Page 26 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

“Okay? It’s just Nyquil.”

Liar. “I freaking passed out just like you wanted.”

“The alcohol component in it isn’t even enough to get an infant drunk. I wanted you to feel better, I wasn’t trying to get you unconscious.”

“There’s alcohol in it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t drink!”

“Okay well…I’m sorry. I didn’t know that. But it’s hardly…”

“You looked around my house.” I wanted him to stop lying. I wanted to hear a confession. I needed to know if I was about to be taken to prison.

I watched his Adam’s apple rise and then fall. “And I didn’t find anything.”

I wanted him to admit it, but I never actually expected him to. Wasn’t that tampering with evidence or something? He just confessed to a crime. I glanced over his shoulder. Detective Torres was in the car, well out of earshot. No one would take my word over a detective’s.

The only problem was that I couldn’t tell if what he said was a lie. He seemed sincere. If he really hadn’t found anything, I was lucky. And I needed him out of my life before he did uncover something that would ruin me. “I’m glad I gave you and your buddy something to talk about.” I unzipped his coat and shoved it into his hands. “But if I ever see you anywhere near my property again…so help me…I’ll…” What? Kill him? The image of the blood dripping down the handle of my stepfather’s pistol made me feel strangled. “Just leave me alone.”

“Violet, I had a good night with you. A great night. I’m sorry that I looked around your house. I just needed to put this little voice in the back of my head to rest so I could give us a real shot. But like I said…I didn’t find anything. I know you’re not involved in that explosion. I know you’re innocent.”

God, he didn’t know me at all. But my mind didn’t focus on the word “innocent” in his spiel. It had focused and attached itself to the word “us.” I wasn’t sure why it hurt so much to hear me be part of a we again. But it did. Like a slap in the face from my past.

“Let me take you and Zeke out tonight. Let me make it up to you. I swear it has nothing to do with the case. I just want to get to know you better.”

“It’s too late.” My response really had nothing to do with him. It had been too late for years now. No one could help me fix the mess I had made. No one could pull me out of it. And love? Love was not an option for a monster like me.

“Violet.” He reached out for me, but I took a step back.

“I don’t go out on dates. I don’t date period. And if I ever did change my mind…I certainly wouldn’t date you.” I wondered if he could spot a lie as easily as I could. Because I was full of them this morning. But it didn’t really matter. I’d never open the door for him again. I wouldn’t answer his calls. He was out of my life. I let my eyes meet his once more. And for just a moment I got lost in their warmth. In their sorrow. In their hope. I had the strangest sense that his eyes were a reflection of my own. That he knew my pain. That maybe he really could save me.

But he didn’t say a word. He didn’t call me out on my lies. He didn’t see that my pushing him away was actually me begging him to say. I wasn’t sure I had ever felt so alone as I did in that moment with him. Truly and utterly alone.

I dropped his gaze. My thoughts were right before. It was way too late to be saved anyway. I opened up my front door again and closed it behind me. I wasn’t sure why, but I held my breath. Like I needed to hear him retreating, leaving me, like everyone else had. I wiped away the tears on my cheeks as I heard the car door slam and the tires on the gravel. He was gone. Out of sight, out of mind. I hope. I bit the inside of my lip again and again and again.

Zeke came running into the room. “Mommy, where is he? I want to try to teach him a new trick.”

For a second I had no idea who Zeke was talking about. Was he referring to Detective Reed like a dog? I stopped biting the inside of my lip when I tasted blood. And as soon as I stopped the nervous habit, my mind cleared, and it came rushing back to me. Shit. I looked out the window, but Detective Reed’s car was already gone. His jacket along with him. And Lizardopolous.

Chapter 12

Tucker

“Sooo…” Damien’s voice trailed off as I sped down the winding trail in the woods.

I ignored him. There was nothing to say. I wanted to blame him, but I blew my shot with Violet. Damien wasn’t the reason I was angry. Although his demeaner toward her certainly hadn’t helped. I had gone to her house last night with the intention of snooping around. But I hadn’t really ended up doing that. Sure, I had looked around the basement while I was fixing her radiator. And I'd casually looked around the first floor. But I had quickly abandoned the fact that I was at her house on business. It had turned into a real date. Apparently a one-sided one, but still.

The fact that I had carried her to bed and stumbled upon a loose floor board that happened to be hiding an unregistered gun? I hadn’t been snooping. Except for the fact that I could have ignored it. I could have walked out of that room and she could have still trusted me. Clearly she knew what I had seen. Clearly she didn’t believe my lies. And why had I lied? I could have just told her that I saw the gun and didn’t care. Why had I fucked everything up for no reason?

“She seemed really into you, man,” Damien said with a laugh.

“Can it, Torres.”

“Torres? You must really be pissed at me if you’re using my last name. What did I do?”

I chanced a glance at him during a turn. “Mrs. Clark? Pretending not to know her? Oh and then there was the fact that you hit on her right in front of me.” I turned my attention back to the narrow path.

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