Start a War (Saint View Psychos #1)(28)

“She killed my dog.” Which was the real reason I’d been too scared to leave Little Dog at home today. I’d promised my mother I’d do the hit, but I knew her. Loving something, or worse, someone, was a weakness when it came to her. It didn’t matter who it was, woman, child, or helpless rescue dog. If hurting that thing, or even killing it, meant she could control me, then she’d do whatever it took. I had a lifetime of stories to back up my claims. Which was why if I wanted a wife and a family, and to leave the family business behind me, then I had to get my mother to agree to it.

Bethany-Melissa’s horrified expression made me realize I’d said too much.

“It was an accident,” I assured her.

Doubtful.

“She was backing the car out of our driveway when he ran out.”

Her horrified expression morphed into something more like sympathy. “Oh. That’s so sad. I bet she felt awful.”

I knew better than to tell her how my mother had looked me in the eye as she’d run down our dog without an ounce of remorse.

Like mother, like son. I might have liked animals more than she did, but remorse wasn’t something either of us did well.

I had to get the crazy from someone.





11





BLISS





As the week wore on, my anxiety levels crept up. Caleb had been busy with work all week, but that wasn’t uncommon. We often only saw each other on weekends, so I spent my evenings at my father’s house, eating dinner with him and Nichelle and the kids. The three of us adults pasted on fake smiles so the kids didn’t know there was a problem.

My father and Nichelle were worried about money and the fact we’d very likely lose this house soon. I was worried about money too, but I wished it were only the bank who was looking for me.

My nightly ritual had become checking and rechecking the locks on the doors and then lying awake in my wing of the house, listening for any sound that was out of place.

But nothing happened. There were no more masked figures in the bedroom, threatening me with bodily harm if I didn’t produce the money.

The money I still had no idea how I was going to get. Nash had said not to worry about it, but that was easier said than done when it was me these guys were coming for if the cash wasn’t delivered on time. I didn’t want Nash doing something illegal to get the money and I was pretty sure he didn’t have it just sitting in his bank account.

Between my car payments and the costs it took me to continue fitting in with Caleb and his friends, I’d been living week to week ever since my father had stopped supplementing my income with his credit card. I couldn’t ask Dad for the money. I knew he didn’t have it. If I asked Caleb for the money, he’d want to know why, and even if I could get around those questions, he’d ask why I didn’t ask my father for the money. I couldn’t do that to my dad. He’d be mortified if it got out how poorly his business was doing.

Caleb was a smart, savvy businessman who moved with the times. My father was the opposite, sticking to what he’d known, never innovating, never moving forward. My father had been so pitiful when he’d begged me not to reveal the extent of his business problems to Caleb, and I had never wanted to let my father down. Not after everything he’d done for me.

The only answer I could see was to sell Psychos as quickly as possible. Pay out Axel’s debt, and if there was anything left, I could give it to my father.

Caleb would look after me, but I was worried about who would take care of Nichelle, Everett, and Verity. Nichelle hadn’t worked a day in her life. She had no qualifications to fall back on. I could have gotten her a job at the childcare center but when I’d offered, she’d refused to admit there was a problem at all.

She was the proverbial ostrich sticking its head in the sand.

Nash had made out that Psychos had more to offer than it seemed from the outside, and his invitation to attend tonight had been playing over in the back of my mind. But I’d ultimately decided that going back there was foolish. Nash had already caused a rift in my relationship with Caleb. Unknowingly, of course. But it was still there. And it was something I needed to fix.

So after work on Friday, I said goodbye to Vincent, Josie, and Sarah, and drove into the city. I refused to let my mind wander to what was happening at Psychos later that night, and instead focused on the ring on my finger and driving to the man who’d given it to me. I knew he’d still be at work, but there were a lot of great little restaurants popping up around his building that I’d been looking forward to trying out.

I managed to get a parking spot half a block away from Caleb’s building and quickly walked the rest of the way. The streetlights had come on, and my stomach rumbled in anticipation of a fancy meal in a nice restaurant.

In the lobby, the doorman smiled at me when I entered. “Miss Arthur. Good to see you again.”

The man quickly walked to the elevator and pressed the button for me.

“It’s nice to see you again, Jeremy. Do you have much planned for the weekend?”

“Yes, ma’am. My son has a baseball tournament.”

The elevator binged its arrival, and I stepped inside. “I hope he does well.”

Jeremy reached around and pressed the button for Caleb’s floor, without me telling him where I was going. “Me, too. He’s been practicing hard. Enjoy your evening.”