Page 37 of Craving Vengeance
“I’ll have IT check her emails. See if we can find anything there,” Marsh said, his voice somber. It was one of the few times Spinelli didn’t detect cockiness or sarcasm in Marsh’s voice.
Spinelli stared down at his desk where the box of chocolates once sat. Could Bethany have orchestrated this whole thing? Could she have killed four people? And did she really want him dead as well? His core chilled at the thought. They’d only gone out a few times, never even slept together. His vision blurred as sweat ran down his back.
He tried to live a good life. He tried to be a good person, yet he may have been the reason for the deaths of Tony Rosso, Mike Carter, Chad Williams, and Joshua Meyers. And poor Shannon. What had he done to her?
Maybe he was no better than his druggie mother after all. Was he ultimately responsible for her death as well? Was he simply too much for her to handle? Perhaps if she hadn’t had him at such a young age, she wouldn’t have had to sell herself on street corners to support herself, him, and her awful drug fetish. There were times he hated her for what she’d done to him as a child, leaving him home alone to fend for himself for days at a time for as far back as he could remember. Drugs seemed to be more important to her than he was. He recalled the countless foster homes he’d spent time in when she wasn’t up for the task of raising him. Some weren’t so bad, but others were awful. He closed his eyes at the last memory of her. He was sixteen, and he’d come home to their run-down, filthy apartment to find her lying dead on the couch. Drug overdose. His chest constricted. His heart fought to beat.
Spinelli flinched at the sensation of warmth that crept up his arm as Shannon wrapped her small hand around his bicep. He couldn’t look at her. He couldn’t risk it. Tears stung his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He hadn’t cried since he was six years old, and he wasn’t about to start now. Shame penetrated every cell in his body.
“I know what you’re thinking, and this isn’t your fault,” she said as she lightly squeezed his arm.
He still couldn’t look at her.
She tugged his arm. “Nick, look at me.”
His gaze drifted to her. Her warm eyes looked up at him. He loved her beautiful green eyes. He’d never grow tired of staring into them. She reached up and placed her small hands on his cheeks. His already burning cheeks warmed even more.
Her beautiful full lips parted. “This is not your fault. You didn’t do this,” she stated firmly as if in full belief of her words. Her gaze didn’t waver. God, how he loved her. Too bad he needed to let her go. He seemed to always hurt those around him, and he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her any more than he already had today.
He stepped back, pulling himself from her hold. The hurt in her expression nearly killed him. But it had to be done. She would be better off without him. Her hand dropped to her side.
“Don’t do that, Nick,” she whispered, her eyes pleaded. He felt like such a bastard.
Chapter Thirteen
Spinelli urged Shannonto let the patrol officer take her home. She wouldn’t budge.Stubborn redhead!
The sound of women’s heels clicking against the hardwood floor drew Spinelli’s attention. Captain Jackson stepped up to him and Shannon. “The officers with Bethany just pulled up. I want you two to make yourselves scarce while they bring her in. And Spinelli, I know I don’t need to say this, but you can watch from the other room.”
He opened his mouth to protest he’d like nothing more than to interrogate the shit out of the woman who likely orchestrated this whole thing but then thought better of it. He knew Jackson was right. He’d likely not be able to maintain his cool and get the job done, and it was likely that Bethany would be more responsive and cooperative with someone else.
“Who’s going to do it? Walker?”
“No, I think I’ll take the first go around on this one.”
Jackson didn’t say it, but Spinelli figured she thought maybe Bethany would respond better to a woman.
