Page 63 of Craving Venom

“Excuse me?”

Gabriella’s fingers clench. “She embarrassed his brother. Zane was protecting Alex.”

Carrie barks out a laugh. “Protecting him?” She steps closer with a predatory gleam in her eyes. “And how exactly did filming a sex tape protect Alex?”

Gabriella hesitates.

“He could’ve gone to the school committee. Could’ve taken it to the administration. Last I checked, Christopher Valehart owns the goddamn property. Instead of doing the legal thing, Zane chose to commit a crime.”

“Objection!” Yvette interjects. “The prosecution is twisting events to frame the defendant in the worst possible light.”

“I don’t need to twist anything, Your Honor. The facts do that just fine.”

The judge sighs but gestures for her to move on.

“Now that the jury has heard just how violent Zane Valehart was at sixteen—how he was more than willing to sink below the belt to get what he wanted—why don’t you tell the court something we all want to know?” She pauses. “Did he commit those murders?”

She looks at Zane and says, “I’d like to assert my Fifth Amendment rights.”

The silence is deafening.

Carrie shakes her head before stepping back. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

The screen goes black, and I just sit there, gripping the file so fucking hard it might tear apart in my hands. I shove the file away, pressing my fingers to my temples. My skin is clammy, my breaths uneven.

That was supposed to give me answers.

Instead, I feel more fucking lost than ever.

I grab my phone before I can stop myself, my fingers moving on instinct.

Why did you do it?

The response is instant.

Wasn’t this something you were supposed to figure out?

Don’t give me that cryptic bullshit.

Touchy, aren’t we?

You damaged a fifteen-year-old boy. You recorded a teacher and ruined her life. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Nothing.

You’re a fucking monster. How the fuck can you justify that? I thought maybe there was more to this, but you’re exactly the sick bastard they painted you as.

You’re disgusted by me now?

What, you expected me to be charmed? Sorry, Zane, but the whole “cold-blooded killer” thing isn’t really doing it for me.

You had no problem talking to me before.

Yeah, well, I didn’t know you were a psycho then.

You still don’t.

A scoff rips out of me.

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