Force always attracts men of low morality.
âAlbert Einstein
LOGAN: Steak. Iâll be taking you out for steak. Maybe even lobster too. You like red meat and shellfish?
I grin when I see the random text from Logan. Yesterday I was awkward, but then he called and made me forget how unversed I am with all this, because he didnât seem to mind. If anything, he seemed more intrigued.
ME: Yes and yes. I like wine too. Just FYI.
LOGAN: Wine, got it. What are you doing today? Any chance youâll be in town for more coffee? Or a muffin, rather?
I finish concealing the final camera over the entry of the doorway. Getting inside wasnât easy, considering Tyler or his wife locks the doors immediately when they get home or leave. But I finally managed to slip in and leave a window unlocked for later.
No security system. Thereâs only one of my targets planned who has a security system. Thatâll be on Jake to handle. Jake is a true best friend. How many people do you walk up to, tell them you want revenge, tell them your plan, and then they start helping you keep from getting caught?
I grab my phone and text Logan back, finding it oddly calming to have a normal conversation while plotting.
Maybe I really am psychotic.
ME: Not today. Iâm on a trade review. I wonât be back in until tomorrow.
Thatâs not entirely a lie. I did do a trade review⦠It just happened to be in the same town.
Tylerâs wife is out of town on a conference for work, which gives me plenty of time to check out his home.
The flooring is new, just like the rest of the home. No creaks is a damn good thing. My phone buzzes in my pocket as I make my way through the hallways, checking for anything and everything that might pose a problem.
LOGAN: Tomorrow Iâll be a few towns over. Juggling a few cases right now. People just canât seem to stop killing other people.
Gotta love irony.
Weâre so terribly mismatched that itâs not even funny.
If heâd seen the evil Iâve seen, heâd understand why some people deserve to die.
ME: Have you ever had to kill someone?
Pretty sure thatâs not the best question to ask a guy youâve only had one coffee house date withâif you can call that a date.
LOGAN: Many times. Not all cases end with the perp in jail, unfortunately.
Well, heâs killed numerous people the same way with the same methodology and reasoningâ¦so technically heâs a serial killer too. Itâs logically truthful. Other than wearing a badge to find it legally justifiable, weâre the same. Well, I torture my victims first, but thatâs just nitpicking at facts.
LOGAN: Does that bother you?
Iâm laughing before I can stop myself, and I groan while shaking my head, happy that thereâs no one here to hear me. Morbid humor is probably not going to get me far in this relationship.
ME: Not at all. Iâm sure you had to do it, or you wouldnât have done it at all.
Sometimes people donât find justice. Sometimes they have to take it.
âWant to play, Victoria? You know you do.â Benâs breath feels like acid against my forehead, and I manage to slam a knee up, connecting with his side.
He curses and turns his head.
âHold her down!â he yells at Tyler. âOr Iâll make sure she nails you a few times too.â
A scream pierces the night, but itâs not mine. I refuse to let them hear me scream.
âYou scream pretty,â I hear Kyle saying, laughing from somewhere behind us, but I canât see him or what heâs doing.
And I donât want to see.
I donât even want to see what theyâre doing to me.
The memories used to leave me curled in a ball and crying for hours. Now they fuel me. Feed my mission. Drive me forward.
Make me a little murderous.
Shaking my head, I move through the house quicker, hiding the last camera in the stuffed bear on Tylerâs bed. Apparently his wife likes stuffed animals. Or at least I hope itâs his wife who likes stuffed animals. Iâd hate to know Iâve trembled in fear over a guy who carries around a stuffed bear.
As I enter the last bedroom, I notice itâs soundproofed with large amounts of studio padding meant for musicians. This will be the perfect room, since he doesnât have a basement. No windows are in here.
No cameras will be added in this room.
There are a few guitars lined up, all of them nice and shiny.
His whole life is nice and shiny. Just like all of them.
I canât wait to paint it red.