Page 162 of Hyde and Seek
Terrified, I pushed against the headboard until it squeaked in protest. My heart pounded in my chest as I worked to steady my breathing.
Z’s face went soft as he tamed his crazy. “I could’ve done your speakers the first time, but I needed you to come in again. Jake was supposed to have a meeting with the parts distributor, but he cancelled. He never cancels anything. Hyde is his life. We all knew he did it to see you. I figured he’d move on after a couple days. But he didn’t, Piper. Why did he have to change the plans?”
I curled into myself further when his thundering voice filled my room.
“I don’t think he knew the plans, sweetheart,” I said. “Why don’t you tell them to me?”
The contempt he has for Jake, the deep hatred? I can’t believe how well he’s been able to hide it.
“See? I knew if I just got you away from him, you’d be so sweet to me. You’d look at me like you looked at him. You’d love me and I’d protect you. And I did, Piper. James came here to tell you that he loved you and to make you feel bad. And I stopped him. I did that for you, Doll Face.”
I nodded my head. “I know. Thank you,” I lied through the lump in my throat.
“I’ll always protect you. I’ll die for you. I’m sorry you had to see me hurt him but you weren’t supposed to be here. You weren’t supposed to see what I have to do to protect you. Why were you here? Why? Answer me!” he demanded as he ran his hand over his head. His hair was in disarray, no longer the perfectly coiffed pompadour.
For some reason, seeing that hit me hard.
How symbolic.
Down to his fucking hair, he’s not the same guy I thought I knew.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry.” I had no clue what I was apologizing for, but it seemed the best choice.
I knew I was right when, just like that, he was back to soft Z. “It’s okay. I kept you safe this time. I’ll always keep you safe.”
“I know, sweetheart. What’re the plans? I don’t want to mess them up.”
“You’re so good to me. I love you so much, Doll Face. That’s why I did all of this. I needed you to need me. Not Jake. Not the bank.Me!”
I flinched when his hand that was holding the gun hit his chest for emphasis.
“What about the bank?”
“That’s another way I knew it was fate. Imagine my good fortune when I found out you did your banking at the same place I did. I followed you in all the time. You were always in your own world, so oblivious.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he shook his head. “You need to pay attention, Doll Face.”
Ain’t that the fucking lesson of the century?
“I let it slip a few times to the bank manager about how irresponsible you were with money. I told him you kept baking after partying so everything was burnt and that I was surprised you hadn’t started a big fire yet. Now you need me and I can take care of you, right?”
That solves that mystery.
“Right,” I agreed softly.
“I’ll always take care of you.” He smiled at me lovingly before his lips curled in disgust. “That’s why that bitch Chloe had to die.”
I never thought I’d say this, but poor Chloe.
“That’s why James had to die,” he continued nonchalantly, as if killing two people was no biggie.
Definitely poor James.
A sob wracked my body, but Z didn’t notice. Completely absorbed in his rant, he didn’t seem to even know where he was.
I braced in the bed, waiting for any opportunity to make a run for it. I barely scooched when his eyes snapped back to me, cutting off my escape before it’d even begun.
“Chloe went off plan. She tried to fuck me like I wasn’t already yours. She called me over today and said she was horny. Things weren’t working with Jake and she thought she could get me. When I turned her down, she said she’d run to Jake and tell himeverything. Just like that, months of work would be for nothing. I couldn’t let that happen, could I, Doll Face?”
“No.” My hands clutched the sheets as I watched the gun move haphazardly as he started grabbing things from my closet.
