A Life On The Edge

2. Promises and Confessions

I sat at my desk staring at the picture of the angle who stole my heart. That bitch walked into my life, gained my trust, and destroyed my family. I let my guard down and she destroyed my empire. How she has stayed away from me for so long is...baffling.

I hate you Riley, but I need you.

Every time the phone rings I hope it's her. I hope she's slipped up somehow and we've got her. But it never is, and slowly I'm starting to lose hope...and starting to go insane.

"What?" I growled angry at the world. I heard sniffling and a stream of incoherent cries. It was starting to get annoying. "What! What do you want?"

"You were right Chris." He cried. "She aint nothing but trouble. I just wanted to love her, I opened my heart to her, and she done burned me. I'm sorry Chris, I should've listened to you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Riley!" I froze. "I got Riley."

"Don't lie to me boy." I growled refusing to get my hopes up.

"She's here with her whole family. The teacher, the whore, and you're nephew. Come get her." The heart I thought had died with my two sons started to beat again at the thought of finally getting this bitch.

"What?"

"I know I should've called you when I first saw her but...I fell in love. I made a mistake. I'm sorry boss."

"I'm on my way."

A few months earlier

"I can explain." I choked out but Tina wouldn't have it.

"I don't want to hear it." Tina cried.

"I couldn't find another way. There was no other way."

"Fuck that. You know I could come to terms with that. As fucked up as it sounds I'm not mad that you killed a person. I'm mad that you lied about it." Tina growled.

"I think we all are." Dylan grumbled.

"I..."

"You looked me in my fucking face, and you lied to me!" She cried. "I don't know how you could've missed this...but trust is kind of big thing for me. I can't fucking stand liars. I lay my heart and my life out like a fucking book. I scrubbed the blood of a dismembered girl from our bathroom floor for you. I left my home, and risk my life every single day I stay with you because I love you. When I said you are like a sister to me I meant it. I don't take fake family bonds lightly. The least you can do is tell me the truth when I ask you a simple direct question." I stared at my feet. I had never felt so wrong in my life. "Seriously Riley what the fuck?"

"Say something." Lyle demanded, and my heart fell.

"I don't know what to say."

"Say anything but that." He croaked and I froze. "Please."

"You two begged me not to do it." I broke. "You," I nodded towards Lyle. "I didn't even know where you were. Here I am, with my heart broken and my family's safety is in jeopardy again." I cried. "I looked at every angle of this problem. I didn't want to do what I did either! But ignoring her threat was not an option. Carla has Chris's personal phone number on speed dial. I know firsthand how spiteful she can be. She hates me, and Erica is knocking on her fucking door. I don't think you get it Tina." I growled. I watched as Dylan slightly deflated. I could see him started to understand the situation we were in. "Ruining our lives could not have been any easier for her. She asked to kill her husband. If I paralyzed him, it wouldn't be enough. If I blackmailed him into giving Carla all his money, it wouldn't be enough. She wanted him dead and if he wasn't we were going to be fucked. And we couldn't have just got up in the middle of the night and left. We have left too many breadcrumbs here. She would've called Chris and he would've caught up to us by fucking Wednesday. I had to kill him." I pleaded with them hoping they would understand. "It was the only way I could keep all of us safe. I didn't want to do it. I had to. You have to understand that." Dylan bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair.