She reached for the flowers, but he jerked them out of her reach, spitting words at her too low for me to hear, even when I cracked the window open an inch.
I rolled my head on my neck when the darkness inside me swirled and grew, just begging to be unleashed.
“Not yet.”
Nothing good came from being unprepared. Nothing good came from moving too quickly and losing control.
The darkness had its place in my life, but keeping it under control was key. Because once it was out, I couldn’t always get it back in.
She was crying again. I could tell by the shakes in her shoulders, and the boyfriend realized he was making a scene. His gaze darted to the houses around them, before he stepped in close to her and thrust the flowers into her arms.
She took them this time and then watched while he got inside his sleek black car. It zoomed backward out of the driveway at an extremely unsafe speed.
I ground my teeth when she jumped back like she was afraid he might hit her.
There were rules in my family about who we could kill. Killing women wasn’t off the table. Not if they deserved it. But I drew the line at children, even though we’d had contracts for those jobs before. The thought curdled my stomach. Children could change.
Adults couldn’t.
Which didn’t bode well for this new leaf I was supposed to be turning over.
I could be the exception.
Doubtful, the darkness whispered.
“Shut up.”
Bethany-Melissa watched her boyfriend drive away. Her gaze lingered on my car for a moment, and my breath hitched, even knowing she couldn’t see me inside. I waited for her to walk into the house, but once she’d disappeared, I turned the engine on. Making a U-turn, I drove in the same direction the boyfriend had and quickly caught him at the nearest stop sign.
I sat behind him, staring at his personalized number plates.
CALE8.
“So either your name is Caleb or you like kale but can’t spell,” I muttered to myself. “As much as I’d like to assume you’re an ignoramus, you’re probably not if you managed to obtain a job that pays enough to live in that ridiculous-looking house that cost more money that you have sense. So, hello, Caleb. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, except you have no idea I’m following you, do you?”
Caleb pulled out into the flow of traffic, and I followed, not bothering to leave a gap, because he had no idea who I was. I trailed him closely through the streets of Providence, only dropping back when I found myself in Saint View. The last rays of the setting sun disappeared into darkness, and the intermittent streetlamps did little to light the night around me.
I didn’t mind that. I liked the darkness.
Ahead, Caleb picked up the pace until he was ten miles over the speed limit.
“Where are you going in such a rush, Caleb with an eight instead of a B? Off to abuse some more women?”
I didn’t want to draw more attention to myself than necessary, but I needed information, and I wasn’t going to get that by losing him now. I put my foot down on the accelerator.
A tiny flash of white up ahead had both me and Caleb slamming on the brakes. His car screeched over the blacktop, his wheels locking up as his slid along the road. But it was too little, too late, his reflexes too slow to avoid the collision.
I sucked in a breath when a tiny white body hit the front of his car and went skittering across the road, coming to a stop as it hit the gutter.
Caleb’s door opened. He put one foot down on the road and leaned on his doorframe. “Fucking bastard cunt dog!” he shouted, staring over at the unmoving mass. “What did you do that for?”
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel, forcing me to stay seated.
Caleb got back in his car, and it lurched off into the darkness once more.
I let him go. The chase was over. My evening now had a different mission.
I pulled my car to the side of the road and got out, walking quietly to the little white dog Caleb had hit. It was probably some kid’s pet. I’d check the tags and take him home so they could have closure.
A yelp of pain cut through my entire being. I lurched into a jog and stared down at the creature.
Big brown eyes stared up at me, and a tiny bark escaped through a bloodied mouth.
I squatted beside her, looking the dog over and noting that she was actually female. “You’re still alive, but Caleb just left you to suffer on the side of the road.” I shook my head. “And they call me a psychopath.”
The barks turned into whimpers as I put my hand to her black nose and let her sniff me. “How about we make a deal, little dog? I’ll pick you up and get you some help, but you promise not to bite me. Blink if you agree to the terms of this arrangement.”