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"He forced me to watch all of it. It was... it was awful."
"Why did he do it, K? Do you know?"
"He kept saying that he wanted you all to suffer. He wanted to k-kill me and ruin you. But I don't know why."
"Did you know he was Charlie's son?" I know she was in my arms when James admitted the truth, but I have no idea if she heard or saw anything that happened.
Her wide eyes give me her answer. "He was... he was your... cousin?"
"Apparently so. James only told us last night."
Silence falls around us as she absorbs that bit of information. "So he was jealous? That you weren't Charlie's… that you got all of this?" she asks, gesturing to the house surrounding us.
"Maybe, but I think it's more than that."
"You saw it, didn't you?"
The image of that wall hits me once more. "Yeah, babe. I did. What did it all mean?"
Chapter Thirty-One
Kennedy
Silence echoes around us as my words hang in the air.
“Fuck, I need to talk to James.” Conner leaps up, raking a hand through his hair.
“It’s first thing in the morning...”
“So? I need answers. Charlie. Donny. Warren. Hadley’s ex...”
“Hadley’s ex?” I frown. “The guy from Gravestone?”
“Yeah, he showed up before the holidays. Tried to hurt Hadley. James took care of it, just like he seems to take care of all our problems.” Conner scrubs his face.
“What are you thinking?” I climb out of bed and tuck myself into his warm body.
“I don’t know... he said he’s involved with some dangerous people. But those photographs Warren had... the newspaper clippings and notes...”
“You saw her.”
“Hadley,” he breathes, a shudder rolling through him.
“There was a picture of Remi’s car too,” I add. “I don’t think Lylah keyed her car... it was Warren. It was all Warren.”
“Yeah.” Conner hugs me tighter. “I know you don’t want to think about what happened, and I don’t want to make you—”
“It’s okay, I want to help. But honestly, I didn’t see much more than you. Warren didn’t say anything.” Except for his taunts and jibes, which Conner doesn’t need to know about.
He lets out a defeated sigh before kissing my head. “Come on, it’s time to have a little chat with James.”
He goes to walk away, but I yank his hand sharply. “Conner, I’m not sure I should—"
“Babe, you’re my girl.” He cups my face, lowering his head to mine. “My every-fucking-thing. We do this together. In fact, from now on, I think we should do everything together.” He drops his hands, winding his arms around me. “It’s you and me, K. You’re stuck with me.”
Warmth fills my belly. “I like the sound of that.”
Conner kisses me, hard and bruising, as if he’s sealing his promise with every stroke of his tongue. Liquid lust floods my veins, but all too soon he breaks away, inhaling a ragged breath.
