Fearless (Broken Love, #5)(31)

“So, what did you have to do with Mitch’s murder and kudos to you, bitch. He needed to be put down a long time ago.”

“I went there to kill him, but Q stopped me.”

Di stiffened and her eyes dulled as she stared at me in disbelief. “Q—Quentin was there?”

“He followed me out there the day Keiran went away for business. Apparently, he was assigned to be my watchdog.”

“Ever the obedient little slave,” she whispered absentmindedly. She stared off, appearing lost. Her body trembled ever so slightly.

“Di?” It took three tries of calling her name to bring her back from wherever she had been trapped.

“Yeah?”

“Where did you go?”

“Somewhere I have no intention of sharing with you or anyone, girly.”

“Maybe you should talk about it,” I mumbled.

“What?” Her tone was angry, but her green eyes were wide as vulnerability burst from their depths. Di had always been a puzzle, but right now, she looked like a frightened girl.

“You don’t talk about your past, but it’s clear your past is what haunts you. Therapy might—”

Her eyes narrowed into angry slits, and it shut me up. “Do you want to be kicked out of my apartment?”

“Ok, I won’t go there, but can I just say one thing?”

She clenched her teeth and shifted. “What?”

“Fuck being afraid.”

I could tell she tried to fight it, but she finally cracked a smile and gained back that sarcastic twinkle in her eye. “You kill a man and you grow a pair of balls.”

“I think it’s the other way around.”

She snorted and said, “Not for you it isn’t. Want to get a mani?”

We spent the day getting pampered and spent the night drinking away our issues. I expected Keiran to be lurking around every corner, but as it turned out, I didn’t see or hear from him for two days.





Chapter Eleven


KEIRAN



It was hard leaving Lake behind, but I had a pretty good idea of where she hid. The need to conquer and control was overwhelming, but I managed to curb those urges in order to protect her. It was why I was stalking the dilapidated house in the middle of the night while she hid from me.

For two days, I watched the home and the family that lived inside. On the third day, when I memorized their routine, I decided to move in. I knew at this time, the woman who lived inside would be getting ready to take her night shift while her husband gave into a drunken night of sleep and the two young girls slept.

When her back was turned, I muffled the scream that would come and whispered, “I’m going to move my hand. Don’t scream and don’t run.” I felt her nod and ignored the guilt at the tremble of her thin frame.

“Wh–who are you.” She fumbled over her words as she retreated. She cast a nervous glance over her shoulder toward the house.

“That’s not important.”

“I think it is,” she countered, keeping her voice low as if she were the intruder. “You’re creeping around my yard in the middle of the night, young man.”

If this weren’t such a high-risk situation, I would have laughed at her need to scold an intruder. “A few months ago, you saw a girl at the facility you work for.”

“I see many young girls. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“A resident was murdered that same day, and you’re going to testify against this girl in the murder case.”

The grave recognition in her eyes was telling. “Y—yes. I remember. I saw her there the day he was murdered. I’m only giving my recount.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You’re not going to testify.” Confusion twisted her expression that quickly turned to fear.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No.” I could tell by her deepening frown that I only added to her confusion.

“Are you here to kill me?”

“I won’t kill you.”

“Then I don’t understand.”

“I’m here to make you an offer.”

“And if I refuse?”

I was growing tired of this chain of questioning. “You won’t.”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t lie to the police for a perfect stranger.”

“What about for your life and that of your two little girls tucked inside? They aren’t safe.”

“Don’t touch my little girls.”

“I have no intention of hurting them or you, but can your husband say the same?”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, I lifted her arm, ignoring her flinch, to push up her shirtsleeve and reveal the bruising on her arm. “He beats you, and you let him.”

“I don’t let him.”

“You haven’t left either.”

“It’s not that simple. He’s only like this because he lost his job and hasn’t been able to get another one. He used to be so kind and loving.”

“The day you get a clue might be the day it’s too late.”

“Young man, I won’t explain my life to a stranger.”