Page 77 of Ice Cold Liar

Except there was nothing casual about the expression in his eyes.Fury smoldered.

“Serials are a different breed,” he stated without batting an eyelash.“Most don’t seem to feel the normal range of emotions that everyone else does.They are smart, diabolically so, and they can obsess in ways that most people will never understand.They see something they want, and they take it.They crave it.They will do whatever it takes in order to keep their possession.”

The way he was looking at her…

Possession.

But she wasn’t a possession.She was a person.

She finally succeeded in yanking her hands from Eb’s.“What…happened to the serial killer who went after your wife?”

“I can obsess, too,” he revealed as his gaze continued to hold hers.“I can crave.I can also burn down the world if it means protecting the woman I love.There are no threats to my Eliza any longer.I’ve eliminated them all.”

Okay.Scary.Intense.

Memphis’s gaze finally left her.Only to then head straight to Eb.“Can you understand that?The necessary elimination of threats?With your job and your past, I would think so.”

“I get what you’re saying,” Eb snapped.

“Thought you might.Thought you also might really understand that we all need to do what’s necessary for survival.Vengeance is never black and white.”A roll of Memphis’s shoulders.“The Ice Breakers are not involved in the investigation of Hudson Wyatt’s death.He’s not one of the cases we will ever be working to solve.The dead can rest.”His stare swung back to Naomi.“The song always said there was no rest for the wicked.I don’t happen to agree with that.Sometimes, the wicked have earned their rest, too.”Memphis dipped his head toward her.“Time for me to go.I’ve got a plane to catch.My wife is waiting at home for me.I don’t like for my Eliza to ever wait.”With that, Memphis swung on his heel and headed for the door.

“Yeah.”Hunter huffed out a breath.“I’ll just follow him out.Make sure there aren’t any other details that Captain Dramatic just forgot to drop on us.”He hurried after Memphis.

The wicked have earned their rest, too.

She was the Wicked Widow.

And, like so many others, Memphis Camden thought she was guilty as hell.He just didn’t particularly care because he believed her husband was scarier and more evil than the devil.

He was right about her husband.Hudson had been scary.Evil at his core.

But…

He was wrong about her.

“I didn’t kill Hudson.”Words she’d said over and over again, and no one had ever believed her.No one would believe her.She’d always carry the weight of everyone’s suspicion and the judgment would follow Naomi wherever she?—

“I believe you.”

Shock blasted through her at Eb’s low, deep words, and Naomi took a staggering step back.

ChapterSixteen

A hard,vehement shake of Naomi’s head.“No, you don’t.You’re just lying to me.Again.”

“Tell me you didn’t kill him.”

“Ididn’t kill him!”

“I believe you.”

“I didn’t kill Hudson.”

“I believe you.”Eb would say it over and over again.As many times as necessary, he would say it.“You chose Hunter because he was being honest with you at the police station.”Like that choice hadn’t cut like a knife.“Baby, I’ve been so many people over the years that, sometimes, I forget who I really am.I forget how to be honest, even with myself.But I’m going to fix that.Starting now.With you.”A hard nod.“I believe you.”

Did she get what he was saying?Probably not because he barely understood himself.Things were moving way too fast between him and Naomi.His emotions were not locked down the way they should have been.Everything was out of control.“I believe you.”Harder.Rougher.But he swore…

It felt the same as saying…

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