Page 131 of Watch Me Burn
Luna’s analytical mind works through the implications. Horror still grips her. It shows in the tension around her mouth and the rigidity of her spine, but she’s thinking past it now. She’s smart enough to recognize that this could work. It could redirect Sheriff Mills’ attention away from me and onto someone who can’t mount a defense or claim he was framed.
But I can’t let her compromise her morals like that. Not for me.
“No. We’re not dragging Luna into this. I’ll take responsibility for what happened here tonight.”
“Damien, no.” Luna’s eyes meet mine, torn between horror and pragmatism. “If you confess to this, that will give Karen the excuse to look into you more closely.”
“I’m a billionaire with the best legal team money can buy. I can survive the scrutiny.”
“I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself for me.” Luna’s voice gains strength. She crosses her arms over her chest, shoulders squaring.
“You can’t be serious about this, Luna.”
She meets my eyes, and I see the steel in her gaze. The same determination she shows when she’s fighting to save an injured animal.
“I’m a grown woman, Damien. If we’re going to fix what’s broken between us, you need to trust me to make my own decisions.”
“Luna—”
“No.” She cuts me off before turning to Cade. “What exactly are you proposing?”
Cade pulls out a tablet and swipes through photos. The basement. Stills from my videos. My justice documented frame by frame. Luna's face drains of color.
“What the fuck, Cade.” I angle the tablet away, glaring at him.
Unfazed, he presses on. “Each victim was killed with precise, almost surgical violence. The kind that requires knowledge and planning. But Hunter’s attack tonight was sloppy and desperate.”
“So, we make it look like he was deteriorating.” Luna’s mind works through the logic, her breathing evening out. “The earlier murders were calculated, but by the time he got to me, he was unraveling.”
“Precisely.”
Luna straightens. Her hand moves to her mouth, fingers pressing against her lips like she’s testing the lie on her tongue. “What about his body?”
“What body?” Cade looks between us. “There’s no body.”
I give him a sharp look. “What are you thinking?”
“Simple. Caleb attacked Luna. Luna fought back with Shadow’s help. You showed up, punched him, slammed him into the wall, thought he was out cold. While you were tending to Luna and Shadow, he came to and fled. He’s not dead; he’s on the run.”
Cade strides forward, grabbing Hunter’s ankle. “Help me get him to his truck.” I grab his arms. We hoist the corpse up, and I swing it over my shoulder.
“But the evidence—” Luna steps aside, face drained of color, watching me carry the body toward Hunter’s pickup.
“Goes to his apartment in Boulder.” Cade walks to the back of the Range Rover and pulls a tarp out of the back. “I’ll plant it there after the sheriff leaves. Make it look like he’s been planning this for weeks.”
Luna looks at me. “That still puts you at risk. Especially when Caleb’s body is never found.”
“Let us worry about that, little doe.” I cover the body with the tarp.
“Damien, I swear to God, I’m going to kick you in the balls if you don’t stop calling me that.”
“There’s my girl.”
“I mean it.” Her hand wraps around my wrist. “Isn’t it too risky to have you here? Maybe you should go.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not letting you deal with this on your own.”
“You two can argue about this later. We’re pressed for time here. Damien, drive the truck to your place. I’ll take the helicopter and meet you there. We’ll hide them in the garage until this blows over, then dispose of them. We’ll be back in less than five minutes, Luna, and we’ll get this scene cleaned and set to match the story.”
