Page 171 of Psycho

“Never,” I confirmed. I wrapped a fistful of her hair and pulled on it. She winced slightly but didn’t fight me, proving to me once again just how fucking right she was for me.

Lainey loved my kind of darkness, and she couldn’t even deny that if she tried.

“Tell me,” she said quietly.

I waited until she looked me in the eye before I spoke. “I got it by killing my father.”

Her breath caught, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“The fucker was an abusive asshole who liked to take his anger out on his wife and his kids.”

Her breath caught, and she looked up with pain and sympathy in her eyes.

I shook my head and looked off to the side.

I didn’t want her pity.

Didn’t need it.

I thought back to the memories I did have of the woman. Being the oldest, you would think I would have more memories of her than Roman did, but my childhood was mostly a blur.

It was as if my brain had tried to erase any remnants of a time when I had been innocent.

I almost forgot what that was like.

Looking into Roman’s eyes hadn’t reminded me. If anything, his eyes—our mom’s eyes—were nothing more than a reminder of why I had to become like this.

To protect him.

Ryker’s eyes had brought me back a little further than Roman’s ever did.

I let go of Lainey’s hair and cupped her cheek, lifting it until she looked at me.

She could try to pretend all she wanted, but Lainey was as innocent as they came.

Fuck me, but she had been a virgin less than an hour ago.

“Fucker was strong,” I said, thinking back to that night. “He was angry because he came home to find I had packed mine and Roman’s things, and we were gonna leave him and that piece of shit place behind. He was mean and angry his whole life, and I was inexperienced when it came to taking a life away. But I was bigger than him. Stronger. And I had enough rage built in me from all those years living under his roof… I just… I blanked out. I barely felt it when he reached for the knife in the kitchen and swiped at me, trying to get me to stop choking him on the kitchen floor.”

Lainey shifted on my lap, shivering a little. The water had gone cold.

I drained it and stood up with her in my arms, water splashing between us.

I carried her back into the bedroom, grabbing the towels on my way out.

She stared up at me when I placed her down on her feet by the walk-in closet and towel-dried her first before I did the same for myself.

She grabbed the towel from my hand.

I stilled.

“I can do it for you,” she said softly.

I let my arms fall to my sides and let her dry me off.

After putting on our clothes, we climbed back into bed, and I held her close in my arms, our legs tangling beneath the covers.

She rested her face on my chest.

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