Page 65 of Crawl
“You said it yourself, Cash. ‘No matter what happens, we’re in this together.’”
I said that right after she killed her stepdad. She was hyperventilating about the murder. I had to do something to help her accept it, since she couldn’t take it back. I instantly regretted those words, knowing that I was marking myself as someone she can leave behind.
I refuse to depend on anyone, including her.
I put a finger under her chin, narrowing my eyes at her. She knows I can erase her; it’s as easy as pulling the trigger.
But she also trusts me not to, and that infuriates me.
“You’re going to get hurt, little cure,” I say. “Just because we’re wrapped up in each other, doesn’t mean you’re free.”
She bites her inner lip but steadies herself. “But you set me free, Cash. You did this to me.”
“And I will never leave you alone until we’re both dead.”
Our heavy breaths mix in the air, both of us covered in sweat. She’s naked, and I’m disheveled, but this is our truest selves.
As much as I hate it, I know I’ll do anything to protect her, and at the same time, I want nothing to do with her.
If anyone destroys me, it will be Remedy.
And now, I want her to leave before I do something I regret.
“Go check on Jenna,” I order. Remedy gawks at me in surprise, but it’s the quickest way to get her out of the estate. “Now,” I say with a low threat in my voice. “Make sure she doesn’t suspect anything.” Remedy blinks, then quickly dresses and disappears through the front door.
I sigh, running my hands through my damp hair. My feet are rooted, but I want to be free. Just like Remedy does. And the only way to live a free life is to do what I want, ignoring the moral and legal repercussions, andneverlet anyone hold me back.
My phone buzzes. I groan, then check it:Some detective has been asking about you,one of the general contractors texts.Where the hell have you been? Get back to work! Let me pay you, damn it!
I had backed out of more projects than I could count recently, only taking a few small ones to cover my ass and pretend to be the same subcontractor that’s been around the Keys for years. A man no one notices. And most of the time, it works.
But the longer I stay with Remedy, the more I unravel. I need to leave now to throw that detective off of my scent. I need to leave everything behind.
I should kill Remedy. Or if I’m that weak already, Ishouldjust frame her. But I don’t want to focus on those options anymore. I want something else.
I remove a manilla folder from my desk, the file my old associate from Montana prepared on Peter Samuels. The detective’s picture is on the front, and he’s smiling like he hasn’t got a care in the world. I’ve been through the file more times than I can count, trying to figure out a way to shift the blame on him instead of Remedy. But the bastard is clean. A regular town hero. He’s never even smoked weed. The only indulgence he has is a white car with shiny black rims. He was even pulled over by a coworker for speeding when he first started, but he took the ticket because he knew he deserved it. The private investigator found that he had a reputation for being a druggy in high school, but what he actually did was make sure that people didn’t choke on their own vomit. When a classmate almost drank herself to death, he brought her to a separate room with a bucket and water. He asked her not to tell anyone so that he could keep his reputation. He’s a damn fake!
So the rumor Remedy knows from high school isn’t true. Peter wasn’t the one to drug the girl. Instead, he watched over her. Like a guardian angel.
And right now, he’s probably looking out for Remedy. Trying to warn her to stay away from me.
Killing a cop is risky. It’s easier to stay away from their kind. But the idea of finishing him off and somehow making the deaths fall on him fills me with serenity.
But I don’t have to kill him or Remedy. I can leave. Start a new life, like I always do.
But I can’t make myself do it yet. Instead, I text Remedy like a pansy:Let’s do a make-up unbirthday.Tomorrow night.
I have a favor to ask,she immediately replies. She doesn’t even acknowledge my text.
I groan deeply. A favor disturbs me. It means that she knows she can ask me for things. Like she can rely on me. But I’m ready for it. And the worst part is that no matter what that favor may be, I know I’ll do anything for her.
What is she going to ask of me?
CHAPTER 16
Remedy
The next day passes in a blur. I watch the clock during work, completing each task Cash assigns me. It’s like nothing’s changed, and yet now I know that we’re both pretending that Winstone is alive. My mind buzzes with energy, the pressure growing with each passing minute. Cash has a date planned for us tonight, and it makes my thoughts race. He never plans anything. I should be afraid.
