out of the diner.
Wade chuckled awkwardly in the ensuing silence. “Well, that was odd, but then those Hellionsarea little odd.”
“Are they?” I said, barely listening. I caught sight of the clock over the counter and registered the time. The hardware store was open.
I took a few gulps of lukewarm coffee and stood, surprising Wade.
“I’ve got to go,” I said, throwing a few dollars onto the table.
Wade made to rise. “But the food hasn’t come yet,” he pointed out.
“I’m not eating, remember? But you enjoy,” I said quickly and made for the door.
I had a fratricide to plan.
As I had little to no experience with planning on hurting someone, my trip to the hardware store was chaotic and random. Duct tape and rope, a large tarp, and cleaning fluids. I was worried how suspicious the shopping list was, but the bored teen at the counter barely blinked and started scrolling through their phone before I’d even finished checking out. I stuffed my things into a bag and made for the car.
The next stop was the bus station. There had been more than one gun in the bag I’d stolen from The Clutch. Marcus had taken one, but there should still be another one in there. There hadn’t been any bullets that I’d seen, but still, it would be good to threaten Dale with. I could convince him to go with me somewhere… like the edge of a cliff. The cliff edge above the house that I’d dreamed of renting returned to me. It was a perfect drop from there to the jagged rocks thirty yards below.
At the bus station, I took the duffel bag out of the locker and into the ladies’ bathroom. Inside a tiny, cramped stall, I opened the bag and searched for the gun. Stacks of hundreds stared up at me.
Money.
Here was all the money that Dale was looking for. I could just give him this, and all my problems would disappear.
No, not all. I’d have stolen from Marcus, the only man to ever care about me. I wouldn’t do that. I wasn’t going to be another person in Marcus’ life who had used him for their own selfish needs. I refused to be.
