For hours after I caught him in bed, I sobbed until my stomach hurt. Then I puked and cried some more. My whole world crumbled around me, chalky and ruined, nothing more than smoke and dust.
I take the can from Liam. The metal’s cool. It’s surprisingly light. There’s not much gas left. He steps aside and watches as I approach the car, a knot in my throat. All my instincts, all my years of being good and doing right, it rebels against this moment.
This isn’t me. I don’t do stuff like this.
Only weirdos and crazies light their ex-boyfriend’s car on fire.
But God, how sweet will it be?
And the bastard deserves it.
I tilt the can forward and splash gas onto the driver’s seat.
CHAPTER 2
REGAN
Holy crap, this feels good.
I drench the seat, the steering wheel, the front dash, the middle console. I pour out the last drops onto the floor near the pedals and I’d probably smash the can through the window if Liam didn’t gently take it from my hands.
“Well done, love,” he says softly, steering me back away from the car. His hand presses to the small of my back as he tosses the can onto the passenger seat. “Now for the fun part.”
I’m trembling. This has gone too far. But I like Liam’s ease and confidence. The man oozes obscene charm and there’s an edge to him, a dangerous gleam. I’ve met men like him before, killers and monsters, though none so good looking and carefree. Normally there’s a weight to them, a darkness. Liam’s clearly got a black heart, but it doesn’t seem to drag him down.
“What part’s that?” I say and even manage to sound normal.
He takes a silver lighter from his bag and flips open the top. “Would you do the honors?”
My palm’s shaking when he places it in my right hand. I stare in wonder and horror. There’s so much power in this little thing. One flick and boom, this is all over. One flick and I’ve crossed a line forever.
I see Kieren again, fucking Vera, eyes rolled back in pure joy.
But it’s that stupid smirk on her face, like she knew she won something, that makes me light it and throw it through the open car door.
The fire catches fast. I yelp in surprise as it rushes in a sharpwhooshas the stink of burning plastic and melting rubber slams into my nostrils. Liam pulls me away, his strong arms dragging me a few more feet to the side, as flames lick out the door.
“I can’t… holy shit… I just…”
“Amazing, right?” He watches the blaze with a religious intensity. “Gets better.”
“Shouldn’t we run?”
“In a moment, love. Just enjoy it. Picture the look on Kieren’s face when he finds this.”
I try to do just that, but I feel drained. The rush and adrenaline begins to ooze from my system, leaving me feeling sludgy and weak, like my knees can’t hold my weight anymore. The fire grows rapidly, sparking and burning, until?—
A blast and a massiveboomsends me staggering back. The hood’s on fire and flames spout out the back from the tailpipe. Liam’s cackling with excitement as smoke billows out, rapidly filling the parking garage.
I turn and run.
That’s enough. I can’t handle it anymore. I bolt, mindless, panicking. We really just blew up Kieren’s car. I poured gas, I flicked the lighter, and I watched it explode.
Holyshit.
I never thought I’d go bad. But instead of starting small, I wentall in.
I’m coughing as smoke fills my lungs. I stagger down the ramp, stumbling toward the exit ahead. I have to steady myself against the wall, confused and terrified. Is that fire going to spread? Are the other cars going to burn too? This whole parking garage could be a raging inferno?—
