Page 16 of Deadly Promise
The two were blissfully living their lives like they hadn’t ruined someone else’s. They’d probably forgotten about what happened as soon as the case was over. Edwin hadn’t. He’d been stewing in his cell for six months, waiting for the day he could make those two pay.
He drifted toward the bedroom. In here, another dose of normal. Flattened boxes stacked under the bed, some with kitchen labels, some just marked “Teagan” or “Hayden” in scratchy handwriting.
They thumbed through dresser drawers, careful not to leave evidence of their visit. Every so often, Ramos’s hand disappeared into his pocket with something shiny.
Sickening, the way those two played house. Pajamas draped together across the bed. Lotion bottles, talcum powder, and deodorant lined up neatly on the dresser. The kind of scene one might notice in a happy home, though Edwin wouldn’t know anything about that since he’d been raised by a single, alcoholic parent.
But this cutesy, cozy display wasn’t going to fix what they’d done.
In the end, real world always caught up. Edwin smirked, thinking about how shocked Teagan would be next time the lesson got taught. Only this time, Edwin would make sure Hayden didn’t call the cops.
Ramos held up a wallet. “Driver’s license, couple credit cards. Might come in handy.”
“Put it back,” Edwin said. “Not yet. We’re not here to take. We’re here to gather intel on our enemy.” He ran his finger along the edge of a framed photo near the window. Hayden with an arm around Teagan, both grinning like idiots.
They had some nerve, making it look like they were the innocent ones. Edwin gritted his teeth. If anyone had a right to call foul, it was him and Ramos. No one ever showed up to defend them when Hayden falsely accused them of a hate crime.
It was definitely hate, but teaching Teagan a lesson hadn’t been a crime. Not in Edwin’s eyes.
He’d never figured out what was so special about Teagan anyhow. The guy was nothing. Hayden always whined about how everyone was against them, but quick to run to the authorities if he didn’t like how things played out.
It hadn’t been Edwin’s or Ramos’s fault Teagan had ended up in the hospital. Guy had probably faked most of his injuries. Seriously, they hadn’t even hit him that hard.
They left the everything exactly how they found it. Each drawer closed, shirts smoothed flat. Edwin darted into the bathroom, checked the cabinet. Nothing worth taking, not even prescription pills. Cheap shampoo and mouthwash. That was it.
He paused in the hallway, looking back at the photos on the wall. One was a snapshot of Hayden riding a bicycle. Had to be around ten years old, wearing a triumphant smile, like he’d just cured every disease on earth.
Next to it, Teagan showing off a birthday cake, the number sixteen on top of the icing. Interesting. Edwin hadn’t known they’d been boyfriends their entire lives.
It was almost enough to make him laugh. The kind of thing you saw a hundred times, until someone decided to get clever and ruin a perfectly good life just because they couldn’t take a punch.
He had to squeeze his hands into fists so he wouldn’t punch a hole in the drywall.
Let them think they were safe in this new town.
Let them believe they were finally starting over.
Sooner or later, everyone paid their debt.
Edwin, back in the kitchen, rifled through the catch-all drawer. “Bingo.” He flashed a single key, pocketing it before Ramos could blink. “See? These two are just asking for it.”
“Least now we have a way in without using tools.” Ramos grinned, his crocked nose, which had seen too many punches, making the smile appear sinister.
“We’ll come back later, when it’s dark.” Edwin used his hip to close the drawer. He’d been very careful not to leave any prints behind.
Ramos finished wiping their prints with his sleeve just in case they’d left one behind. “All done.”
They slipped out the way they’d entered, easing into the alley behind the house, looking like two dudes simply taking a stroll.
Edwin glanced back over his shoulder, Ramos wearing a scowl carved deep into his face. “They’re gonna regret the day they made us the bad guys. Next time, I promise you, the cops won’t be anywhere around.”
It was only a matter of time. The two would learn.
Back at the car, Edwin slammed the door hard enough to rattle the glass. “Flimsy lock on their back door. Pathetic.”
Ramos grunted. “Whole place is a joke. They think moving makes them untouchable. Their mistake.”
Edwin drummed his fingers against the dashboard. “We lost half a year because that little drama queen decided to sell us out. Now he gets to start over while we rotted in a cell? Not happening.”
