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“It was what she deserved. Mr. Carter was next. My old shop teacher. He was going to turn me in because he caught me messing around with some flames in his class. So I messed around with flames at his house.” He took another step toward Beau. “You’re so much like me, do you see it?”
“I see…a sick freak.” And I will be killing you.
“Your mom abandoned you. You made your own family—a brother—with Royal. I’ve been watching you. I know. My mom abandoned me. I found my own brother, Everett.”
“You just told me.” His breath heaved out. The bastard was so close with that damn knife. “You just told me you…killed Everett.”
“He was going to tell you about me. He didn’t like being locked up. He couldn’t handle it. I knew he’d break when Avalon went to see him. I told you already, his victims? They were her. It’s because of the day at the pool. It’s because?—”
A door slammed.
The killer’s head whipped around. His body went still.
Beau rocked forward in the chair. Kept straining against the cuffs. Rocked back. The unsteady chair swayed.
No other sounds followed the slamming of the door. The killer’s shoulders relaxed. “This building is gonna come down. Well, it’s going to burn again, then come down. Everyone will say it’s a reflash. That happens. Fires can reignite in places like this.” He looked back at Beau. “I first saw Avalon at her birthday party. A fancy country club gig. Everett had gotten a job as a lifeguard. That was why the drowning death would have been so brilliant! He had a girl, and he was holding her under the water while I watched. Avalon came rushing up, so we had to let the girl surface. We thought for sure Avalon saw us. We tried to act like we were helping the girl. But what if Avalon knew the truth? That was why I had to go to Avalon’s house. Avalon couldn’t talk to any cops. What if she remembered us? I set the fire to stop her.” Fast, rushed words. Almost as if he talked more to himself than to Beau. “She should have died. But you—you came to save her.”
“Will…always save her.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll be dead. The dead can’t save anyone.” He glanced at his knife. “Everett told Avalon that he wanted you found, and he wanted your intestines cut out and tied in a bow. Don’t you think that’s the least I can do for him? Fulfill his dying wish? He was just like a brother to me. This part will be for my brother.” He raised the knife and?—
“Get away from him!” A voice blasted from the shadows.
Kai’s voice.
Kai burst from the darkness. He ran forward.
The killer whirled toward him.
Even as Kai ran forward, Beau lifted his legs and slammed them into the killer. As hard as he could. He caught the killer in the back and upper thigh, and the man slammed into the ash-covered floor. The chair swayed beneath Beau and then it toppled straight back. It fell, and the wood broke apart. Beau twisted and heaved, and he managed to jerk free of the chair, but the cuffs were still behind his back. He jumped to his feet.
Just in time to see the knife plunge into Kai’s chest.
“Kai’s not answering his phone.” Royal’s voice was tight with fear and fury. “Dammit, I should be driving!”
“I’ve got this.” What she had was the gas pedal all the way down to the floorboard. They’d taken Beau’s backup ride, an SUV, and she was currently hurtling them toward LeBlanc’s. “You texted Ophelia and Lane?”
“Yes, they’re going to meet us at LeBlanc’s.” His hand slammed into the dashboard. “This can’t be happening!”
It was happening. Beau was in danger. Every moment counted. The road was dark and empty ahead, and the car couldn’t go any faster.
Why couldn’t the car go faster?
Hold on, Beau. Hold on.
“Stay where you are, or I will slice his throat.” The knife was at Kai’s throat. “He’s currently still breathing, but you take one more step toward me, and he’ll be choking on his own blood.”
Was Kai still breathing? Beau couldn’t tell for sure. But he stopped advancing because this was Kai’s life.
“Another hero.” Disgust. “What are you doing now, recruiting them?”
“You don’t want to kill him.”
“Well, I didn’t want to kill you, either, but you wouldn’t stay away from Avalon. I wanted to kill her years ago. I tried. Everett tried. But she always had guards. Because of you. It was fucking unfinished business, don’t you get that? She saw us at the country club.”
“What happened to the girl at the country club?” Beau knew he had to keep the prick talking. Talking and not slicing Kai’s throat. Beau also knew exactly what had happened to the girl. She’s dead.
“Avalon came close to the pool we were using. It was supposed to be a private area. Avalon’s stupid party was on the damn other side of the country club! She shouldn’t have been there. Damn Avalon.”
