“Remember Mack? The guy who was threatening Calla over the money her mom owed? He ended up with a bullet in his head, and we all know Isaiah is capable of it, especially when someone has fucked with someone in his family. Even more convenient is the fact the camera on the cell went down during the early-morning hours.”
Holy . . . “So one of the officers was in on it, too?”
“We’ve known for years that he had people on the police force. God knows how much he paid this guy to do this and whoever fucked with the camera. Probably more than enough to take a man’s life and risk getting caught. The department is launching an investigation into it.”
“But no one has ever been able to pin anything on Isaiah. Ever. Like in the history of ever and ever.”
“Yep.”
I didn’t know what to think or how to feel when it came to discovering that Kip was dead. That he’d either taken his own life or Isaiah had someone take him out. Either way, there would be no life in prison or deals being made. If what the guy in the cell was saying was true, Shelly’s body would be found and that was the only light at the end of this messy tunnel. I searched through my emotions for something, but I was kind of like . . . meh. And didn’t that make me the crappiest person ever? It wasn’t that I didn’t care. I just didn’t want to waste any more time or energy on that monster. I couldn’t.
Reece sat on the bed, scrubbing his fingers through his hair. I watched him in silence. As he lowered his hand to his knee, he shook his head. “Does it make me a shit person to say I’m not too torn up about what just happened?”
Crawling over to him, I plopped down so my knees were pressed against his legs. “I think it doesn’t . . . I mean . . .” Sighing, I raised my hands. “You know, I could lie and say it sucks that someone died, but I’m not sure if that’s the truth. And lying is a sin, right? I mean, is being glad someone is dead a sin? You know, I really don’t know if that is. We need to find someone who’s super familiar with the Bible or something.”
His lips twitched.
“I bet Melvin would know.”
He arched a brow. “Melvin? The old guy who’s usually drunk at the bar?”
I nodded. “Yep. Melvin kind of knows everything. Actually, I bet Katie would know. She’s another one who kind of knows everything. It’s weird. Oh!” I clapped my hands. “I never told you what Katie told me once about you.”
Both brows flew up this time. “Should I be worried?”
“No,” I laughed. “She told me once, about two years ago, that I’d already met and fallen in love with the person who I’d spend my entire life with. I didn’t believe her, even when she said it was you.”
His eyes widened. “For real?”
“She did. And I didn’t want to believe her, but I think I knew in the back of my mind that she was right, because I already knew you and I’ve loved you a lot longer than even I wanted to admit.”
He stared at me, a mixture of amusement and disbelief written across his face.
I grinned. “She also told me once she was drinking moonshine a relative brought her from the South and she ended up in the woods and talked to fairies all night. And then this other time, she told Nick that he already met the chick he was going to be with, and he looked like he wanted to run for the hills. So maybe that’s just her M.O.? Wait! She also said—”
“Back to the you loving me part,” he corralled me back in. “She really said that to you years ago?”
“Yes, she did.”
“Oh, babe.” He leaned in, resting his forehead against mine as he curved a hand around the back of my neck. He kissed me, and I melted like an ice cube in the sun. “Katie really does have psychic powers.”
Chapter 27
I supposed it was a good thing that my stomach had stopped hurting, because I was on my fourth or so death grip hug, and I was sure all the excess air had been squeezed right out of me.
It was Friday night, almost two weeks after what I was now referring to as Monday Suckday. I’d returned to Mona’s that past Thursday even though Jax insisted I could take off as much time as I needed, even a month, but I needed to get back to my life and I needed the money. The whole gang was there, hanging out at Mona’s for the night before heading back Sunday morning. They were staying at Jax’s house, camped out in the guest bedroom and the couch.
“I think you kind of look badass with the black eye,” Katie said as she hitched up her neon-blue halter top. “Like I should be afraid that you could kick my ass.”
Calla leaned against the bar beside me, folding her arms along the top. Her blond hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. “She could probably kick all of our asses. The skinny ones are always the scrappy ones.”
My black eye had all but faded to a pale bluish purple and it probably should’ve been completely gone by now, but there were some broken blood vessels. But it was barely visible. I wasn’t worried. “It’s true,” I told the girls. “Watch out.”
Avery laughed as she held a refilled glass of Coke. “I took Teresa out last weekend.”
My brows flew up as I looked at the stunning dark-haired girl. “I feel like I need details on this.”
Teresa laughed as she swiveled around on the bar stool. “I found these boxing gloves of Jase’s and we had a match. I was going easy on her, though, only popping her in the arm.”