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“Okay.” He nodded to himself, like he had come to a decision. “You’re not going to like hearing this, but this is what I think happened. The guy wanted your friend and he finally got her. And he got her all to himself. I’m sure he put on a whole show, how he didn’t want you to go, but then, in truth, he liked that you were gone. He had her to himself. But once he did, I don’t think it went how he thought it was going to be. Life spent in hiding ages a person. It was wearing on him. Franco got him hooked on drugs so he was getting high, he had a bunch of cash, and your friend started looking different to him. He started thinking about what he could do on his own. He started feeling more and more trapped by her. If it hadn’t been for her, he could be living life grand. He knew I was with you. Someone told him at one point so he was hiding from me too. He blamed that on her too, since you were her roommate.”
With each word, I felt more and more sick. My stomach had climbed into my throat by his last words. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because I’m painting you a picture so you understand that when he got high, he got angry, they probably got into a fight, and he killed her. He probably didn’t even care that much anymore. She was a burden to him by then.”
“How do you know this?”
“Because this is what I do. I figure people out. I figure out their agendas. And your buddy here, he’s not some mastermind. He only thinks he was.” He had Ben’s shoes off and ripped off his shirt next. His pants were last before he stood up. “Are you ready?”
“Why did you undress him?”
Carter flashed me a hard grin. “You don’t want to know that answer. Alright, here we go.” He started shaking Ben again, kicking more at his feet. At first there was no response, but after a few more vigorous slaps on the face, he started to wake up. He sputtered and threw himself backwards. When he came up against the couch, he scrambled to his feet.
Carter pushed him back to the floor. “You stay there. Okay?”
Trembling, Ben nodded. His face looked drained of all his blood. And then he turned to me. His eyes widened, remorse filled them, and his lip started to quiver.
I looked away, sickened to the point where I was revolted now. Carter was right.
“Emm-Emmm-Emma,” he stuttered out. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. I-what did I do? Mallory,” he choked on her name. “What did I do to her? What did I do, baby? What did I do to you? Oh my god.”
I couldn’t hear it. I didn’t want to. Without thinking, still hearing Amanda’s shout in my head, I picked up his gun and swiftly turned in the same movement. I shot him. The sound went off, but I never heard it. His body slumped back down and his mouth stopped moving.
He was dead.
I had avenged Mallory.
Then I turned and left. I never looked back.
I left Carter in that apartment. There was a car downstairs waiting for me and I was driven to the safe house. Amanda and Theresa were at the dining room table, a huge glass of wine in front of both of them. When they saw I was alone, each gave me tired smiles. I showered before I joined them, but when I did there was a huge glass waiting for me. I needed it.
We sat together the rest of the night. None of us wanted to go to sleep.
They never asked what happened. They knew.
Noah arrived when it was nearing six in the morning. He looked exhausted as well. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want to know. Theresa tipped her head back, as if waiting for a kiss, but he knelt and folded her body against his. He stood and both disappeared down the hallway.
Amanda lifted her eyebrows.
I yawned, “My boss. They’re complicated.”
We didn’t speak another word, and Carter was the next to come in. He didn’t pick me up as Noah had, but he took my hand and led me
to our room.
I looked over my shoulder, but Amanda had her head down. She was resting it on the table. I knew she didn’t want to sleep or she would’ve asked for a bed.
After we showered, Carter lifted me and took me to the bed. He put us both under the covers and we lay together. When I started to reach for a shirt, he shook his head. He wanted only our skin against each other.
We never talked about what I did, between any of us.
Amanda didn’t want to go back to her apartment, so she stayed at the safe house. She lived there, and this time it was my turn to pack up her belongings. I had all of it put into storage. She only asked for a few things, mainly clothes and her computer.
Since Amanda stayed at the safe house, so did Theresa. I didn’t understand why, but she told me that Amanda reminded her of her mother. A bond formed between the two and after three months at the safe house, Theresa took her in. There was no question, no discussion. We were all having dinner one night, Noah and Carter as well, and Theresa put down her fork, tilted her head to the side, and told Amanda she was moving in with her.
The next day, the little belongings Amanda had were packed up and both of them left.
I wasn’t sure who was more relieved, Noah or Carter. Since both of my friends were at the safe house, I wanted to stay there as well so Carter stayed with me. Noah was the only one who didn’t stay all the time, but he was around more often than not. Amanda asked me one night if it was weird that I was almost living with my boss, but I shrugged. Nothing seemed weird anymore.
