Page 61 of Heart of a Killer

Still standing by the bed wrapped in a towel, I ask, “Got any clothes I can wear to bed? And none of those weird shorts you gave me to wear last time, ‘cause they would cut into my thighs.”

He shakes his head at me before walking to his dresser and pulling out a pair of boxer briefs and an oversized white shirt. I put them on, and he does the same with a matching set. Once we are dressed, I stand in front of the bed.

“Well, get in, Skylar. I won’t bite,” Alex states, gesturing toward the bed.

“Are you sure about that?” I tease.

He chuckles. “Not this time.”

The mattress squeaks underneath my weight as I crawl in behind Brie, cradling her body close to mine, and Alex does the same to me. His mouth brushes along the shell of my ear, causing me to shiver.

This nagging question in my head leaps to my tongue. “Do you not care that I killed our baby?”

“Was there a baby?”

“No,” I admit. “It was cancer.”

His thumb runs over the long scar that overlaps the brandedA,and he whispers, “I don’t care if there was a baby. I only care that you’re okay.” My chest constricts at his words, and his lips brush my temple before planting a kiss. “Go to sleep now, little butterfly.”

* * *

My eyelids fly open,and I’m in total darkness. Brie’s soft body is curled next to mine, but my back is cold. Turning over, my hand traces the empty space over the sheets, and my stomach twists.

Did he leave us?

The cover slides off Brie when I get out of bed, and I pull it back up over her shoulders. My footfalls lightly slap against the wooden floors, and the cold air that radiates off the boards makes me shiver. I walk through the doorway and step out into the hall.

There’s a rancid scent under the dust that I didn’t notice yesterday, but this house has an aroma that years of cleaning wouldn’t help. I lazily make my way to the bathroom and relieve my aching bladder. The wind rattles the bare trees against the house, and a branch taps on the little window by the toilet.

I hope I’m overreacting. Surely, after everything, Alex would never leave me. He’s proven time and time again that his loyalty is fierce.

I finish washing my hands and step out into the hallway. The office door is ajar, and a white light pours onto the wooden floor. A slight vibration zips through my brain.

My feet lead me to his office, pushing the door open further. My stomach sinks when I don’t see him there. The computer is on, and the monitor lights the dark room, illuminating the back wall. I round the desk, curious if it’s unlocked, and to my surprise, it is. On the screen is a view of my room and how I left it before going to the hospital.

“You are so nosey. Just like me.”

Alex’s voice announces his arrival at the door, and this time I’m not scared of him finding me like I was the last time I was here. He leans against the frame, his arms crossed over his black shirt. My mouth waters as my eyes take in his ripped jeans hanging low on his hips.

“Not as bad as you, it seems,” I joke.

“Maybe once you’re around me long enough, the butterfly trait will become more prominent,” he concurred.

“What do you mean?”

“Our family name.”

Confusion washes over me for a moment, but he continues.

“Our name, Viceroy, is a type of butterfly.”

The lightbulb goes off in my head, and I squeal, “That’s why you always call me ‘little butterfly’?”

Alex chuckles softly. “Yep,” he admits, popping thepas a smirk plays on his lips. “I thought it was fitting. You’re stronger than you know.”

My heart flutters within, and all the butterflies inside me take flight, knocking on my ribs to be set free. He circles the desk, presses himself against my back, and looks over my shoulder at the screen.

“You were really watching me the whole time, weren’t you?” I whisper.

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