Page 79 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)
“You’ll have graduated.” I grimace and turn, but he grips the box.
“Is that what you’re really worried about? Me graduating and moving away?”
I narrow my eyes. “No.”
His gaze drops down at the plants and smiles. He reaches in.
Is he going to destroy my plant babies?
Then I catch a flash of purple, and my stomach flips.
“This is cute.” He holds my vibrator up. “You use this much?”
“Put that down.”
He hums, running his finger over the top of it. “No, I like it when you’re mad.”
“Liam Morrison,” I whisper. “Stop it. My mom—”
“She’s the one who probably put it there, angel.” He winks, then stows it back in the box. “Don’t worry, we’ll find somewhere to hide it.”
The butterflies in my stomach sink lower, burning through my core. I try to ignore it, because of all people, Liam shouldn’t be the one giving me these feelings.
I was going to wait for a nice person. That was my plan. Wait until I had escaped this college, and his influence, and…
Clearly not.
“Incoming,” Liam murmurs. He steps partially in front of me.
Detective McAdams knocks on the glass pane of the front door. “Ms. Buckley, a word?”
“Just ignore her,” Liam advises.
“I already made eye contact,” I whisper.
“Who is that?” Mom asks, coming down the stairs.
The movers are behind her, carrying the last few boxes between them. All the big stuff has already been loaded into the truck out front, with the exception of the things Whitney bought: the couch and coffee table, television and stand. Everything from my room, half the kitchen supplies.
It took Dad and me an entire afternoon to move me in, even with movers shuffling things up the stairs. And yet Mom has managed to do it in an hour.
“A detective. She probably wants to speak to me about…” I can’t even say it.
“Ah.” Mom nods and strides forward, pulling open the door. “Detective?”
“McAdams, ma’am,” she answers.
“Lovely. I’m Skylar’s mother. Please inform your department that if you have questions for Skylar, you can contact her lawyer.” She pulls out a business card and hands it over. “Now, if you’ll excuse us…”
McAdams steps out of the way for the men. Her attention stays on me, though, as we walk outside and locate our car.
I stow the box in the trunk and sit next to Mom in the back.
“Have you spoken to her before?” Mom asks.
“I went with Whitney to the police station after Natalie went missing. She tried to talk to me in the lobby, but her captain ordered her away. She’s tried again a few other times.”
Liam grunts. “She thinks she knows what’s going on.”