Cereus left to go back home and I’m left standing in an empty apartment trying to conjure up last night’s events. I need to talk to the neighbor. I open the front door and come face to face with Blake.
He flashes his badge and asks to come in. I’d laugh if I weren’t pissed at myself. If I killed that fucking cunt and I’m going back to hell for it, I want to at least remember doing it. “Nice place,” he says, and another guy enters behind him. I recognize him but his name escapes me.
“How did you find me?”
“It’s my job to know where you are, Ryan. Were you on your way somewhere?” He gestures to the front door.
“I was just going to buy some floss.”
“You’ve always been one for dental hygiene. You were always particular about your floss. I just use toothpaste and mouthwash or whatever is in the bathroom. What about you, Donovan?”
“It all does the same thing. My wife buys Colgate,” Donovan replies.
I have no idea what his agenda is, but I know these tactics are used to either unsettle a suspect being questioned or lure them into a false sense of security.
“You know, Colgate in Argentine translates to go hang yourself,” I say and grin. “Maybe your wife is trying to tell you something.”
“Do you know hanging is still an option for murderers on death row in some states?” he bites back.
“What are you doing here, brother?” I ask, turning my attention back to Blake.
“Where were you last night between nine p.m. and one a.m.?”
“You mean you weren’t following me? I was here. Why?”
“Can anyone back that up?” He’s practically vibrating. With this being Cereus’ school, he must be thinking I know about her and killed this teacher to let him know that. Is that what I did?
“My neighbor,” I tell him, and wonder if she will cover for me if I can get to her before Blake.
“Is she home now?”
“Probably at work.” I shrug.
He nods to Donovan who leaves to go knock next door.
“Nice place, Ryan. It really reflects you.”
I lean against the counter separating the living room from the kitchen and fold my arms over my chest. “So, are you going to tell me why you want to know where I was last night?”
He laughs without humor. “You’re good but I won’t be fooled by you again.”
Donovan reappears and whispers something to Blake. I stare at him trying to decipher what’s being said.
“So you already have your claws in the girl next door. Mind if we take a look around?” he asks, already moving and opening doors
“Is there any point in asking if you have a warrant?” I roll my eyes and open my arms to gesture for him to look around.
He storms towards me, ripping open his shirt and pointing to a scar on his chest. “This is my warrant. I won’t let you have another go at it, Ry, and I swear on my fucking life if you have a whiff of her in your senses, lose it. I will kill you myself without care or thought for the consequences.” The muscle in his jaw tics from his clenched teeth and his eyes try to sink into mine to see all my secrets and plans.
I know he means Cereus but I don’t want him to know I know about her. He could just up and disappear if he fears my depravity wants to add her to my sin list. I try to think who I would think he meant if I didn’t know about Cereus and I go with Melody.
“Are you sure you’re not a little unstable yourself? Are you talking about Melody? Because I did more than smell her, but I have no plans to look her up if that’s what you’re worried about.” I smirk and brace for his fist, which swiftly connects with my jaw and knocks me on my ass. He’s a tough son of a whore. Blood explodes in my mouth and a throb pounds the whole right side of my face. I want to push him more; it’s a long time since someone put some hurt on me.
I spit the blood onto his shoe and laugh. “You still weak for that bitch, Blake? After all this time?”
I groan and the air leaves my lungs when his foot swings out and collides with my ribs. He bends on his haunches and pulls a hanky from his pocket to clean the blood from his shoes.
“This better be the only blood you’ve spilled since they freed you.”
I watch their feet cross the room and exit the front door, and then I pass out.
I feel hands on me and a delicious ache in my ribs. I open my eyes to find Blondie dabbing me with a cloth. I swipe at her, knocking her away.
“You’re bleeding,” she says.
“How the fuck did you get in here?”
“Your door was open. What did the cops want?”
“None of your business.” I get to my feet, wincing.
“You could have a broken rib. I’m a nurse, why don’t you let me wrap them?”
I glare at the annoying bitch I keep waking up to. “What did the detective ask you?”
She lifts my shirt and gasps. “Shit. They can’t do this, you should report them.”
I grab her by the chin and bring her face to mine. “What did they ask you? Don’t make me repeat questions.”
She jabs me in the sore rib, making me gasp and drop my hold on her. I see anger cloud her eyes and it intrigues me. She doesn’t like being man handled. “They asked where I was last night, and I said here with you.” She leans closer and her breath whisks over my face. “I gave him a few nasty details and he was satisfied.”
I push her away. “Well clearly I wasn’t because I can’t even remember fucking you.”
She holds her hand over her heart to fake offense “You wound me.” All I can think about is doing just that. “I need to go to work so you can come and ask me politely later to wrap those when the pain becomes too unbearable and I may just forget you’re an asshole.” She winks and leaves.
The pain is bearable and I’d have to be dying before I’ll knock on her door again. She’s irritating and above her station. I need to speak with Dr. Jenna and see if she has any psychiatrist tricks to help me remember what happened last night, but before I do anything, Isabella lights up my phone.
“What?” I snarl.
“Rat went crazy,” she bawls.
“I don’t give a shit. What the fuck is it about you that doesn’t get the hint?”
“I need somewhere to stay.”
I laugh down the line.
“Ryan, he burnt the whole place down with him in it.”
“They will put you all somewhere else. I don’t see why this is my problem.”
“I don’t have anywhere to go. I wasn’t there for the same reasons as everyone else.”
Damn, this whining is getting old and I’m losing my high from the beating Blake gave me. I need to fuck and remember it, so I give her my address and tell her to come over. She arrives within the hour and tries making small talk, but I pull her inside and strip her naked. My beautiful stab mark has left a red, angry scar on her skin and I want to create a hundred more.
“So why were you at Grace Manor?” I ask, pushing her naked frame against the front window.
She gasps from the cold panel touching her skin. “I don’t want to tell you.”
I laugh and then clamp my teeth around one of her perky little tits. I savor the pop against my teeth as I break through the skin but I pull away so her blood doesn’t go in my mouth. She fucks everything that walks. God knows what toxic diseases she has. I spit out just to be sure, and her body is shaking.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
I use both hands to form a circle around her neck, pushing until her eyes bulge. Tears well and leak, and she chokes and realizes I’m not going to stop. Her hands claw at mine. A whistle sounds from outside the window so I release her and she chokes and sputters. I look around her out the window and see a couple of guys working on a truck. They whistle at her naked ass. I turn her and flatten her against the window so her tits push against the glass, giving them a full frontal view.
“You like putting on a show, Isabella, don’t you?”