Page 129 of Grimstone

“We won’t be broke once we sell this place,” he argues, disregarding the kitchen. “Then we can move anywhere we want.”

I take several slow breaths, lowering my voice to a calmer level.

“I hope we make bank on the reno, Jude—but that’s not going to solve all our problems forever. You still need to go to college and figure out a career, and I need to find the next place to flip. Maybe somewhere close, if this one goes well…I kind of like Grimstone.” I hesitate, but it’s better to get it all out at once. I never should have hidden this from him in the first place. “Plus, uh, I’ve kind of been dating our neighbor…”

“What?”Jude’s eyes narrow.

“Dane didn’t kill his wife,” I say quickly. “Their relationship was pretty fucked up, but the whole murdering thing was exaggerated.”

“Oh, well, everything’s cool then,” Jude says in disgust. “I can’t fucking believe you, Remi.”

“I like him.” I’m getting defensive, and I know my face is red. “He’s not like you think, and he’s the one who saved me from those guys on Halloween night. If Dane hadn’t come—“

“He’sthe one—!“ Jude starts to shout something then stops himself, shaking his head at me in outrage. “So, he’s your savior now?” he sneers. “The guy threatens and extorts us, you thought he broke into our house, he’s the most hated person in town, but you’ve decided he’s perfect boyfriend material. FuckingtypicalRemi—you’re pulling out all your greatest hits.”

The anger and disdain on Jude’s face makes me feel about two inches tall.

When he says it all like that, it does sound pretty stupid and reckless.

And he’s not done yet—Jude points his finger in my face.

“You’re off the fucking rails—you have been since we got here. Something’s wrong with you, Remi, you’re fucked in the head. Quit trying to fix my life when yours is a trainwreck.”

He shoves the acceptance letter into the rest of the mail, making the whole pile shoot off the end of the table and scatter across the floor. Then he stomps out the back door.

* * *

33

DANE

Remi’s theory about the sheriff makes sense. He pulled her over coming into town, targeting her pretty much from the moment she got here, and he didn’t let up until he lured her into the park on Halloween night and almost succeeded in making her this year’s victim of the Reaper’s Revenge.

I should feel relieved, knowing that he’s dead on a slab in the morgue, and his two buddies are locked up, too.

The only problem is…neither Remi nor I remember stabbing him.

Granted, she was drunk, and I was in a homicidal rage. I certainlywantedto kill Sheriff Shane and anybody else who laid a finger on Remi. It’s possible I went blitzkrieg on him, or Remi did, or one of his own buddies who might have held a grudge.

But something keeps nagging at me, and around ten o’clock at night, I find myself pulling up the feed to the camera I hid inside Blackleaf.

It hasn’t been much use so far, other than I like to open the app and get a peek at Remi whenever I miss her.

I know that’s fucked up and inappropriate. That’s why I’m glad Remi knows about it now, too—I really don’t like lying to her. But she didn’t ask me to shut it down. Because, in a weird way, I think she likes knowing I’m watching her.

She likes my attention. And she knows she’s safer when I’ve got my eye on her. Because I won’t let anything happen to her—not if I can help it.

I’m the only one who gets to fuck with Remi.

And I’m the one who will keep her safe…from the sheriff, from Gideon, and even from her own damn self.

I’m starting to think that’s the real danger…what Remi won’t admit to herself.

And maybe that’s the real reason I installed this camera in the first place.

To prove what I’ve suspected from the very beginning…

* * *

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