her word as the Holy Grail. She’s a goddamn murderer who’s freely walking the streets because she’s rich.”
“Money makes people turn a blind eye on unethical things, even those who are supposed to protect and honor the law. All of it is bullshit, and I’m sorry you have to go through this,” I say, putting myself in his shoes and thinking about what he’s lost. Though I spent time in prison, the woman I love is still alive, even if she’s not with me right now.
“It does. And that’s exactly why I need to end this. Because if I don’t, she’ll continue this destructive path of ruining other people’s lives. I can’t allow her to get away with what she did, Tyler. I won’t.” He’s tense as hell as he tightly holds his beer bottle.
I suck in a deep breath and nod. “I know there’s nothing I can say that will stop you from going down this road. I’ll help you however I can, Eric, but I can’t get locked up again because of her. I lost too much already.”
“This is my fight. You already did what you could, and allowing me to stay with you is enough. I appreciate you, man. Glad to have someone who’s sane in my corner for once and happy to help you and return the favor.”
A chuckle escapes me. “So what’s your plan?”
He shakes his head. “The less you know, the better. I just need to find her first, and then I’ll figure out the rest.”
His words cause a chill to run up my spine. I hate that he’s going to these lengths, but there’s no changing his mind. If Victoria would’ve done to Gemma what she did to Amara, I’d hunt her like the animal she is, consequences be damned.
Eric finishes his drink and stands. “I think I’m gonna get some sleep. Gotta get the rental car early in the morning.”
“Sure thing,” I tell him, showing him around the house just in case he needs anything. Everleigh offered to stay at Ruby’s for a few days so I could have her room and Eric could have mine. “Sheets are clean.”
“Thanks again,” he tells me. I grab some clothes from my drawers before I walk away and give him his space. Sassy jumps off Everleigh’s bed when I pass to go into the living room, and I decide to take her for a walk. It gives me a little time to blow off some steam, but now that I have confirmation that Victoria is in town, I watch out for anything out of the ordinary. Sassy stops every ten seconds, but I don’t rush her, especially with how nice it feels out.
Once we’re back inside, I feed her some treats, then she runs back to my room and hops on the bed. “You’re so lazy,” I say with a grin as she puts her head down.
Considering I didn’t take a shower after work, I go to the bathroom. I step under the hot stream and can’t stop thinking about the last time Gemma was in here with me. The pain of her going through with the wedding nearly destroys me. She’ll stand in front of a room full of people, and they’ll witness her exchanging vows with that asshole. The whole thing makes me so goddamn sick to my stomach, and I feel like I’m suffocating. I turn off the water and get out of the shower and dry off. My thoughts over this whole situation are fucking with me, but above all, I just want her to be safe. My stress levels are through the roof, so I promise myself I’ll get up in the morning and hit the gym regardless of how shitty I’ve been sleeping lately.
After I get dressed, I go to Everleigh’s room and climb into her bed. As I close my eyes, I think about a letter Gemma wrote to me. It squeezes at my heartstrings, and as I recall each word she said, it nearly guts me.
* * *
Dear Tyler,
Your last letter nearly broke my heart. When you get home, I’m going to kick your ass for that. I don’t know why you think you’re not good enough to have a real relationship. You’re caring. Honest. You’ve got all the qualities that a woman looks for in a man…or at least from what I’ve watched on TV and read online. Everleigh has shared with me all the things you used to do for her when she was younger.