Page 148 of Three Reckless Words

“I don’t mean that.” She sighs, taking my hand and looking down as she twines our fingers together. “I already know who did it.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to say it out loud with no evidence.” I massage my temples.

“…it makes sense, though, right?” Her eyes are clear green pools now, no sign of the tears she shed before. “This isjustthe kind of shitty, petty thing Holden would do.”

“Fuck Holden Corban.” I snarl the words like the man hitmewith a sledgehammer instead of the bee boxes. “If we find proof, Iwillnail his dick to the wall. All the trespassing and destruction of property charges known to man. Hell, maybe terroristic threats if they’ll apply.”

“We’ll see what turns up.” She smiles sadly. “But I really hate looking at all this mess. Can we try to put our lives back together?”

She’s talking about the crime scene, but I read more into her words.

That’s why I nod, roll up my sleeves, and head for the shed.

It takesa couple hours to clean up the disaster zone.

I offered to call in a couple maintenance people to help before we got started, but she insisted we handle it ourselves.

I think she wants to feel every single piece of hurt in her own hands.

As if it washerfault some weak little bastard couldn’t take the hint that she didn’t want to marry him.

Knowing she almost went through with it and married a thin-skinned, passive-aggressive little skidmark makes my blood boil.

I don’t condone murder, obviously, but I wouldn’t shed a tear if he drove himself into a tree.

This shit was a step too far, well beyond any petty acting out.

I have my on-call driver bring Colt over after his math class and brunch with Rina. There’s no use hiding what’s going on when he’s at that age where he’ll just find out anyway.

He arrives around two o’clock, heading into the back garden where we’re gathered.

When he sees what’s left of the devastation, the bee boxes gone, he stops in the middle of the pathway with his eyes like marbles.

“Shit,” he says.

Usually, I’d correct him for his language, but this time it’s warranted.

“Shit,” I agree.

“What happened, guys? Are you all right?” He looks innocently at Winnie, who’s so pale, so fragile in the bright sunlight, like the vivid hurt of this chaos has drained away her color.

“I’m fine, Colt,” she says with an unconvincing smile.

“Hey, bud, you’re just in time. Help me convince Winnie she should go inside and take a break? A nap wouldn’t hurt.” The place probably doesn’t feel safe anymore, but she’s worked through her misery enough for one day.

I don’t want her cleaning the rest out here.

Winnie makes a face. “No, I slept for a million hours last night.”

“You’ll sleep some more.”

Colt glances between us. “…are you guys hooking up?”

Fucking hell, this kid and his mouth.

“Colt,” I say sharply. “You don’t just ask people that.”

“You do when it’s obvious,” Winnie quips and grimaces. “Sorry. Not that I’m saying it’s—”

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