Page 127 of My Revenant
My mouth and throat dried up. “How do they know it was him?”
“His knife was found at the scene of the murder.”
His knife… Archer’s knife was found at the scene. My mind brought back that fucking switchblade with the pale wood handle, the one that had felt so heavy in my hands. The one with a history I didn’t dare ask about. My own secrets now mixed with it. Henrik had insisted I use it, had handed it to me then taken it and used it himself. The whole fucking time he’d only used that knife.
“And his blood.”
“His blood?” I asked, my voice softer than I wanted it to be.
“Yeah, it was like everywhere, apparently. They narrowed it down to the twins, but Henny was with his dad, so that just leaves Archy.”
The scene replayed in my mind.
“Your blood is fucking everywhere!”
“Allegedly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means don’t worry about me.”
“You… you just killed three people…”
“Allegedly.”
Allegedly. Henrik had planned this all along. Now Archer was a wanted person in the murders his twin brother had committed—the ones I’d witnessed. My mind was spinning. Did that mean the police wouldn’t come for me? Were they just satisfied that Archer was the one who’d done it? What if he could prove he hadn’t? What if they turned to Henrik instead? Would he then turn on me as well? Put the blame on me instead?
Warm hands grasped my shoulders, thumbs smoothing the tension from my neck. “And Archer hasn’t spoken to anyone?” Dex asked.
Matteo shook his head. “Nah, no one can reach him. That’s why they sent me to check with you.”
“My phone’s been switched off. Can you get it for me, baby?” Dex asked, placing a soft kiss on the side of my head. I nodded, accepting the request for what it was, a moment to step away and process.
The world was spinning as I went up the stairs to shut myself in the bedroom. Was this a good thing? Or was this a problem? I couldn’t determine whether this put me further in danger or out of it, torn between panic and relief, somehow feeling both and neither.
Dex’s phone was in the pocket of his clothes. Still switched off. I clenched it in my fist as I took a seat on the edge of the bed.
I must have taken too long. I could have been there seconds or minutes—longer, I wasn’t sure—but Dex knocked softly on the door before entering. He kneeled in front of me with his warm hands covering mine.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he told me, and I wanted to believe him, but doubt circled inside me like a predator going in for the kill.
“How do you know?”
“Because Henrik is a fucking asshole, but he’s competent. I don’t know why he did what he did, but I know if he wants to frame Archer for this, then that’s exactly what’s going to happen. His family’s very powerful, Rabbit, and if his dad is his alibi, then we have to assume they’re also trying to put this on Archer. No one will know you’re involved. And you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” I nodded, repeating his words, holding onto them like a lifeline.
“That’s right. You were just protecting yourself. Protecting me. You did nothing wrong.”
I did nothing wrong.I repeated the words like a mantra. Dex was so certain as he spoke them. My eyes searched his for doubt and found none. He truly believed it. So I could as well.
“Matteo…”
“He’s gone, baby. I sent him away. It’s just you and me.”
I nodded again, tilting forward until I slipped from the bed to kneel on the floor in front of him, my arms wrapped around his neck and his around my waist.
“I’ve got you. Nothing bad’s going to happen to you, I promise.”
