I grabbed my girl by the waist and hoisted her onto the counter, then stepped between her knees and gripped her hips. God, the way that soft flesh melded under my fingers drove me crazy. “What did they tell you about the mansion? Its purpose.”
“That it’s a safe house for troubled kids.”
“Nothing more?”
“No. Why?”
“The mansion. Tucker. Tito. Dr. Slade.” My throat constricted against the thick lump forming. “The Rest Area Reaper. They’re all connected.”
“What do you mean?”
I sucked in another breath, then blew out, “Tucker is the Reaper.”
Moriah snorted. Slapped my shoulder. Laughed. The twinkle in her eyes faded while she waited for me to concede.
“Is this a joke?”
I swiped at a freckle under her lip, studying her face, chin to brilliant, beautiful eyes, my breath catching. “No. Not a joke. Tucker did it on his own for years. Then he brought Moretti into the mix. Eventually Lettie and James got involved, using the mansion to rehabilitate the kids Tucker rescues.”
Brows worried, she waited for me to continue.
So, I did. Throwing everything on the table. “They brought me in last week.”
“Brought you in…how?”
“Those men in the hotel. That was Tito and me.”
She leaned back on her arms, putting distance between us. “You guys carved those men up?”
“Yes.”
“They needed you, why?”
“That was a two-man job, and Tucker’s not so keen on getting bloody.”
Moriah stared, eyes unfocused at my chest. “But you are.”
“It’s who I am.”
“And the girl at the hospital, that was Tucker?”
“She’d OD’d. Her captors shot her up, trying to keep her compliant. He got her to the emergency room in the nick of time.”
“This is a lot of information to take in.”
“I know.”
“So that explains the tight security at the mansion. The privacy. The false documents Tito produced.”
I nodded.
Painful seconds passed. Moriah gnawed on her lower lip, then met my eyes again. “If you hadn’t found me, what would’ve happened to Mim?”
“Those are questions best aimed at Tucker or Leticia. I don’t have all the details.”
“This is…” She pushed me away and hopped off the counter. “Wow. I um…” She stepped away. Stopped. Turned to face me. “Thank you for telling me.” She shoved hair away from her face, stared at the floor, then huffed, backing away. “And thanks for staying with Mim today. But. Um. I need a bath. And I need time to think. And I think you should not stay here tonight.
# # #