Page 28 of His Reward
It’s also possible he got fed up of being a peeping tom and stepped up his game, intent on doing more thanlooking.
He could’ve cut a copy of her key before returning the original.
A predator’s family are often the last to know their true, wicked nature.And even when there’s undeniable proof that they’re evil, their family will defend them or minimize their actions out of familial love and loyalty.
With only five minutes left on my lunch break, I stand and slip my handbag onto my shoulder.Someone cruises by on a bike.
“Hey, June.”
“Hey…?”
I frown at their back as they pedal away.My confusion fades when I recognize the grey polo shirt with black pants.That’s the work uniform for the drug mart where Kevin works.
And that was Kevin’s voice.
I’m frozen, an unpleasant tightness in my stomach.
It was him.
He’s the guy I saw earlier leaning his bike against the bench.This whole time, he’s been right there while I talked about him with Penny.
Unsettled by the coincidence, I hurry back to work.
13
June
After work, I head home and enter my apartment armed with a can of pepper spray clutched tight in my hand.Anything that moves is getting a full blast.
A thorough investigation later, I don’t find any sick bastards lying in wait to do something evil.All windows are closed and locked too.
Fear leaves my body on a deep exhale.Not all of it.Malcolm said he won’t be able to make it back until tonight.I’ll relax once he’s here.
I take the vacuum into the spare room and give it a quick run, then move the storage bins of shoes and clothes into my room.I return to the room, looking around at the empty beige walls and parquet flooring.
It used to thrive with life and colour when Penny lived here.She hung up gorgeous artwork she painted herself, and my favourite was a vivid, detailed one of Medusa.
She also liked horror-themed stuff too.I definitely don’t miss her freaky wooden cyclops mask she bought at a pop-up Halloween store.
It was easy living with Penny.Our personalities clicked despite our different interests and tastes.Disagreements were rare and quickly resolved.
Would it be easy living with Malcolm too?I know what it’s like living with men since I grew up around Dad and Nate, but this will be my first time living with oneby myself.
A man who makes me warm when he calls mesweetheart, and who entered my dreams last night and growled that he wanted to fuck me.And I get tingly when I think about that dream even though it’s very,verywrong.
I take a deep breath.Instead of letting my mind play in the gutter, I should be thinking about where Malcolm is going to sleep.
He won’t have a bed yet, so he’ll have to lie on the floor again.That sucks.He was rolling his shoulder as he drove me to work this morning.When I asked him what was wrong, he said, “I’m an old man, and old men shouldn’t sleep on floors.”
Maybe I’ll let him sleep in my bed until he gets his own, and I’ll take the loveseat.Though, my bed is a queen.There would be more than enough space for the both of us—
My phone rings, blocking another descent into wrong thoughts.I hurry to get my phone, guilt making me pause at Mom’s name on the call display.Nervous, I answer.
“Baby, how are you?Mal told me about the intruder!”
Tension leaves my body.Her mother’s intuition hadn’t sensed that her daughter’s morals were in peril after all.
Shortly after the call with Mom ends, my phone pings twice.The texts are from an unfamiliar number, but the sender’s identity is obvious.
