And if my dad ever knew what was happening between Easton and me, I could only guess how he’d react.
“What are you staring at?” Easton asked.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, looking away.
“You okay, sweetie?” Dad asked.
“Fine.” I took a big sip of coffee to cover my embarrassment, and scalded the roof of my mouth. “Shit!” I said. “Hot.”
Easton burst out laughing and Dad just shook his head, smiling.
“Going to work soon?” Dad asked Easton.
“I’m ready whenever Laney is.”
“Don’t let me hold you up.”
He stood, taking his bowl over to the sink. “After you, sis.”
Dad smiled. “Great to see you two getting along.”
“It is nice,” Easton said. “We really get along well. She’s great to work with.”
I took another sip of coffee and put my mug on the table.
“Come on,” I said. “See you, Dad.”
“Have a good day.”
Easton followed me out the front door and down toward his car.
I stopped and whirled around. “Before we leave, one thing,” I said.
“What?”
“If you’re living with us now, no bullshit jokes or gross innuendos around our parents.”
He looked back at me innocently. “Now why would I do such a thing?”
“Because you’re a jerk and you love to get a rise out of me.”
“All of that is true. You’re just so damn sexy when you’re frustrated.”
“Yeah, well, stop. I know we kissed, but our parents can never know about it.”
He nodded. “Fine. Anything else?”
“Just drive us to work.”
“Sure thing, sis.”
“Stop calling me sis,” I muttered as I climbed into the car.
I could hear him laughing to himself as he walked toward the driver’s side.
He handed me the coffee cup and paid the bored-looking kid at the drive-through window.
“Thanks,” I said, sipping the hot drink.
“Sure.” He pulled back out into traffic.
“What’s on the agenda today?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. I might have to go down to the sheriff’s office later, talk to them about that case.”
“What’s happening with that?”
He was quiet for a second. “Remember that article you read in the paper?”
“Sure.”
“Back when I was in the FBI, I was tracking a killer named Lester Seed. He killed in a way that’s very similar to the recent murders around here.”
“Do you think it’s him?”
“Maybe.” He fell silent again, staring straight ahead.
I wanted to tell him that I’d seen the file. I wanted to admit it so badly that it almost hurt. I was tired of sneaking around and pretending like I didn’t know what was going on.
And maybe I could help. It wasn’t like I meant to find the file in the first place. Maybe he’d be relieved.
“I found your file,” I blurted out.
He didn’t react. “Oh yeah?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. “I was in the bathroom and it was poking out from behind the toilet and I couldn’t help but look at it.”
The silence between us stretched on. I wanted to keep babbling, to explain why I had looked at it, how it wasn’t my fault, but I knew it wouldn’t help. He didn’t look angry, but he wasn’t speaking either.
“I guess you read it,” he said finally.
“I skimmed it.”
“What do you think?”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You’re not mad?”
“I’m mad,” he said. “I’m pretty pissed off. But it’s done. I would have told you about it eventually, and I guess it’s my fault for not hiding it better.”
“I’m really sorry. I know I violated your space.”
He shrugged. “So, what do you think about it?”
“It can’t be him,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “You shot him in the chest.”
“But the murders are him.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“So we have three scenarios here. One, Lester is somehow alive. I doubt that’s the case. Two, he was working with someone, which I also doubt.”
“Why?” I cut in.
He shook his head slowly. “Hard to explain. Sometimes when you’re deep in a case you start to think like the guy you’re chasing. I don’t think it’s possible to get any deeper into a case than I was with Seed. He doesn’t work with other people.”
“Okay. So what’s the third option?”
“A copycat.”
“Someone else killing like Seed did?”
He looked frustrated. “Yes. But there are details in the killings that weren’t released to the public, stuff a copycat shouldn’t know about.”
“Plus, why would they be killing around here?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I really don’t.”
We pulled into the office park and Easton climbed out of the car. I grabbed my coffee and followed him. I could tell that the conversation was over, but I was burning with more questions. My heart was hammering in my chest, beating wildly. I couldn’t believe he had opened up to me like that. Sure, he said he was mad, but he seemed more interested in getting my opinion about the case than anything else.
Did he respect me like that? I could never tell if he thought I was just some dumb kid or if he thought I actually had some potential. He was such an asshole most of the time that I was somewhat taken aback when he acted like a normal human being.
I followed him up into his office, but as soon as we were inside, he disappeared into the back room. I knew better than to follow him, so I set my stuff up at the desk and checked the messages.
I glanced up as he walked into the bathroom. A minute later, he came back with the file folder and plopped it down on the desk in front of me.
I stared up at him. “What?” I asked.
“Read it through.”
“Are you kidding?”
He came close to me and my mouth hung open. He tipped my chin up toward him, his eyes locked on mine.
“You might as well.”
“What do you want from me?” I whispered to him.
“Nothing. You’re my stepsister. My employee.”
“But what about—”
He grabbed my hair slightly and I gaped, stopping midsentence.
“You’re just a pretty cunt that I want to fuck over and over.”
“If that’s true, you wouldn’t want my opinion.” I paused as I caught the look in his eye. “You need it, don’t you?”
“I need something,” he whispered.
And then he crushed his mouth against mine, kissing me hard.
Everything else was forgotten in that instant as I stood and pressed my body against him, kissing him deep, our tongues running together.
12
Easton
I pressed her up against the desk, her ass halfway on the top as I kissed her hard.