Page 119 of Inside the Wicked

Rhett pauses our walk to face me. His eyes are all serious. “Make no mistake that piece of shit had every intention to take you. He would have been the first to rape you and then watch as he wouldn’t be the last. I’ve met countless victims, Ana. Their stories are all unique but similar in the most tragic ways. Thatman you killed… this isn’t his first time kidnapping women and children, and he would have done it again until he was stopped.”

I nod, grateful for the assurance. Rhett pulls me to him and my tension dissolves in his strong, warm hold.

“You guys win anything yet?” Rix’s voice travels over to us.

We release each other and I turn to find Adam carrying a medium-size teddy bear, and Rix holds a single goldfish. He lifts it up when they stop before us.

“Another for the Xoidship. I’m sure Jer will appreciate it,” he says.

It twinges in my chest and on Rix’s face for a second to think of Jeremy.

“Another game?” I say to Rhett. “Whoever wins the biggest teddy bear gets their job finished by the other?”

His eyes dance, knowing my meaning. I smile innocently at Rix, who hooks a suspicious brow.

“Deal,” Rhett says, taking my hand.

Rix and Adam follow us as we scope out the games to choose our competition.

“Oh!” My eyes land on a long shooting range. It’s childish, with a cowboy scene of small targets and shotguns with pellets. I pull Rhett toward it.

“You’re choosing a losing game,” Rhett warns.

“Wow, you really have to shoot down my skills like that.” I give an innocent side-smile at the pun, and he rolls his eyes.

There’s room for four to play at a time, so Rix and Adam join us.

I lift the shotgun to take my turn, but I notice Rhett hasn’t touched his. I slide him a look.

“I’m not missing a moment of how hot you look right now. Go ahead,” he says.

“You’re distracting me. This is cheating.”

“You know you’re getting far more than thejobfrom the Ferris wheel finished no matter what. I’m just going to string it out in punishment for your attempt at retribution.”

My body tightens with a shiver.

I try to focus on my game. This gun isn’t real, but the skill of aiming it is. I hit the first, narrowly skim the second, but I miss the third target, and the booth mocks me with a cowboy’syeehaw.Rhett doesn’t disturb me. I hit the fourth, miss the fifth, and hit the sixth, seventh, and eighth, but barely. The last is my best shot, close to the center.

I beam in triumph when it’s finished, winning a small bear.

Rhett’s eyes make me erupt with pride for some reason. He doesn’t say anything as he turns for his game. It’s over far sooner than mine, and I think I turn to a puddle watching him aim and shoot like a pro, hitting dead center of all the targets. But when he finishes, something isn’t right.

His jaw locks and his chests rises with deep breaths. The guy behind the counter asks him which of the huge teddies he wants, but Rhett isn’t even present. He sets down the gun as I hastily ask for the pink one and struggle with it being the same size as me.

“Hey, you with me?” I say, taking Rhett’s hand.

He blinks, and I try to figure out what’s wrong. Until he winces at the shots Adam and Rix are firing and his expression shifts to anger.

“Let’s go,” I say, tugging him. He’s rooted like stone.

I push us through the crowds until we reach the back of some trailers that gives us a moment of privacy. Rhett sits on some steps, and my heart speeds at his distress.

“I killed a kid,” he says.

Then it slams into me.

I set the teddy bears down and sit with him.

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