“Why not?”
“Because Clay doesn’t have a landline. Steve knocked out his internet earlier, and when I was there, I managed to swipe his phone.”
Maisey switched gears. “He can just get in his car and go for help.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Odin take another step. “Did you not consider that obvious move in your master plan?”
Heather’s face hardened. “Why would he want to help you? You think he’s a killer. Your boyfriend attacked him. I took his phone as a precaution, but in the end, we both know Clay won’t do a damn thing for you.”
“Granted…” Maisey lifted her hands and tugged on Steve’s arm. His hold on her neck was starting to hurt. “I did think he was a killer, but he’ll do the right thing.”
“No, he won’t. People don’t do the right thing. I learned that working with Whitney. Seeing the cases she studied. Give them a chance, and anyone will screw you over.” Her chin notched up. “She was gonna screw me over. Me and Steve.”
Odin’s hands had clenched into fists. “You killed her?”
Heather’s head swung toward him.
Dammit! Why was Odin drawing their attention? Maisey had planned to be the distraction.
“I didn’t kill her,” Heather clarified with a slight shift of her shoulders. “We just left her to die. There’s a difference, you know.”
“No. I don’t think there is.” His eyes glittered.
Steve’s hold on Maisey’s neck tightened even more. “She saw me making a deal. She shouldn’t have even been in that bar, but she was. She saw me, and she was going to tell the dean at Dunson. I would have been kicked out of school. I would have lost everything I’d worked for!”
“I couldn’t let that happen.” Now Heather’s stare flew toward Steve. “She wasn’t going to do that to him.”
Right, okay, so…these two had faked the fight scene at the college. It had been a trick. They were a deadly duo, and they had to be stopped. Or else Maisey had the feeling that they would be leaving her to die soon, too…Her and Odin.
“We waited until she was vulnerable.” Apparently, Heather was in the mood to confess all. A bad sign. “We hit her in the head, knocked her out. Then we made sure she vanished.”
“How.” From Odin. Not a question. A demand.
“Steve’s dad has a boat. We took her out, drove as far as we could, then dumped her over the side. She was just waking up,” Heather hurried to say. “So she was alive when we put her in the water. We didn’t kill her—”
“You just left her to die,” Odin finished coldly. “Right. Heard you the first time.”
Maisey’s stomach was in knots. “Is that supposed to make it better? That you didn’t kill her with your own hands? Because drowning isn’t better! It’s not like she just slips under the water and that’s all there is!” Rage poured through her. “How could you do that to her? How could you make her suffer like that?”
“We didn’t.” From Steve. He seemed much more controlled than Heather. Cold. “Clay did. At least, that’s what you thought, isn’t it? And that’s what the cops will think, too.”
Heather gave a jerky nod. “When I took his phone, I made sure to leave Whitney’s earrings at his place. Those will be part of the evidence we use to nail him for Whitney’s death. Later, we’ll plant evidence that ties him to you, too, Maisey.”
Because they are going to leave me to die.
“He’s the perfect fall guy,” Steve said. His body trembled the faintest bit against Maisey.
He’s not as confident as he appears.
“Heather found out about his past. Heard Whitney talking one day about how tragic it was. When we needed to take her out, I came up with the idea of just making sure she vanished, instead of having her body turn up.” Steve sounded quite proud of himself. “Knew that if anyone asked too many questions, we could point back to him.”
And she’d asked questions.
“When Clay got promoted to her job, it was even more perfect. Suddenly looked like he had a motive.”
Yes, it had.
“Didn’t think you’d get a freaking PI, though,” Heather muttered as she cut a glance toward Odin. “That screwed things up.”
“So sorry,” Maisey choked out around Steve’s squeezing arm. “Didn’t mean to mess up your murder plan. My bad.”
“Do you think this is some kind of joke?” Heather lunged toward her.
Steve tightened his arm even more. Maisey couldn’t suck in a breath.
“You’re hurting Maisey.” Odin’s voice was guttural. “Ease up on your grip. Now.”
Steve’s hold jerked in automatic response. Jerked, then eased, just for a moment…
The moment Maisey had been hoping would happen. She knew that Odin had given that order deliberately, and Maisey wasn’t going to waste a second. Odin had taught her how to get out of this exact hold. Granted, a gun had not been involved at the time, but she didn’t have an option.
Can’t let them kill Odin. Can’t let them do this!
Heather and Steve thought they could use her to control Odin. They were about to see how wrong they were. No one could control Odin.
And no one controls me.
She shoved back with her elbow. Dug it into Steve’s ribs as hard as she could even as she shoved her heel toward his ankle and kicked down hard.
He screamed and let her go. A reflex. She surged away from him.
“You bitch!” Steve yelled.
Maisey saw the horror on Heather’s features and knew Steve was aiming his gun at her. “Don’t shoot her!” Heather yelled. “We’re supposed to dump them like we did—”
Bam. The bullet exploded from the gun. Maisey froze, but she wasn’t hit. She whipped around and saw that Odin had slammed into Steve. The gun had been tossed toward the desk, and Odin was pounding his massive fist into Steve’s face. It only took two blows before Steve crumbled and didn’t get up.
Maisey jumped for the gun.
“No!” Heather’s cry.
Maisey scooped up the weapon and whirled to aim it at Heather. But Heather had run for the door…only to be blocked by Ramsey and Jinx.
“What the fuck?” Ramsey glared at Steve’s prone form. “I know that little asshole. He got kicked out of my bar because he thought he could sell his shit drugs in my place.”
Heather whimpered.
Ramsey turned his stare back to her. “Who the hell are you?”
“She’s the woman who killed Whitney,” Odin said as he strode toward Heather.
Ramsey’s eyes blazed. He grabbed for Heather.
“Don’t.” Maisey’s yell. “I’m the one with the gun, and I’m telling you all—stop. I want the cops here. I want Heather and Steve going to jail. I want this to end.” But she could see the killing rage in Ramsey’s eyes. “Whitney wouldn’t want you doing this,” she added desperately. “Ramsey, just…stop.”
Ramsey didn’t see it, but Jinx had moved behind him. She could tell that Jinx was about to launch at the guy.
“What did you do to her?” Ramsey snarled to Heather.