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“She published a case study on you. Anonymously. But...” I winced, trying to find the gentlest way to give him what he wanted while getting myself out of hot water. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I got her to retract it. And Kai did whatever it was to the journal’s server to make sure it was well and truly gone.”
“What sort of case study, Bennett?” Shit… there was my name again, inthattone.
My fingers tapped against my thigh while I tried to think of the best way to phrase it, but even a sonata wasn’t helping come up with anything brilliant.
“Bennett!” When I still didn’t answer, Leander unfolded his arms and pulled out his cell phone. I thought maybe he was going to call her, or send a text message, in a desperate attempt to get to the truth. But a moment later, his jaw almost hit the floor and he stared at me. “You shot her mother?!”
“Do you hear that?” Kai asked, popping up to his feet. “Is that my phone ringing? I definitely think that’s my phone.” Without waiting for an answer, he practically flew out of the room, his cell phone laying in plain view on the side table.
Brows furrowed, I bit my lips, trying to think of the appropriate response to the new predicament I found myself in.
Leander didn’t give me a chance. “Why in God’s name would you shoot her mother? She’s a judge, Bennett! The police aren’t going to sweep this one to the side. They’re going to keep investigating until they have a suspect!”
“It’s fine. I promise. There’s literally nothing that links me to her anymore.”
“What do you meananymore?” Fuck. I was just digging myself deeper and deeper.
“There’s some things that came up, that I didn’t share with you... because I didn’t want you to worry! It’s been dealt with it so there’s no need to drag it up again.”
“What kind ofthings?”
“Nothing important.”
“You honestly expect me to believe that? How stupid do I look to you?”
An unexpected thread of anger wound its way through my insides. By the time it reached my head, it was poised to overtake any sort of rationality I may have started the conversation with. “Just so we’re clear, are you mad about the fact I hurt your precious Lorelei, or the fact I didn’t tell you?”
He stiffened, looking like I’d slapped him. “Hurt Lorelei? Did you shoot her as well?”
The air went out of my lungs, each syllable like a series of chains wrapping around me. Still, there was no way he was going to win this fight. Not this time. Fuck the high road. “Thatis your concern? Really?!”
Instead of replying, he continued to hold my glare.
“No, Leander, I didn’t shoot her,” I snarled, taking a step closer to him. “I fuckingstabbedher. But I’ll be God damned, she lived! And then the bitch turned around and published an article that could ruin you. So yeah, I shot her mother as a little nudge to do what I told her. And before you go crying about poor Helena Clayton, you should know she filed a complaint about me to the ARDC. Neither of them are innocent, so don’t act outraged that I did what was necessary to protect both of us.”
“I’m ‘outraged’ that you continue to withhold things and yet expectmeto go over every single thingI’mdoing!” He’d started pacing in a tight circle while I defended myself, prowling about Kai’s living room, and it didn’t stop once I was finished. “I have told you time and time again not to lie to me.Nottelling me thingsislying, Bennett! Have I not been abundantly clear? All I’ve ever wanted from you is the truth!”
“Seriously? How understanding would you have been if I told you I tried — and subsequently failed — to gut your girlfriend?” He shot a scowl in my direction, so I held up my hands and rectified it for him. “Oh, that’s right. You never ‘labeled’ it. My bad. Regardless of the fucking title, you wouldn’t have been ok with my decision, even though I’ve only ever had your best interest at heart.”
He raked a hand through his hair, throwing me another heated look while he continued to pace. The wheels in his brain were definitely turning, probably going over every single conversation and unexplained absence since we’d been back in Easton.
I plowed on anyway, each new point throwing another log on the fire. “How happy would you have been to learn she took every single thing you ever told her and put it out in the world for everyone to read? Your thoughts. Your fears. The misery that keeps you awake at night. She dissected every part of your brain, every part of your life, and turned you into a fucking monster.”
“Iama monster,” he snapped, jerking to a halt in front of me. “An aberration, wrought from decades of bloodshed and corruption, as you well know. You cannot stand there and tell me I’m not, no more than you can swearyou’reinnocent.”
“You know what your problem is? You believe Irene. You believe her minions. You’ve internalized all of their venom your entire life.They’rethe monsters, Leander, not you.”
He scoffed. “So I’m to be the hero now? Is that what you’re saying? I should rise from the ashes of my childhood trauma like a fucking phoenix? You sound more like Lorelei than you think.”
“No, that’snotwhat I’m saying,” I shot back, disgusted he’d even lump me in with that woman. His eyes narrowed at the viciousness of my reply. “I didn’t fall in love with a hero — I fell in love with a villain. So be a fucking villain! Stop debasing yourself because you only hear that miserable bitch’s voice in your head. Every single word in that article is an insult, not only to you, but tous— our marriage, everything we’ve accomplished. A little fucking gratitude wouldn’t hurt, you know.”
“What would you have me do?” He unfolded his arms and spread them wide. “Kill Lorelei in front of you? Would that finally put this whole thing to rest?”
“Yes! God, yes! Please!” I clasped my hands together in prayer and fell to my knees in front of him. I’d go back to church every Sunday like a good little Catholic if he’d make that one wish come true.
“I told you — she has people who rely on her.” Leander started to turn away from me, but I grabbed onto his belt and clung to it with both hands.
“I’ll find Martha the best psychiatric facility there is. I swear! I’ll petition the court and get her transferred as soon as I can file a motion in Camden County.”
