Page 39 of The Sinners Gambit

“Deal,” I say as I unlock the door. Part of me is brought back to the last time I was in this car and it was locked. Things are so different now, just a few short days later.

“See you soon, Belle,” he yells out as he closes the trunk, handing me a bag of my stuff, including my cell phone and purse. I walk down the path to get to the front door of the house, keys dangling from my hand. It’s time to face the music that is my new reality. A reality where I still don’t know who killed my mom.I failed her.

“What do I do, Quinn? Quinn!” I whine into the phone even though she’s distracted, cleaning the blood off her favorite scissors. “Quinnly!”

“Oh, sorry,” she says, bringing her attention back to me. “You said he was hot right?”

I roll my eyes at her. “Yes, woman, he’s hot. Your point?”

“And he didn’t kill your mother?” She’s waving around her scissors now like she’s trying to get to the point but I’m not answering fast enough.

“No, but now I need to figure out who—”

She points them at me. “No! That has nothing to do with why you called me. That’s a problem for another day.”

“But I fucking masterminded”—she glares at me—“wemasterminded this whole plan to entrap him into falling for me.Wemade me into his dream woman. What if the real me is too far from the fantasy?”

She smiles at the acknowledgement with a little head nod. “Thank you. And he fucking went and kidnapped you based on who youtrulyare as a person. Not the fake type-A bitch you pretend to be. But the straight up badass psychopathic bitch you truly are.Youpicked all the items we put on your board,youbuilt that online presence. Just because your motive for creating the boards was fake, the person they portray isn’t.”

“Quinn—”

“No more ‘Quinn this or that.’ Do you love your little psychopath or not?”

I stare at the phone for a long time before answering. My brain replays every conversation, every touch, the thought and attention to detail that he put into everything. I’m left with only one answer. “Yes.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing there? Go back,” she says like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

I dramatically fall back onto my bed, while still holding the phone. “Ugh. You never used to be this romantic. Fucking Lincoln.”

“What can I say? I found love in the shadows.” She chuckles at whatever joke she thinks she’s made.

“Um, happy for you . . . I think,” I say, smiling at her even though I’m confused. “When do you come back? I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, Mi. I’ll be back soon.”

“Cross off a few more states for me!” I chime in.

“Go get laid for me.” She sticks her tongue out. “I know I’ll be doing some of that myself.”

“In the shadows, I assume, since that’s where you found love?” I ask as I get up, grab my purse, and go get my car keys.

She looks at me astonished. “No! My God, the shadows will be in me. Duh!”

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, but decide to roll with it. “Okay. Well I hope your ‘shadow daddy’ is great.”

“Heisgreat!”

“Bye, Quinn. I love you.” I get into the car and take a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too.”

I blast the radio and peel out of my driveway, racing to confess my feelings. Thankfully, I have Killian’s address memorized from when we were stalking him. The thought makes me start laughing hysterically in my car. Today has been a day from hell, and I’ve officially lost all my marbles.

Chapter 20

Naomi

Ijumpoutofmycar, barely putting it in park before rushing to the double doors. I don’t even get to knock before the door is yanked open and Killian comes barreling out.

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