Page 21 of Commit
The woman across the room snorts, catching our attention.
“Something you want to say, Kelly?” Atlas says.
“You fucked her the first week she started. She bragged about it for months afterward,” she tells me.
I shrug. It still doesn’t ring any bells. Kelly looks away, but she knows better than to say anything. The truth is, most women are interchangeable. I don’t have girlfriends. If I want to fuck, I find a willing partner for the night. None of them are special. After a while, the faces all blur together and mean nothing to me. Most of the time, I don’t even know their name before I’m balls deep inside them.
It’s been a while—six months, I think. Maybe that’s why I’m reacting to Starling like I am. Maybe it’s not the girl. Maybe I need to get laid.
“I’ve got the clean-up crew coming in, but this doesn’t feel random. I have a feeling Emma won’t be the last.”
I think about the mark on her stomach.
“Maybe she isn’t the first, either. If that’s a 12, it could mean she’s the twelfth victim.”
Atlas curses. “If she is, the killings aren’t related to me. I’d know if there were other bodies with numbers carved into them.”
I nod. That’s true. “I’ll call around, see if anyone else has had anything similar. There’s always some fucking wannabe gangster out there that thinks they can come in and take over.”
He blows out a frustrated breath and runs his fingers through his hair. “It’s possible, but I still think I would have heard something. The bigger problem is if there are more bodies, and if Emma is reported missing and she’s traced back here, it puts a spotlight on us.”
“Or a target,” I say.
“Do you think that might be the point? All the media surrounding Kenzo has finally died down. So now it’s my turn again?”
“I don’t know, Atlas, but stranger things have happened. Let me do some digging. See if I can find anything out.”
“Do it. I want to believe this is random, but I can’t take that risk with Ivy and Iris.”
“I know. I have a few sources I can call. They don’t get involved in shit, but they like to keep themselves in the know.”
“Call me if you find anything out. How’s your kid doing?” Atlas asks, lowering his voice so only I can hear him.
“Settling in. He should be unpacked and ready to get back to school on Monday.”
He looks at me, sensing there’s more. “How are you coping with having two teenagers under your roof?”
“I’m happier here at a murder scene. I think that pretty much sums it up.”
I don’t tell him that I’m here to keep busy because if I’m at home, I’ll be thinking about Starling’s heels digging into my shoulders as I eat her out.
He slaps me on the shoulder and laughs. “If you can handle Kenzo and me, I’m sure you can handle a couple of high school seniors.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” I sigh. “I’m going to head back to make sure they haven’t burned the house to the ground. Give me a few days to do some digging, and I’ll touch base.”
Atlas nods. “I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”
I head out, and the guard who stopped me nods as I walk by. “Have a good one, Pete.”
“You too,” I reply, pushing the door open and stepping into the cool night air.
I walk to my car and climb in, trying to remember the dead girl, but I’m coming up blank. I’ll admit, for a long time, I went through women like underwear. I’m single, and I never planned on having a woman in my life permanently again. Not after Eloise.
I don’t know what changed. Maybe it’s just getting older. Maybe it’s seeing what Atlas and Kenzo have. Whatever it is, it’s messing with my head. I was fine alone. In fact, I liked it that way.
Until Starling.
That’s what I don’t get. Why her of all people? Is it Starling I want, or do I want Starling because she’s off-limits? If there’s one thing I do know, it’s that I hate being told what I can and can't do.Consequences be damned.