Page 107 of Sweet Possession
“I suppose this is the part where you tell me I’ll never be able to hurther again because I’m about to die, blah, blah, blah,”Freddy said, trying to sound like he wasn’t shitting his pants.
I chuckled. “I didn’t realize you were so keen to die, Freddy. But youare right, youaregoing to die,justnot yet. Not until you’ve told me everything I want to know about Cora’s mom.”
By thetime I washed Freddy’s blood off my knuckles, I wasexhausted. All I wanted to do was go home and check on Cora, but there was one more thing I had to take care of.
Lily.
What a fucking twenty-four hours it’d been. The sun was beginning torise on a new day. The first day of the rest of her life where Cora wouldn’t have to worry about her asshole dad.
Brian had arrived to pick Nash, Savannah, and Cora up so Nashcould leave me his car. Brian hadevenbeen good enough to go via the airport and pick up my case so I had fresh clothes to change into after the ones I was wearing got covered in Freddy’s blood.
Thanking Diaz for making arrangements to deal with Freddy’s body, Ijumped into Nash’s car and floored it to Lily’s apartment.
She was on an early shift, so she’d be leaving for work soon. Butthere was no point in her going anywhere; she no longer had a job at Onyx.
I parked the car at the far end of the parking lot before getting out andwaiting near the entrance to the block.When the door opened and she strolled out without a care in theworld, my blood boiled. She had no fucking clue about the damage she could have caused.
The damage shedidcause.
“Lily,”I called, stepping out of the shadows where I’d been lingering.
“Fox,”she said, the color draining from her face as I approached her.“I thought you were in Singapore?”
“My trip got cut short. Cora went missing,”I replied, doing my best tokeep my features neutral whenreally, all I wanted to do was let rip.“You wouldn’t know anything aboutthat, would you?”
Her eyes darted around the parking lot as if she were looking forsomeone to come and help her.“Erm…no. Why would I?”
I shrugged casually.“Thankfully, I found her before she could leavethe city. She was under the impression you and I had been having an affair.”
Her features hardened.“Well, she’s obviously lying. I don’t knowwhere she would have gotthatidea from.”
My temper snapped.“I’ll tell you where she got it from, Lily.Youliedthrough your fucking teeth.Youconvinced herthatI was fucking you behind her back,”I growled menacingly, closing the gap between us.
Panic filled her eyes as she cowered against the side of her car.“No,that…thatdidn’t happen. She’s a liar, Fox. I knew she was no good for you, she’s trying to manipulate you so you cut me out of your life.”
“Quit the bullshit, Lily. Did you forgetthatI have a camera in mydoorbell?”Her face fell, telling methatshe had forgotten about it. Fucking dumbass.“Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?”
“I did it for you, Daddy!”she shrieked, her voice echoing into themorning air.“Thatgirl is poison, she turned you against me!”
Lily calling me Daddy made bile crawl up my throat.Thatname wasreserved for Cora, and Cora alone.
“Fuck sake, Lily. The only person who turned me against you isyou,”I bellowed, unable to restrain my fury any longer.
Tears welled in her eyes. Suddenly, she lurched forward, gripping myshirt.“Why can’t you see what she has done to us? I love you! I’ve always loved you! We’re meant to be together, not you andthatwhore!”she cried, desperation in her tone.
I’d never hit a woman, and I didn’t intend on starting now. But if a guyhadjustcalled Cora a whore, he’d never be able to speak again.
I yanked her hands off my shirt, narrowing my eyes on her.“Get it intothatthick head of yours, Lily. I don’t love you. Ineverloved you.And I never want to see your face again.”I stepped back, putting distance between us. Her eyes widened as if I hadjustslapped her.“We’re done, Lily. In case you haven’t figured it out, you no longer have a job at Onyx. In fact, by the time I’m done, you’ll never work in Vegas again. Stay in the city or get the fuck out of Nevada, I don’t give a fuck.Juststay away from me, and stay away from Cora.”
Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, a howl leaving herlike she was a wounded animal. If she hadn’t tried to fuck up the best thingthathad ever happened tome, I’d feel a pang of sympathy for her, but she’d brought this on herself.
“Fox, please!”she yelled through sobs as I walked away.“I can’t livewithout you! I don’twantto live without you!”
Her cries had started to attract an audience. Nosey neighbors lookedout of the windows, passersby stopped to see what was going on.
I didn’t reply to her. There was nothing else to say.
Unlocking the car, I slid into the driver’s seat. Across the parking lot,Lily got to her feet, staring over at me before the rumbles of a truck drew her attention.
