Page 89 of Killing Me Softly

Kenny shifted uncomfortably.

Jack’s gaze flicked to him. “Ahighly questionablehypnosis.”

Aaron snorted. “So red tape actually works then?”

Jack and Kenny both turned to him.

Aaron shrugged. “Funny. Doesn’t feel like it does when you’re in it. Feels like anyone with half a brain can waltz right through. Might as well have a neon sign on my head saying,witness fucking protection.”

Jack sighed, rubbing his temples. “It’s not foolproof. Especially not for kids. They can move you, give you a new name, lock your files down, but they can’t stop human error. A slip-up by social services, a misplaced record, even just being spotted by the wrong person. It only takes one crack.”

Kenny inhaled sharply. Aaron knew all about that and he wished he could have protected him from it all. But he addressed Jack’s question instead.

“I don’t know if Pryce is involved yet. But there’s something missing here. You think they just let people like her walk free without layers of psychological profiling? No. It would’ve taken months, years of assessments, behavioural analysis, controlled reintegration programs. And yet somehow, despite all that, she’s here. Doing what she’s doing. How anyone could not have predicted that would be a fucking major oversight. Ineptitudeor…something more sinister.” Kenny scrubbed a hand down his face. “And I’m not buying any coincidence that she suddenly stumbled on us in Barcelona, then ended up taking a job at Ryston, taking on third-year research projects,Aaron’sproject, then I get refused the professorship—”

Jack stiffened. “Youwhat?”

“Temporary.” Kenny dismissed him with shake of his head. “Reapply next year. But right now, that’s the least of my concerns. I want answers and she’ll be giving them to me.”

“Leave it to us. I’ll call that in. Get my DS to go talk to her.”

“So she can spin you a web of well-rehearsed lies? No.” Kenny’s voice dripped with certainty. “You needmeon this. Someone who can see through her distortions before she even finishes a sentence. I need on her first. If I go in with an officer, she’ll clam up. Deflect. Even lawyer up. You’ll lose valuable time. If I go, I’ll get the evidence. Enough for you to haul her in if she’s involved.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think she’ll tellyouanything?”

Kenny exhaled. Aaron knew that look. Dr Kenneth Lyons was already three steps ahead of everyone else in this room.

“Two reasons.” He held up a hand, counting them off. “One—she’ll lie. And I’ll know she’s lying. More importantly, she’llknowthat I know she’s lying. That alone changes the dynamic. Puts her on edge. Makes her second-guess her approach and forces her to recalibrate her game in real time.” He dropped his first finger, moving to the second. “And two—she’ll tell me the truth. Not because shehasto. Because shewantsme to know it.”

Jack’s frown deepened. “Why the hell does she want that? If, as you say, she’s involved in this?”

“Because if this is what I think it is, then people like her don’t just want control over a situation. They want to berecognised. They want their intelligenceseen. And to her, I’m not just somedetective with a clipboard.” His eyes sharpened.Darkened. And Aaron hung on every word, hovering his tea at his lips. “I’m a worthy audience.”

Aaron lifted his mug, aiming for a sip, but the hot liquid sloshed over the rim, spilling down his top. “Fuck!”

The conversation halted. Every head turned as he yanked at the fabric, fanning it away from his skin to stop the scalding burn from seeping through. He froze mid-motion, glancing up straight at Kenny. Thatlook. Dark. Intense. Sultry in a way that made Aaron’s stomach drop and twist all at once. Heat burned across his cheeks, and not from the tea.

“Sorry, totally inappropriate, I know, but you’re so fuckinghotwhen you talk like that.”

Kenny didn’t respond. Didn’t need to. He just took a measured sip of his coffee, gaze never wavering from Aaron. And suddenly, the only thing Aaron wanted in the entire world was for them to be anywhere buthere. Because if they weren’t in someone else’s house, his shirt would already be off, and he’d be launching himself at Kenny, legs clamping around his waist before he even had the chance to put his coffee down.

A phone rang, ripping through the air and Jack groaned, yanking his mobile from his pocket and answering with a clipped, “DI Bentley. Go.”

Kenny set his coffee down. “Drink up,” he told Aaron. “Get changed. We’re off.”

Aaron tossed back the rest of his tea, scalding his tongue in the process, then slammed the mug onto the counter. “Where are we going?”

“Campus. Your room, where you’ll pack your stuff. Then you go to your lecture, and I go talk to Dr Pryce.”

Aaron blinked. “You want me to go to mylecture?”

“Yes.”

Aaron threw his hands up. “Fuck me. Not even murder gets me a day off?” He dumped his hands on his hips. “Shouldn’t you be worried about my safety?”

Kenny’s gaze flicked toward Jack, still mid-call, pacing as he rubbed his forehead. But the moment Jack ended the call, Kenny pounced.

“You’ve got police on him, right?”

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