Page 22 of Cruel Charming Psychos (Necessary Evils 2)

“I don’t know,” I say. “I told him that he can’t be here though. I told him to leave.”

He towers over me. “He doesn’t seem to be taking the hint from you. I’m warning you that if he comes around again, I will take care of it myself.”

That’s insane, but I don’t say as much. Anything I say to defend Asher right now would only make things worse. “I promise you that you won’t need to worry about him any longer.”

He stares me down for a moment, a little too long. It sends a shiver down my spine.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

My heart jumps up through my throat as I seemingly spin in slow motion. Screams echo out as a stampede of people dressed in dresses and tuxedos scatter for the back door of the house. I search the area with my eyes. Even in the midst of the chaos, when I should be running, I realize what’s happened without seeing the body.

I try to rush forward, but Nick attempts to stop me.

Fight versus flight is totally a real thing and I’m able to break away from him with enough force that he stumbles backwards. A man just ahead of me, dressed just the same as the man that attacked me in the stairwell, runs away from the body. He scales the sides of the fence and disappears on the other side.

I drop to the ground, cowering over Asher’s body. He’s lifeless, not breathing, with blood spurting from the holes in his chest and leaking from the corner of his mouth. I grab him by the back of the head and pull him upwards as I check the pulse in his neck. Nothing. I push the hair from his eyes and stare down at him in shock and disbelief.

“You never should have come here,” I say. “You’re so stupid, Asher. You’re so fucking smart, how could you have been so stupid?”

I never loved him in the way that he needed me to love him, in the way that I know that he loved me. He deserved so much more than me, deserved so much more than this. Try as I might, I can’t stop the tears that threaten to drown us both in a pool of sorrow. I cradle his head in my hands for a few moments more and kiss him softly on the forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

And then Nick’s hand is on my shoulder. Whether he’s trying to comfort me or pull me away from the body, I’m not certain but it doesn’t matter. I realize immediately that I need to get out of this place before it’s too late, before the evidence can be destroyed. It takes every bit of energy I have in my body to climb to my feet, but when I do, I find the strength to run.

Nick gives chase, but there’s nothing he can say to keep me here. “Where are you going?”

“I’m getting the hell out of this house before I do something I regret.”

“You’re not thinking clearly.”

“I’m thinking perfectly clear.” I twist on my feet to face him, wiping the tears away from my eyes. “Your father did this.”

“My father was inside the house the entire time. He might be a lot of things, but he’s not a murderer.”

“Asher has the tapes, Nick. He hacked into them, and he knows what was on them. That’s why he was here. He wanted me to go with him so he could tell me what was on them.”

“You are paranoid, confused, and spinning out of control.”

“Your father has a video of me killing your brother,” I say deadpan. “What does that tell you about your father?”

He’s too stunned to speak, seemingly contemplating whether I’m lying or not but deep down, he has to know. “Don’t try and turn this around on my family. Your guy was shady. He was probably wrapped up in things you didn’t know about. Whatever the case, it’s the police’s job right now.”

“No,” I yell. “It’s my job now, because the only thing that’s going to make sure that Asher didn’t die in vain is if I get to those tapes before someone else does.”

He grabs me by both sides of my wet cheeks. “Please, listen to yourself. I understand why you’re upset but that’s exactly what’s happening here. You’re too upset to see the forest through the trees.”

I shake my head defiantly. “I have to go.”

“You can’t leave. The police will need a statement from you.”

“Do you think I’m worried about that right now? I’ll deal with the consequences of running out that door later, but I have to go.”

He juts forward, almost in a last-ditch effort to stop me. “Let me go with you.”

“You need to stay here,” I say softly as I lean forward, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. It’s the same tactic I used with Asher before. Like somehow I believe the softest touch will be enough to deter these men from doing what I don’t want them to do. It’s manipulation, pure and simple. “I’ll be back before anyone realizes I’m gone.”

That’s the last lie I tell before I’m out the front door.

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