Crazy Bitch put his empty suitcase in his closet before turning back toward him. “I was going to the night you disappeared.”
Stud had already explained to Calder about the DEA’s drug bust and Crazy Bitch’s involvement.
“You had plenty of time to tell me before then, like the night me and Stud went looking for Sam.”
“You know what happens to informants. I wanted you to stay out of it. I knew you would try to help, and I didn’t want you hurt.”
“You didn’t want me helping because you didn’t want me coming into contact with some of my old friends,” he accused.
“Maybe,” she admitted frankly with a shrug. “Don’t bust my chops because I wanted to protect you.”
“But you denied me the opportunity to protect you.”
“I’m used to watching out for myself.”
“You didn’t mind Lucky watching out for you.”
“And how well did that go? He’s still in the hospital. He may be going home tomorrow, but the doctors say it will take a couple months for him to fully recover. His nickname is Lucky for a reason.” She rolled her eyes.
“You were the lucky one. What if you had gone inside the club with him?”
“Then Bear would have been dead, plain and simple. Bear wouldn’t have been able to take both of us on. He just got lucky that Lucky didn’t really believe Bear would hurt him. It nearly cost him his life,” she mumbled the last part.
“Like you wouldn’t have made the same mistake.” Feeling disparaged, Calder jerked to his feet, shoving his hands into his back pockets to keep from shaking her.
She rigidly braced herself as if she could read his mind. “It takes more to earn my trust than sharing a few beers. How do you think I caught on that Sam tried to roofie me?”
Calder blanched, sitting back down on the bed. “You’ve been roofied before?”
She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “I had been in and out of foster care since I was three years old; you really don’t think all of them were doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, do you? Jeez, I got some swampland I could sell you cheap.”
“Who? I want to know—”
“Why? He’s dead.”
Calder’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. “He’s the second man you killed?”
She pressed her finger against her forehead then pointed the same finger at him. “Give the man another cigar.” She sarcastically gave him a smug grin. “Son of a bitch didn’t know what hit him. Of course, he didn’t know I had caught on to what he was doing. I switched drinks with him. Poor man.” Crazy Bitch clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Had a heart condition, so they didn’t do an autopsy.”
“You really are crazy.” Calder stared at her in stunned disbelief.
“I’ve been telling you that all along.”
“Yes, you have. You really don’t need me to protect you, do you?”
She came to sit beside him, taking his hand. “No, I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need you. I need you to help me figure out when to push that red button from going crazy, and I’ll help you when you need to push yours when you get tempted by drugs.”
“I didn’t willingly take the drugs Candi gave me. I told you I didn’t need to come here. I spent five days in the hospital.”
“It’s a safeguard. It’s just for a couple weeks.”
“I want out.” He pulled his hand away from hers as he felt the familiar need clawing at his guts. “I shouldn’t have to stay here. The police know Candi and that old man kidnapped me; they said I could go home. If you and Stud hadn’t talked me into coming here, I could be at the club.”
“Why did you say the club instead of my apartment? Because you know it would be easier there to get what you want?”
“Go home and leave me alone!” he shouted, angry that she had spotted the real reason he wanted out of the rehab center.
Ignoring him, she stood up. “You want me to go to the restaurant next door to get you a burger and fries? I know you must be sick of hospital food. You’re probably sick of the food here from when you stayed with Gavin.”
“What is it going to take for you to go home and leave me alone? I’ve told you every day since I woke up, I told you all the way here from Jamestown, and I’m telling you now. How can you even look at me?
“I may not remember the details, but I know bits and pieces. You know I fucked her.” He jerkily stood up, unable to look at her. “You know I want whatever she pumped into me so badly that I’m willing to lie to you to get out of here.”