Page 64 of Tempting Devil

“I’m not sure Brian McGuire is in a position to schedule a follow-up.” I flashed a devilish smirk.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Henry quipped with a wry smile.

“Has anyone alerted the police to his disappearance?”

“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” He paused, lowering his voice, even though we were alone. “Are you ready for when they do?”

“Of course,” I replied confidently, already working up the next steps in my mind.

“This will put James on edge. Possibly Liam, too.”

“Good. Let them worry their perfect lives are about to be shattered into pieces. Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

“So nothing’s changed, then?” He arched a single brow.

“Why would it?”

“I thought with Imogene finding out the truth and believing you that you’d?—”

“That I’d what? Change my mind about this?”

He gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “I thought maybe you’d realize there are more…important things.”

“What could be more important than making these assholes pay?”

“Love.”

“Love,” I scoffed, somehow managing to raise myself to my feet, despite the soreness in my muscles. “That’s rich coming from a guy who gets a boner every time he sees his son’s ex-girlfriend, but refuses to do anything about it.”

“I’m just trying to be a decent person.” He pushed up to stand. “What’s your excuse?”

“My excuse? You want to know what my excuse is?” I advanced on him, my face less than a breath away. “You’re looking at it, Henry. You look at it every damn day. I lost who I was because of those assholes. I had to become something I absolutely abhor because of them. Look at these scars,” I bellowed, holding my arms wide and doing a slow turn so he was forced to look at the marks on my flesh, even though he’d seen them all before. “Each one represents a life I had no choice but to end. I’ve lived with their blood on my hands for too damn long.”

“You’re not to blame.” His eyes flickered over the scars with sadness and understanding. “You did what you had to in order to survive.”

“I know that. But I can’t walk away now, Henry. You claimed you wanted these bastards to pay, too.”

“That was before.”

“Before what?” I seethed.

“Before Imogene,” he said calmly, despite my anger. “Before she made you human again. Sure, I’d love to make these bastards suffer.” He approached me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “But I’d rather you find peace. And maybe you can have that again with Imogene.”

I parted my lips, but no words came.

Could I have that again with Imogene? Could I find peace, knowing those responsible for the hell I was forced to live hadn’t suffered as I had?

For the past five years, revenge was the only thing that kept me going. It gave me purpose after everything had been stolen from me.

Without my vendetta, I didn’t know who I was.

Shaking my head, I lifted my eyes toward Henry. “I have to do this,” I insisted through a tight voice.

Then I spun from him, feeling like I was losing more and more control with every passing day.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Imogene