Page 130 of Challenge Me

He nodded, and his brows knitted together. “He pulled a gun on me. Then he told me that he’d kill me if he saw me again.”

Clara sucked in a breath. “Oh my goodness. Has he been abusive in the past?”

“Emotionally. Verbally at times. I could see the anger under the surface, but I . . .” He drew in a shaky breath. “I had no idea he was capable of actually hurting me.”

“According to the restraining order, he was the victim in your relationship.”

The man—Cole, I assumed—snorted. “He’s an expert at playing the victim. It’s what he’s best at.”

When he leaned forward, I did the same. Everything about him, from his face to his outfit to the way he spoke, made my blood boil. He was fake, and Clara must’ve known it. She investigated people for a living. But she didn’t care about that as long as she got her fame off the backs of those who just wanted to live in peace.

“He has family in California.”

Clara’s eyes widened. “He informed me that he had no surviving family.”

A little smile settled on Cole’s lips, barely noticeable except that I was looking for a crack in his carefully crafted demeanor. “He has an aunt on his dad’s side. He stayed with her for a bit after his parents died.”

I listened to the rest of the interview, but it didn’t add much to the narrative. They’d painted Remi as unstable, more wholly than Clara had managed in the past two months.

The worst part was that he’d seen Cole yesterday, but I hadn’t heard a damn thing about it.

I called him, but he didn’t answer. Most likely, he was occupied at the bar. It was Sunday night, and those were sometimes busy, so I’d give him that.

Even as I thought it, I wondered how much longer I could keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. After all this time, I wanted to believe that we’d reached a place where he’d be honest with me. If he wasn’t willing to be open about his ex showing up—the one I’d literally hired security to protect him from—what else was he willing to hide?

Chapter 35

Remi

I tore out the child to make room for the man,

Peeled softness away till mercy ran thin.

I built walls out of silence, as only I can,

And learned how to live outside of my skin.

I’d stayed at the bar last night, and I couldn’t exactly explain why. Maybe it was because Amir had called me a dozen times. He was still out of town, but being in his house right now felt wrong. Most likely, he was going to kick me out of it anyway.

All I had to do was keep going like this and that was exactly what would happen. I’d be free and clear, able to fade away from the light that had been cast on me. He wouldn’t have to worry about the bad press anymore. And eventually, he’d find someone with a squeaky-clean past. Just the way he wanted it.

Looking at my phone, I sighed. I knew this would happen.

Before he could bust down the door, I unlocked it and swung it open. Oli marched in with a look on his face that I didn’t often see.

“You watched it,” I guessed.

He lifted himself onto the counter, and I came around the other side. His jaw worked as he ground his teeth to dust. After a minute, he reached into his pocket. I caught a pack of cigarettes out of the air and lifted a brow.

“You don’t smoke,” I pointed out.

“I want you to smoke so I can smell it and feel like one of us has an outlet.”

“That’s weird.” I brought one to my lips as he held out a lighter.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me Cole was here?”

It was rare to hear Oli swear, and it made me take another drag from the cigarette. The energy rolling off of him put me on edge and woke up a part of me that lay dormant most of the time. It had come out the other night, that urge to fight, to defend not only myself but the past version of me that was too weak to do it, too much of a damn coward, lost and confused by everything that was happening to me.