Page 21 of Cruel Charming Psychos (Necessary Evils 2)

“Isn’t it obvious that I came to see you?”

“You’re supposed to be leaving town. You should be in your car, halfway to Carolina by now.”

His eyes are everywhere. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he’s on drugs. There’s something else at play though, something else on his mind. There’s a nervousness in his young eyes. “You should know me well enough to know that I’m not going anywhere without you, especially now knowing what I know.”

“And what do you know?”

“We really can’t have this conversation here.” He reaches forward, grabbing my hand but I’m forced to swat it away. “We need to get the hell out of here before someone sees us here.”

“Enough with the cryptic bullshit,” I scowl. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He takes a step towards me. “I need you to understand that I did what I did because I’m trying to save you from this place. The light that used to be in your eyes is gone now. It’s like this place is slowly killing you and I understand why.”

“The only thing that’s killing me is my lack of patience.”

“I’m the one that stole the lockbox from you.”

I stand motionless. There are so many layers to his admission that I can’t process. He didn’t just steal the lockbox from me, but he accosted me in a stairway and attacked me. He did all of this while believing I was pregnant. What could possibly make him risk that? Unless of course, that was a part of his plan. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

“Everything I do, I do for you.”

“That’s exactly the thing that controlling psychos say.” I realize in the moment that despite how much I currently despise Asher, I need him on my side. “Where is the lockbox? I need it back. If you care so much about protecting me, you will do this for me.”

“Remember how I was always good with computers? You always said that I should switch majors into cybersecurity or something, but I was too focused on marketing? I’ve been hacking for years. It’s how I make my money. Steal from the rich, give to the needy.”

“I cannot believe the things you are telling me right now.”

He sighs, realizing that he’s not winning this battle and he’s certainly not making any headway. It’s a lot to dump on someone and I say that as someone who just told him days ago that I was a living, breathing murderer. “I’ve known you’ve been in the Hamptons for months, but I figured you would just make the decision to come home on your own. When I saw your photo in the papers, I knew the only way I could get you back was to come here, but then I found out about the stolen disks.”

“What did you do with them?”

He swallows a lump in his throat, and I take particular notice of the way sweat begins to trickle down the sides of his face that’s paled. “I hacked them, all of them.”

My heart skips a beat, or perhaps a hundred, as I lean in close to him and whisper, “What was on them?”

He shakes his head defiantly. It’s almost as if he’s scared. I can see it in his eyes, and I’ve never seen him like this. “I can’t tell you that here. Wereallyneed to leave before they find me.”

“Okay.” I nod. “Let me just figure out a lie to tell Nick and I will meet you at your hotel.”

He grabs me by the arm, holding tightly as if he’s terrified to let me go. “Be careful, Addison. That man is not who you think he is.”

“You!” Nick screams as he approaches from behind, pointing his finger at Asher. “What in the fuck do you think you’re doing in my house?” He looks around the backyard and yells, “Security!”

ChapterTen

ADDISON

Nick pulls me backwards as Security drags Asher away from the house, through the garden, and past the pool. For the most part, Asher doesn’t try to resist, which is good for him. It’s best if he leaves this place as quietly as he can. I know that I need to follow him out of here, but my head is spinning too much to even try to think of a proper way out of this.

Nick is still heaving, his entire being burning with rage, when I turn to him. “Is that why you wanted me to go upstairs? So you could fuck around with your boy toy?”

I place a hand firmly against his chest. “You know it’s not like that.”

He grits his teeth. “I told you not to make me look stupid but yet here you are. Do you not remember the conversation we just fucking had about my father knowing about him? I look like a fucking idiot.”

“Nick, you need to calm down,” I try to reel him in, but he’s too far gone. “Can you at least let me explain?”

“Why don’t you start by explaining why he was even here?”

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