I hear the sound of the shower going. I still don’t know everything that went down between her and that dead bastard, but I don’t want to push too hard too soon. Giving her time to process it herself before I start demanding details. What counts is that she’s here. Karma’s safe. My woman is going home with me as soon as she’s cleared to do so. The police want to do another interview about Archer, something about some security footage captured by a neighbor on their camera.
My guess is they got men who work for Sanchez on film breaking, entering, and fleeing the scene. If they thought she had anything to do with it, they’d already cuffed her and tossed the key to her cell.
Hell, in their eyes she did them a favor by getting rid of the garbage polluting their town.
Two taps on the door to our dank motel room tell me Smoke and Viking are back with the grub and Karma’s clothes right on time. I still do a check at the window to be sure. Viking’s at our door and Smoke is at Static’s.
I open the door and give the brother entrance. He puts our subs on the table by the window while I take the bag of clothes into the bathroom. Karma scrubs at her skin so damn harshly she’s going to rub it raw. I place the bag on the sink and approach. She’s got this dead expression in her eyes that worries me.
“Let me help you.” I shrug my clothes off and step into the shower and nearly howl when the hot spray burns my skin. “Fuck, woman. You trying to peel your skin off?”
She doesn’t respond but I wet her hair and grab the teeny bottle of complimentary shampoo and lather it through the blood-stained strands watching the remains of a fucked-up day swirl down the drain. I turn her toward me so I can rinse the suds out. Thick tears roll down her cheeks.
“Let it all out, darlin’.” I hold her naked body to mine, wrapping her up with all my strength. Killing a man leaves a stain on your soul no matter the reason or circumstance. Carlos Sanchez is a demon who will plague her, but I’ll be here to keep her grounded.
“I have something I need to tell you,” she croaks as a sob wracks through her chest.
I close my eyes. Chill bumps pebble across my skin. I know whatever she has to say is going to be tough to hear. Tough to accept.
“Carlos,” she says his name with vitriol. “He wanted to collect on what he bargained for. What I promised in return for Archer only he said that Mona was waiting for his order. An order to kill you. To kill Torsten and I…”
Moisture gathers in the creases of my eyes. “Don’t.” I thought I could handle it but if she says the words I’m going to break. All my control is going to rinse down the drain with that motherfucker’s blood and the only thing that will soothe me is ripping him in two. Only I can’t because he’s already dead.
“You need to know that I did things.”
“Astrid, if you love me, you’ll stop talking.”
“I do love you, Darius. So, so much. It hurts and I can’t bare this alone.”
“Fuck.” My tears come hot and steady. I’ve not cried since my old man passed away.
I’m supposed to be holding strong for her and yet here she is cupping my jaws and pressing her lips to mine.
“Look at me. Please.”
We lock eyes and for a moment the world fades away. I get lost in her gaze. So damn lost I could easily drown. “I told them he raped me but that was a lie. I let him do whatever he wanted in order to get close enough. So that he’d let his guard down. So I could kill him…” she keeps talking but my blood turns to ice in my veins. I drop my arms to my sides, unable to touch her or even look at her. “I’m sorry. There was no other way.”
“Right,” I clip the word out as the water turns as chilly as my mood. I reach around her and shut the faucet off. I step out of the shower and sling a towel around my hips. I leave her alone in the bathroom unable to meet her eyes. Unable to face her. To see the hurt radiating from her soul.
I grab my spare change of clothes as Viking stares at me pausing mid-bite of chewing his sub.
“I gotta get some air.”
I climb on my bike and ride for miles down the coast. I ride until I hit a titty bar. Wanting to punish her. Wanting to erase her words from my mind.