Page 44 of Outlawed

“Isn’t it? Convenient or not, don’t change the fact I didn’t kill Dawn. Now you’re going to let me out of here, and you’re going to give me back my daughter.”

“Odd that he knew what time she was shot if he wasn’t there,” Austin points out.

“It’s odd he went away when he’s been turning up at the ranch almost every day.”

Austin nods. “He sure did seem to clock those cameras, huh?”

“Noticed that, did you?”

“I’m a criminal. Wherever I am, I know where every camera is.”

“What about at the ranch?”

He gives me a look as if to say, What do you think? Yeah, I’m not touching that right now.

I focus back on Porter. “How about I make you a deal. You tell me what really happened with Dawn, and I won’t set your ass on fire.”

“Yeah, you’ll just shoot me.”

“Nope. I won’t let Austin kill you either. In fact, I’ll go one better. You tell me the truth about Dawn’s death, and I’ll let you leave this place alive. It won’t take the cops long to track you down anyway. And with me fucking the sheriff, I doubt any of them will care if you tell them what happened here. I really have nothing to lose.”

He doesn’t want to, I can see it in his eyes, but his hands are tied—literally. He may not think I have it in me to kill him, but he knows what Austin is capable of.

“Fine. Get this thing off me first.” He yanks the shackle.

I shake my head. “We’re not negotiating here. I’m going to ask you a question. And you’re going to answer it with the truth, because if you lie, I’ll let Austin here slice off your tongue. Once that happens, you’ll have to write down the answers to my questions. Of course, if you lie again, Austin will remove the rest of your fingers. And if that happens…well, then you’re of no use to me anymore, are you?”

If he could incinerate me with his gaze, I’d be nothing but a pile of ash.

Shame it has no effect on me, though. That’s the thing about being treated like shit all your life—you become numb to it all.

“It was Derek. We made a pact. He’d take care of Dawn, and I’d take care of Jackie.”

I move to wrap my hand around his throat, but Austin holds me back.

“I never planned to kill her. Why would I? Dawn is dead, and I’m home free. Why the fuck would I risk that for a woman who means nothing to me? I just needed Derek to believe that.”

“You were both going to be prime suspects, so you switched victims and made sure you had alibis for the times of their murder,” Austin states, his voice even, which helps calm me.

“Why kill Jackie? Despite everything, she still loves Derek.”

“Love doesn’t pay the bills. You got him fired. He needs the life insurance payout from Jackie’s death. When his dad died, he left everything to Jackie because they were still technically married. Derek has nothing.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re talking about casually killing someone because he lost his job? Millions of people lose their jobs every day. They don’t kill their spouses or parents in response. They get another fucking job.” I seethe.

“I don’t agree with the logic either, but it worked in my favor.”

“You’re no better than him. You prey on women because, to you, they’re the weaker sex. Why should they have powers when you’re just as ordinary as they come? But killing Dawn was nothing but an act of revenge. You didn’t love her. You didn’t need her. You couldn’t accept the fact that she didn’t want you anymore.”

“She was nothing without me. Just like your mother.”

“Why do men always say shit like that?”

“Ego,” Austin grunts.

“Did you kill my mother?”

He narrows his eyes at me, but he doesn’t answer.