Page 155 of Risky Passion

She was fishing. Prodding. They didn’t know. Not really.

A man I didn’t recognize stepped in, holding something in his hands: my notebook.

“Looks like she’s been writing a memoir of sorts.” His accent was off; part American, part fucking weird.

Parker turned toward him. “Show me.”

The man flipped it open andhanded it over.

“Jesus,” Parker muttered, scanning a page. “You murdered your teacher when you were fifteen?”

“She deserved it,” I growled. “I’ve written down why.”

“I can’t imagine what you went through, Beatrice,” Tory said. “No child should live through that.”

Parker turned the page, and the man who found the notebook leaned in, and so did the woman beside him, who I also didn’t recognize.

“Jesus,” Parker said. “How many people have you killed?”

“Not enough. Blade and Viper are still on my kill list.” My eyes locked on Cobra. “Fuckers.”

“Blade and Viper?” he asked, brows knotting. “Why?”

“They killed my boys, Thomas and Fraser.”

Silence fell.

Then the woman I didn’t recognize stepped toward me.

“They didn’t kill Thomas,” she said. “Alice did.”

My blood froze. “You lying fucking bitch. She did not. Alice never hurt anyone.”

“She did, Beatrice,” the woman said gently. “I was there when it happened.”

“Bullshit. Twisted fucking lies.”

“It was an accident. Alice went for the gun. I tried to stop her, but it went off.”

“No.” My voice cracked.

“Alice shot Thomas,” she said. “But it was an accident. She didn’t mean to.”

My chin trembled. My grip on the gun faltered.

“You’re lying,” I whispered. “Iknowyou’re fucking lying.”

My mind crashed into the memory of Alice after I pulled her out of the hospital. After Thomas was killed. She was never the same. It was like something was eating her alive from the inside out.

Was it guilt?

She couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t look me in the eye.

I thought it was sorrow. I thought it was grief for our boys. But maybe it was something else.

No! She would’ve told me.

We had no secrets.

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