Daddy's Stepstalker (Daddy's Little Deviants)

Jesus, I needed a cigarette. I took one out of the pack I’d hidden in the glove compartment and lit it. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine, but I’m worried about you. Are you eating okay?”

“For god’s sake, Ari, of course I’m not eating okay. I can’t bear to eat while you’re out there plotting crazy schemes.”

“It’s not crazy. In fact, it makes perfect sense.”

“What makes perfect sense is you coming back to me.”

“Soon, I promise, but now I have a big surprise for you.”

I wound down the window and blew out a puff of smoke. “I’m not sure I like surprises anymore.”

“You’ll like this one, promise.”

“You’re making an awful lot of promises.”

“And I’ll make them come true. You’ll see.”

I slumped against the car seat. “Ari, this isn’t right. You shouldn’t be the one handling this.”

“Why not?” he sounded amused.

“You’re so small, Judd will crush you. This is my responsibility.”

“And you’re my responsibility, just as I’m yours.” He made a humming sound at the back of his throat. “I thought you quit smoking when you and Mom got married.”

My body shot forward, and I peered through the window, searching for him.

“You’re here?”

He chuckled. “I’m everywhere you are. Don’t you know that?”

“Hang up and come to me.”

“I can’t. I have so much to do for tonight.”

“Tonight?” My heart leaped in my chest. He was going to make his move on Judd tonight? “Where? Tell me so I can be there. I-I can help.”

“I know you, Daddy. You have a soft heart. You’ll never be able to go through with this.”

“I helped you with Rich,” I whispered softly.

“He doesn’t count. He was already dead. Hardly anything you could do about it.” He laughed.

“What?”

“Rich was supposed to be my safety net, you know.”

I ground out the cigarette into the cupholder. “What do you mean?”

“I could have taken care of him all on my own, but I wanted you involved just in case.”

“In case what?”

“You have to understand. I didn’t know if I could trust you yet.”

“What do you mean?”