Page 18 of A Simple Mistake (Deadly Mistakes #1)

EIGHTEEN

Liam

Present

The note seems to be another dead end. Just a reminder that he can fuck with lives and make others do tricks for his own satisfaction. Who knows how many others he has at his fingertips? At this point, we have no proof that he’d even do something to a loved one if they didn’t comply.

I watch as Gabriel heads out with Chris and try my hardest not to send any curses his way, though a good glower definitely wouldn’t hurt him too much. He even has the balls to appear confused when he turns and sees me looking. His pace quickens and he tips his head down to say something to Gabriel that’s probably like, “The only person who will ever love me is my mother.”

Gabriel glances back at me and gives me a “look,” like he thinks I’m doing something bad when I’m clearly over here jealous and sulking. Can he blame me? Chris gets to whisk him off to his house and possibly even his bed, and I’m stuck with the cat who makes those annoying door-to-door salesmen look like a dream to deal with.

I lean back in my chair, pretty sure that I’ve spent an entire day accomplishing nothing. I mean… maybe I saved a man from getting his face blown off, but is that really anything of value?

I’ve looked into the records on the house, the imaginary tenants, the photographs… it’s a whole load of nothing. And I know there has to be something to pick at until it starts to show information, but I’m seeing nothing .

“Liam, get out of here. You’ve been here long enough. Everyone else went home hours ago now,” Michaels says as I look at the clock and realize Gabriel and Chris had left a while ago. “You’ll get nowhere half asleep.”

I want to prove to him that he’s wrong—that if I just spend a little more time, I’ll figure out something —but maybe getting out to eat some dinner at the very least will help.

I force myself out of the chair and grab my jacket before heading out. I walk down to my car only to find something white sticking out from under the windshield wiper.

I don’t even have to pull it out to be aware that I’m going to be furious when I open the envelope. If the killer thinks I’m going to cave and do something for him, then he’s sorely mistaken.

Opening my bag, I pull out some gloves before picking up the envelope and sliding it open. Inside are two pictures but no notes… so maybe not an order but a threat? One of the photographs is of Gabriel from when he was being held in the cellar. And another is of him sitting on the couch watching TV with Chris.

Uncontrollable rage eats through me. It’s not like I didn’t already know he’d be after Gabriel again, but I can’t crush it. This irrational desire to tear the man apart is all I can think about. The urge to pull him apart piece by piece like he’d done to his victims is blinding me.

If he showed up right this second, I’m afraid I would slaughter him in front of everyone without fucking hesitation. If he walked right into the department at this moment, I would slice his fucking throat open at Michaels’ feet, I’m so irritated. But he knows that’s what he’s doing to me. He wants to push me over the edge, force me to make a mistake when I can’t control the emotions surging through me.

I get into the car, toss the photographs on my passenger seat, and floor it toward Chris’s house. I park on the street across from it, well aware I’m not being sneaky, but how the fuck would I get a good look at the house if I was parked two blocks down?

If the killer shows up, I’m going to make him scream, make him beg, make him hurt. I’m going to destroy him and make him regret ever looking at Gabriel.

I dig my nails into the palm of my hand, causing pain to spike into it. It’s been so long since I killed someone. Hell, it’s been since Jon Davies. I want to hunt. I want to make them pay for what they’ve done.

My phone beeps, the sound of it cutting through the turmoil in my mind as I see that it’s Gabriel.

Gabriel: It’s ten o’clock. Go home.

I ignore it because he doesn’t fucking understand. How could he possibly believe that he’d be safe in that house without me in it?

Gabriel: Liam, you can’t just stalk around outside of Chris’s house. Go home. Now. If you don’t, this is done. We’re done. I’m not working with you, and I will make sure Michaels is aware you’re not stable enough to be on this case.

“Fuck,” I growl as I hit the ignition with enough force it hurts my finger.

I pull away from the curb, but what the fuck am I supposed to do now? Go home and tuck myself in bed while the killer watches him? Toss all night knowing that Gabriel isn’t safe?

I pull into a park that’s not far from Chris’s house, planning to walk across it and hide out as I watch the house in a place Gabriel can’t catch me. It butts up against the nearby college, so there are a few college kids loitering around the entrance in the distance as I start through it, but none of them even look at me. I’ll just watch his house on foot. He’ll never?—

A voice cuts through my thoughts. “Good evening.”

I turn to look, only to see that he’s not talking to me. Of course he’s not. I’m not a young, barely legal girl who is walking across the park a quarter of a mile away from anyone else who might be looking.

“I’m so sorry to bother you, but I live right over there and my dog got out. She just ran through here, did you see her pass by?” he asks, sounding anxious and desperate as he shakes the dog leash that’s in his hand.

I stare at the man who hasn’t seen me yet. If he did, he would turn back around and get in his car because he doesn’t live anywhere near here and he sure as fuck doesn’t have a dog.

The young woman shrugs her backpack up higher on her shoulder as she shakes her head. “Oh no! I’m sorry, I didn’t. What kind of dog is she?”

This poor woman is so na?ve to the darkness in this world that she doesn’t realize she’s talking to a serpent waiting to strike.

“Just a little one. Terrier mix. Oh fuck… I’m just… what if she gets hit or something? I thought I saw her run right through here.”

“I’m really sorry. I can help you look for a couple of minutes. What’s her name?”

“Sassy. My daughter named her. She loves that dog so much. She’s going to be heartbroken if she wakes up in the morning and Sassy’s not there. Let me show you a picture of her, so if you see her, you’ll know it’s her.”

Ah yes, mention the daughter, make the young woman feel more at ease. It’s easier to trust a man with a cute child and a cuter dog.

“Oh, they’re both so adorable. I’m sure you’ll find her. I’ll look over here if you look over there?” she suggests.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” he says. He’s even wearing pajama pants, really playing the part.

The man’s eyes are fixated on her as she walks away calling for a dog that never existed. He’s driving her away from where anyone could see her and closer to where his car is parked. There are a few others out here, but they’re hanging toward the entrance where there are park benches. While the park’s signs state that no one is allowed to use it after dark, they generally turn a blind eye to the students using it as a shortcut to get home, so I doubt the police will be strolling by anytime soon.

But clearly Vance here, who I recognize from his past run-ins with the law, couldn’t pass up such a thing.

He starts after her, trailing her like a predator hunting his prey. He is a predator, after all. With a father who can pay off anyone, the son has been left to play and destroy the lives of the women and teenage girls he preys on. He likes them young. He likes to ruin them. He likes that his daddy can pay off the women or the judge or whoever the fuck he wants to. He can pay away the blame, and he’s allowed to do it again and again to feed his sick fascination with the vulnerable and scared.

But poor little Vance doesn’t realize that he’s the prey tonight because I’m in a shitty fucking mood and I want to kill something. Of course I could record him, hand it over to the police, and let them handle it, but there’s a chance it won’t be enough proof and it’ll just happen again and again.

I follow him as he waits for her to call out for the dog before he slides up behind her and cups a hand over her mouth. She must be close enough to his car to put her inside, so he’s finally made his move. Her entire body turns rigid as panic hits her. She starts to struggle, prepared to do what she can to get away until she feels the gun against her head. The safety is on because he doesn’t want to kill her. Of course not. He’s going to take her home, assault her, then walk away. His daddy will clean up the mess.

She’s mumbling something under his hand, probably begging him to stop. Poor thing has no idea he’s going to be the one begging. He dropped the dog leash when he’d gone in to grab her, so I flip my hood up before scooping up the dog leash.

“Looks like you’re about to have some fun and you didn’t even invite me?” I ask as I loop the leash over his neck, feeding the buckle through the handle and creating a noose just for him. He jerks back, startled, not having heard me come up.

“What the fuck?” he growls as I pull his hand back and push the girl from him.

I tell her, “Don’t look back. Run.”

She bolts, fear driving her from us as Vance tries to turn, but I jerk hard on the leash and draw the gun out of his hand in the same movement. He’s thrown off his game, unsure how to react.

“Vance, what’s wrong? How about we go for a walk, yeah?” I ask, and I jerk the leash hard again, knocking him off balance.

“What the fuck are you doing? I’ll sue you! I’ll fucking sue you!” he hollers as he tries to regain control of the situation, but he’s way over his head. He’s never been the victim before.

“How fun,” I say as I knock his knees down and yank the leash. He slams down on his ass as I start dragging him back to my car.

He’s panicking. Thrashing. Clawing at his neck in an attempt to get it off, but it’s too tight and I don’t plan on letting it get loose.

“It’s not as much fun when you’re the prey, now is it?” I ask.

Vance scrambles up to his knees, gasping for breath as he tries to get the leash loose enough to take it off, but I jerk it again before he can.

He reaches for his phone, so I shove him forward as the frustration and anger that had been driving me bleeds out of me before I take his phone from him. What fucking luck do I have? I didn’t even have to go look for someone. If I weren’t so elated, I’d stop and question if it was a setup. But I don’t even care. All I care about is the fact that he’s going in my trunk and I’m going to love it.

I pop the trunk then step down on the leash as I pull up with one hand so he’s pinned to the ground. He flops and gurgles and whines, but he’s honestly rather patient while I lay down the plastic and get the tape. I bind his wrists and legs and slap a big ol’ piece over his mouth before I boop his nose.

“We’re going to have a blast. Don’t worry. My daddy will make everything all better by giving you a little money to cover up all the psychological and physical trauma you’re going to receive. Well… my dad’s dead, but you get the point. Now up we go,” I say as I pick him up and toss him into the trunk. I tuck the plastic around him since he’s a little dirty from our walk through the park and I really don’t want my trunk too dirty.

I close him inside, elated.

If Gabriel doesn’t want my help, then why the fuck should I have to abide by his rules? I was good for a year and what the fuck did that get me? Nothing! Not a damn thing! He goes and runs off to fucking Chris. He’s short with me. He’s a little cold to me. He doesn’t trust me anymore. I’ve ruined everything, so I might as well fucking ruin this.

I start driving as I consider where to take Vance. Clearly, my old barn is a no-go. I can’t ever go back there after Jon Davies’ death. I do have that cabin, but I’d rather not go there… hmm… I guess the old silo would work.

Vance thrashes around in the trunk, creating a good racket as I drive the twenty minutes to the silo. When I pull in through the trees and back to where a barn once stood, I park in front of the silo, the only thing left besides a small shed that once housed chickens back when my grandparents were young.

“We’re going to have so much fun. I promise it won’t hurt at all,” I say as I pop the trunk and look down at Vance.

I reach in for him as the thought of Gabriel circulates in my mind. The devastation on his face that day at the barn. The betrayal. The hurt…

Why the fuck do I care? I don’t give a shit what he thinks…

That’s a lie. That’s a lie… that’s all I care about. It’s like I’m obsessed with him because he makes me feel human. He makes me believe that I’m worth saving.

“FUCK,” I scream before slamming the trunk shut and sinking down to my ass on the ground.

This man deserves to die. He’s raped so many women, and clearly, the slaps on the wrist he’s received have done nothing to stop him. He needs to die. He needs to die…

I crawl on my hands and knees back to the car and grab my phone off the driver’s seat. It’s like my fingers are possessed as I hit the number and listen to it ring.

“Hello?”

What the fuck do I say? I have a man in the trunk and I want to slaughter him, what do you think I should do? Or… Hey, can I have a free pass just this once because I’m in a bad mood?

“Liam?” Gabriel asks.

I open my mouth, but I can’t find my words… they’ve evidently evaded me.

“Liam!” Gabriel says, and I can hear the anxiety in his voice. He still feels concern for me. He still cares about me. “Liam, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I say.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Where the fuck are you?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Something’s wrong. Where are you?”

“Ha… ha ha. Gabriel, are you interested in me? Eh? Are you missing me already?”

“Send me your location and tell me what the fuck is wrong.”

I hang up and melt against the car door as I grip the phone tightly in my hand. Why the fuck would I send him my location? So I can look at his disappointed face again? So I can realize how fucked up my brain is?

I wallow around on the ground before I click the button to share my location, well aware I’ve made the second stupidest mistake of my life.