Page 157 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

“Keep. Going.” I can’t breathe. I’m automatically expecting the worst. I shouldn’t, because it’s Caleb. The man who reminded me that we were fake married, who reminded me that I loved him as a kid. Who...

Riley twists around. “Is that—”

“Yes. Eli, drop me at the corner.”

He groans. “What are you planning?”

“Nothing.”

He pulls over, and I grab my bag, hopping out before they can advise against it.

“Keep your phone close, Riley. I’ll call you later,” I add.

She nods, and I slam the door. Eli drives away. I cut through the neighbor’s backyard, into the Jenkins’ backyard. I slip into the mudroom, crouching. There’s a door that leads into the kitchen, but I’m betting Caleb might be in there.

Sure enough, as soon as I press my ear to the door, I can hear what they’re saying.

“We appreciate you trying to be candid, Caleb,” Robert says. “But you haven’t quite told us why you’re trying to warn us about Margo.”

“And forgive us for thinking so, but we thought you enjoyed Margo’s company,” Lenora adds.

Warn them about me?

My heart hammers.

“I’m sorry for not being direct,” Caleb says. “It’s just that… I thought her and I were it. And then earlier today, she put out a private video trying to destroy my credibility.”

I cover my mouth with both hands. The bastard thinks I leaked that video? Like the picture, I’m sure he’s going to be lauded for it.

“So this is revenge?” Robert asks.

“Not at all. Honestly, I was going to let sleeping dogs lie. This just proves that she isn’t the girl I thought she was.”

Silence.

“Your daughter…” Caleb pauses. “She died in a car accident, right?”

“That’s right,” Robert answers. His voice is faint.

“My aunt liked to gossip,” Caleb says. “She said the car accident was caused by a drug overdose.”

“We’ve never hid that fact,” Lenora says. “She was troubled. That’s why we foster teenagers, because sometimes they’re troubled—”

“Was it cocaine?”

I wish I could see the expression on Caleb’s face. If he regrets what he’s saying. But I’d bet his face is the picture of innocence, because that’s who he is: a good fucking liar.

“The fact of the matter is… your daughter’s death is Margo’s fault.”

My heart stops.

“What? How?” Lenora demands. “Margo would’ve been twelve when Josie died—”

“Margo was the cause of her mother’s drug use,” Caleb says.

Each word is a dagger in my heart.

“And because of her parents’ split, Amberly had no choice but to resort to selling drugs. Cocaine, specifically. She sold it to anyone who had cash. College kids, high schoolers. She preyed on innocent lives because Margo—”

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