Page 33 of Wicked Riddles & Bitter Heartbeats (Till Death Do Us Part #1)

Chapter Thirty

Atticus

I’m not sure what’s changed between me and Lilah.

Since the final kill a week ago, we haven’t been able to get enough of one another.

This is how it was after the first time we fucked, but things slowed down.

Now it’s crazier than ever. When I’m not fucking her, we’re lying in bed with my dick inside her, just so I can feel her.

And when we eat, she sits on my lap, with my dick inside her.

When my dick isn’t hard enough to stay in her pussy, she puts it in her mouth to play with it or suck on it. It feels good in a way that sex doesn’t. It won’t make me come but it’s… something. Like scratching an itch.

“When are you going to call him?” Lilah asks as she settles beside me, hand going to my balls. She likes to hold them too, when we sleep.

“First thing in the morning.”

“Do you think he got the point?”

I stare up at the ceiling, wondering the same thing. I’m not sure if this was all for nothing. Did he notice? Did he understand? If he doesn’t know about me, then does it matter at all? Should I have done more? Should I have left it alone?

All of these questions and more have gone through my head, ever since Violet left. How did I not realize my head was such a mess because of her? I’m so grateful to have found her and spoke to her about our past.

“I haven’t a clue,” I answer honestly. “I don’t know a thing about him.”

It’s silent for a while but I can tell she isn’t sleeping. Her breathing isn’t slow enough. I spend many nights awake, just watching her sleep.

“Are you really going to kill my uncle?” is what she finally says.

“Yes.”

“You’re not worried?”

“No.”

“How can you be so sure you won’t get caught?”

I run my hand through her hair, pulling her closer to me.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and sometimes the best thing to do is to not overthink.”

“For the record, I think it’s a bad idea.” She kisses my neck, nuzzling her face there.

“For the record, I don’t care.”

I kiss her forehead, wanting to ask what he did to her but knowing if she does, I may not be able to wait to kill him. Or worse—the darkness will do it, get out of control, and we will get caught.

“I need you to do me a favor,” I tell her.

“Of course, Atty.”

“I need you to tell me what he did to you—”

She jerks up to sit. “No, I—”

“After I kill him.”

Her eyes narrow as she stares down at me. “After?”

“Yes, Kitten.” I pull her back to me, making her lay down where she was. “I know what he did is bad just by the way you reacted. I know that if you were to tell me now, I’d kill him in his bed. That’s a bad idea. So I’m controlling the urges as best I can.”

Her hand slides up my chest, settling over my heart. My balls miss it, but… this is nice too.

“I promise I will.”

I’m not sure how she did it, but Lilah found my brother’s phone number. We got a burner phone so I can call him without it being traced back to me.

We’re in Boston, by the marina. It’s bustling with people even though winter is right around the corner. This city never stops, no matter the season.

“Do you need anything?” Lilah asks as she puts her hand on my arm.

It pulls me out of my thoughts, and I wake the phone screen.

“No, thank you.”

I dial the number that I memorized, bringing it to my ear and listening to it ring.

“James Erickson,” he answers.

“Hello, James.”

“Who is this?” he asks.

“Someone you want to know.”

He chuckles. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because I’ve been trying to get your attention. If you don’t meet me at the location I am going to text you, alone , then I’ll go another round. And I won’t stop until I get what I want.”

“Who is this?” he growls.

“I hope you’re smart enough to put two and two together, James. Or these deaths will be on you.”

I end the call and pull up the messages. The phone rings, and I end the call to type out the message. I’m interrupted two more times before I can get it out. Once I see that it’s sent, I pull the sim card, crack it in half, and throw it and the cell into the harbor.

“Do you think he’ll show?” Lilah asks as we walk toward the city, the ocean at our backs.

“Yes. Will your uncle?”

She nods, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Yes.”

She’d called him earlier, using a different tactic.

She told him that her boyfriend was really upset about what happened because he’s an asshole.

She’s scared and needs his help. He all too willingly obliged.

It’s a good thing she doesn’t really need help because that isn’t what he plans on giving her.

Thankfully he was still in the area. Funnily enough, it was because of Violet’s murders. I’ll have to thank her.

We’re set to meet at an old warehouse across town tonight.

I don’t know a thing about my brother, but… he’ll show. I have a feeling he noticed being called out and didn’t tell anyone. His life is boring, and I think he likes the mystery and the attention of it. Of course, I could be way off, and we could be walking into a trap. Guess only time will tell.

While in Boston, I take Lilah to dinner.

We get seafood and have wine. We walk around Faneuil Hall, going in and out of stores, but the only thing we buy is ice cream.

I get plain chocolate, while she gets some strawberry cheesecake thing with graham crackers, a ton of whipped cream, and extra cherries.

We walk around until the sun goes down and the wind is bitter cold. That’s when we make our way to the parking garage to get my car. I wait a few for it to warm up and then we take off. We stop home first, needing to switch cars and clothes, and then we head to the warehouse.

It’s empty and pitch black. I park around the back, certain no one else is here or even watching the place.

I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve never had to stage a scene, and I wonder how it’s going to go. Will the cops know right away that it’s a ploy? How long will it take them to figure it out? Maybe they won’t figure it out at all. As everything else, only time will tell.