Page 105 of Deceptive Games

If they thought she’d hired the guy to take him out or something, that would change things.

As if hearing my thoughts, she cleared her throat and put a hand on her chest. “Days?”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ll have more information for you soon. We’re sorry for your loss,” he replied before excusing himself, his fellow officer trailing behind him, glancing over his shoulder at the last minute to meet my gaze. “Mr. Maddox. Please remember your next court date. I don’t want to have to come looking for you this time.”

I grinned, shrugging my shoulders. “It’s not like I hide from you. I’m easy to find.”

“Just show up,” he sighed before leaving the room, earning me a look from Rory.

“You have a court date? For what?”

“I allegedly got caught with ice on me a while back.”

“How much?” she asked slowly, and I could see the panic flare to life in her eyes.

She thought I was getting locked up.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember having drugs on me, so we’ll just have to wait and see what evidence they bring up,” I replied, knowing it was long gone.

All of us had served time, but we picked our battles. We took the blame for small shit, but made other problems vanish.

In this case, the only evidence was the drugs they’d found on me and the police report.

Neither still existed, the paperwork a pile of ash and the drugs back in our hands, thanks to one of the cops that were in our pocket.

“Why do none of you seem surprised about Tristan?” Josie asked flatly, staring at me. Of course I was going to get the blame. I was the only convicted criminal in the room.

It couldn’t possibly have been the innocent girl standing beside me.

“No offense to your ex, Josie, but he was a piece of shit. I’m not surprised someone finally got tired of his bullshit and took him out,” I answered, leaning down to kiss Rory’s cheek. “Tell Lukas I said hello.”

She rolled her eyes at me as I walked out, catching Caden’s eye on the way. If they denied having any knowledge about his father’s death, then all of this would play out fine.

Caden

“If you know something—” Mom started saying the second Skeeter left, and I scoffed.

“Why would Skeeter kill Dad? Do you know how many people Dad’s pissed off over the years?”

“Are you in shock then? You don’t even seem sad. I know he wasn’t the best father, but he was still your dad, Caden,” she said carefully, a snort leaving me.

“Why the fuck would I be sad? He was a monster, Mom. I spent years watching him beat on you. He beat me too, and then to find out all the things he’d done to Rory?” I snapped, motioning to Rory, whose eyes were still on the doorway that Skeeter had walked out of moments earlier. “You really think I’d mourn someone like that?”

“Promise me you don’t know anything,” she demanded, and I pushed past the guilt, lying right to her face.

“I promise.”

She eyed both of us for a second before nodding, her shoulders dropping a fraction in relief. “I’m going to go and freshen up and catch up on a few things. You know where I am if you need me.”

“Hey, Mom?” I called out, stopping her as she turned. “I’m sorry. I know once upon a time, you loved him.”

She gave me a weak smile before leaving the room to head upstairs, then I grabbed Rory’s wrist and tugged her up to my room, locking the door behind us.

“How the fuck did the murderer get dragged in when you’re standing right here?” I hissed under my breath, and she threw her arms up in the air.

“I don’t know! Skeet said he’d handle it!”

“You didn’t ask for fucking details?”