Page 80 of Liars

I ignored her and took a sip. The burn hit instantly, settling warm in my chest.

She lifted her glass, eyeing me over the rim. “So…are we going to talk about what you were doing at the police station?”

I met her gaze. “Are you?”

She shrugged. “Why should I? It’s not like you’ve been the most forthcoming guy.Andyou told me not to trust you.”

I smirked. “Valid. Is that what you want, though? Someone to be honest with you?”

Her jaw tensed as she circled the rim of her glass with a fingertip. “I don’t know what I want.”

I leaned in slightly, just enough to watch the way her breath caught. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?” My voice was low and rough. “You don’t know if you want to run from me…”

I let the silence stretch, let the tension coil tighter.

“Or if you want to stay.”

She swallowed. Then suddenly, as if needing space, she set her drink down and straightened. Her fingers tightened around the glass. “I don’t know what I want. That’s the problem.”

Lacy leaned on the counter, her eyes gleaming. “I like her You better not fuck this up.” Then, to Kaylor, she said, “Be patient with him. He’s had it rough, but once you have his heart, he’s loyal as fuck. The hard part is breaking through his armor.”

Kaylor’s lips parted slightly, but before she could respond, she set her drink down. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Down that hallway, second door on the left,” Lacy instructed, pointing in the direction.

Kaylor slid off the stool, heading toward the hallway without looking back.

I exhaled, rolling the glass between my fingers as I watched her go. Only then did I realize the bartender was still watching me. Smirking. “Don’t say a word,” I warned. “I don’t want to hear it.” It was bad enough that Lacy tried to make me out to be a teddy bear. She had no idea the truth. If she had known, she would have given Kaylor a very different piece of advice concerning me.

Run.

“Oh, Kreed, honey.” She leaned in. “You have no idea. I’m going to enjoy watching you fall.”

Like hell, I would.

Not for someone like Kaylor Steele.

22

KAYLOR

Aquietness entered the bathroom with me, the muffled sounds of the casino barely audible through the heavy door. I leaned against the sink, letting out a shaky breath. The alcohol was starting to settle in, warming my veins and dulling the frayed edges of the day, but the unease clung to me like smoke.

My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the sink, my reflection staring back—flushed cheeks, tired eyes, and that ever-present shadow lurking behind them. I splashed cold water onto my face, inhaling sharply as the icy chill cut through the haze. My pulse slowed. My muscles relaxed. But as I reached for a paper towel, something moved in the mirror.

A shadow.

The breath in my lungs froze.

Before I could turn, a gloved hand clamped over my mouth, crushing the scream before it could escape as I stared into a familiar sight. For a second, I hoped this was another of my nightmares and I’d wake up in my bed, terror pumping through my veins at the image of the two masked men who never left me.

This time…there was only one.

I thrashed, my fingers clawing at the vise-like grip. My skull pounded with terror as I stared into a familiar horror—a masked man. My mind fractured, hurtling me back to that night, to the screams, to the blood?—

No. No. Not again.

“Don't scream,” he growled against my ear, his voice low and rough. “Or this gets ugly.”

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